You can’t eat potential

There are at least a dozen other countries across Africa that have plans to begin similar programs with the potential to boost agriculture and reduce hunger sharply. Decades of agricultural research, some of it supported by Australia, means that the knowledge exists to produce, protect and market more food. But we should not ask governments to cut back on health, education and road-building programs in order to finance agriculture. We need to invest in all these areas simultaneously and without further delay.

The Rudd Government has promised to increase Australia’s Official Development Assistance to 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income by 2015-16, and has reaffirmed its support of the Millennium Development Goals, including a deeper and broader engagement with Africa. To be most effective in delivering its aid and to ensure sustained support of the general public, Australia needs to focus its efforts on where it has shared interests and where we can bring unique expertise to the table.

Australia and Africa are vast dry continents, both heavily dependent on rainfall for food and livelihoods. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pointed to the vulnerability of African agriculture to climate change. As a focus for our aid, there is no better place to start than sustainable agriculture and helping African farmers adapt to climate change. In the process, Australia may share and learn valuable lessons in managing with less water.

The L’Aquila commitment of $20 billion over three years, if realised, represents less than one third of the unmet promise made at Gleneagles by the same G8 to double aid to Africa. A year from now, the world’s leaders will gather in New York to reflect on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. In terms of the hunger goal, we are actually in a worse state today than we were when the MDGs were agreed by 189 nations in 2000. We have to seize the moment and grasp the opportunity that L’Aquila and Pittsburg have provided.

As a member of the increasingly credible and confident G20, and as a champion for action on climate change and ending extreme poverty, Australia must throw its support behind this new agriculture fund that will fight hunger at its roots. With a sharp focus on small-scale farming in selected countries that have demonstrated a commitment to action and being accountable for impact, such a fund could produce results within a year without the need to cut back investments in other crucial development areas.

With the United States, Australia and a few others showing the way with hard cash, early successes would inspire other aid agencies to step up and deliver on past promises. There would be no better way to continue the work and honour the life of the great Dr Borlaug. If we get this right, food-insecure nations will at last have the resources they need to end hunger.