Tens of millions of Africans will continue to go hungry over the next 20 years unless major changes in trade and aid policies are enacted, a research institute said Thursday.
NAIROBI, Kenya — Tens of millions of Africans will continue to go hungry over the next 20 years unless major changes in trade and aid policies are enacted, a research institute said Thursday.
More than 38 million children will suffer from malnutrition in 2025 if trends continue, and current policies will do little to improve long-term prospects, the International Food Policy Research Institute predicted in a report.
With millions already suffering from severe food shortages in the semiarid nations along the Sahara, known as the Sahel, the report said the entire continent needed at least $303 billion in new investments to reduce hunger.
Such an investment would reduce the number of malnourished children in sub-Saharan Africa to 10 million, said Mark Rosegrant, the lead author of the report said. He added that the doubling of assistance by leaders of the world's wealthiest countries and a promise by African leaders to double the investment in agriculture would be beneficial.
"Improved crop, land and water management must be supported," Rosegrant told reporters. "It is essential there must be continued reform in macroeconomic policies."
!ADVERTISEMENT!
Researchers for the Washington-based institute on food issues used computer modeling to analyze the effect of different trade, aid and agricultural policies to prepare a forecast for the next 20 years, depending on steps taken at the national and international level.
"Many of the challenges facing Africa's agricultural sector stem from a few root causes, including poor political and economic governance in many African countries, inadequate funding for the agricultural sector, poor water resources management, and neglect of research and development," the report said.
Researchers said the only way to meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals of cutting the number of hungry in half by 2015 would be through reforming trade policies, significant financial investments, increased agricultural research and extension services, as well as better crop, land and water management.
Source: Associated Press
