Energy in poverty alleviation and sustainable agricultural and rural development in Africa

UNITED NATIONS

, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

.' ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

Distr.: LIMITED

ECA/NRD/RC/DUM RE/13 17 October 1995

Original: ENGLISH

Resources and Energy Accra, Ghana

14-23 November 1993

ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL

ENERGY IN POVERTY

AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

ECA/NRD/RC/DUMRE/13

Table of Contents

VII. AGRICULTURE IN AFRICAN ECONOMIES

1

I INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

n THE ROLE OF ENERGY IN AGRICULTUREE

m. DEPENDENCE ANIMATE ENERGY IN TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE . 2

ANIMATE ENERGY CAPACITY LIMITS

;'. ANIMATE ENERGY CONSTRAINTS TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

VI. WOMEN IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

,v ANIMATE ENERGY CAPACITY LIMITS

3 4

VIII. POVERTY IN AFRICA

5

IX POVERTY ALLEVIATION

X THE NEED TO INCREASE AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT

XI ENERGY FOR INCREASED AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT

XII. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURE *

Xffl. EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN AGRICULTURE «

XIV. LOW-INPUT SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

10&lt Reference

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY t. Acute poverty, chrome

Africa are rooted in low and

the bulk of agricultural output.

,and and labour productsty; « lack

£ S constraints to increasing sub-sector*

» applied with selected technologies

^J^olds and draught animals now

with ttaditional techniques-

2 Farm workers and draught anima.s are

the "hungry season" when food, fodder ^ set of the winy season. An ^"^^

for early crop planting essential to benefit most

rainy seasons in the vast semi-aridI andsuMmnud

preparation of farm fields

^C^a and high variability ot the

_^ ty ot Atrlca>s

e als0 raiseys a botUeneck for instance,

and carried into storage to mmimi.

damage by unseasonal rain, frost or pests.

3. Where the menfoik are away in search the farm are added to the manydut,^

muscular energy m general. J?"5.

production as it is rural women who by

SSsssas

farS^i SSwS;

animL energy constraint of agricultural

out the never ending drudgery o household water wd other applies, usually with the

sustainable food-secunty, eradication of lopment. Increased agncultura

Aviation and —ed rural

development.

5. The FAO te estimated that ^

five. The current very muted direct and Africa. Nevertheless improvement °*

make the main contributions; to.the

5*f

^^jty are expected to output. The output increases are

£^ ^n gasification (multiple aoppmg,

greater inputs of diverse forms ot energy.

6 ^revolution" ag

£e generally viable options ,n

nectary agricultural machinery inputs are not affordable. The prospects of alternative emP

to labour-intensive agriculture.

77 Accordingly.thestg

output would give high priority in input sustainable agriculture (L^

would have no sip

horizon; due to the scarcity and high cost industries, services and infrastructure, keep labour costs low, ,v,ng the

^cTflc agrTecological conditions

would be improvement ot rural access

1 resources'fM use m

ECA/NRD/RC/DUMRE/13

Page 2

^S^^^ animate energy at selected stages of

traditional agricultural practices & eM WOuM be selective improvement of

t -—«- >■—-»

*■»

- *— sas

II- THE ROLE OF ENERGY IN AGRICULTURE

physical S2\?;S5

fertilizer and pesticides, irrigation^

5h s s^

it

Cr°P S?Tg' Weedin8' sPreading °f

, ,oo,equipment,

with adequate soil ISZHS

facilities for successful Romance agricultural product While access to

agricultural production wSout energ?

Pe"re?UJiteS indude Suitable )and

^^U"able1toois' equipment and

Production cycle towards the desired

"S "Ot SUff'Clent ^ itself> ««* =an be no HI- DEPENDENCE ON ANIMATE ENERGY ,N TRADIT.ONAL AGR,CULTURE

of AfSstt'SSS KdSfin"!^with ^ditional methods in

practices (as well as ZT^lTarTd tLtSt Sd nZU**"'„ ^ traditi°"al «

energy inputs offarm labour surol^menSdTn ^ Afl ^ Wh°^ depend on me

draught animals. Human labS^St aZal £%?£T2,^ ^ mUSCuIar ene^ of

vast majority of African farmers have acresTTr aU^K£f ^ P mpUtS t0 which **

sowmg, threshing, transport of farm tapms aid^proiucTetc S"Ch HS S°U ^

Page 3

IV ANIMATE ENERGY CAPACITY LIMITS

; r output ***»££«SSST^

^^fKass 5 j. »«—

Modest sized two-wheel walking tractor.

V

15 The food intake of pe

5

avSK of rural food and fodder

dwindling food, fodder and water su i duration of the rainfall \

4W. The high variabiUty and

these fluctuations. This is parUariarly

ff^ inhabited by the bulk ot Afnca's

last up to 8 months.

16. Fo0d, fodder and water^S

toe rains is commonly referred to asthe w

Animals are undernourished then and physically

S?5S SSTSffg;

Yet it is preciseiy at this time that

of all fanning tasks should be earned

*rains to sttetch P

growing season.

17. ^uacy of animate energy { therefore constitutes a constraining factor

where 'rain-poor' years are common and the: n turn out to be shorter than^

harvested,threshed and brought

proves a constraining factor.

VI WOMEN IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

,n the Cities where .e awayin ^rch 3

tSer a?d other supplies with t

needs. Women also regularly carry

markets which can be tar away, ta ^{^} households must spread s best they can. This compounds

n anifflate energy alone'

19. Animate energy with its

variability with seasonal fluctuations in food

srssrir^s sfflS

ta

ik

ECA/NR D/RC/OUMRE/13

Page 4

^

VII. AGRICULTURE IN AFRICAN ECONOMIES

bres and other materials. The majority of African countries

s such as

k to

of food> beverag

«*»*** of a 4

X5^o^^ •* "- twenty five years in all

average annual rise ofagricultural oufpmduringK^Tgl^r"6- ■^ COntinent's l 8%

by |ts 2.7% annual population groJa, ta the 19«T, ,hl ? 9 ' *"? afaB^^f outstripped

rurther to ,.4% per year wherea! rZ^tolt^ZiT^™11™1 ^ <** fc»

per year at the same time. tS predicamen

import requirements are at their hiehS T

agricultural production of fo^ and

in

t

u °^ ^ *"* "^ &OWn at about

is often aggravated further as food

^^ which *»sti«IIy curtS

i.e diets inadequate to maintain satiftoor^

development of the young including abilityto leirn L?immSd mT^ iPhysical and metal

factor m labour capacity to perform work MaC^tn ^ Nutnbonal sta^ i* a decisive

nutrmon r«,uiremente are grater dur^ Lo^^m mfS™ ""^ t0 infeCti°n while

secunty ,n a country. It indicates wffiS,!!8^1'6 mdlCtor ofh°»sehold food

national requirements, (b) the install iryofTe^S LT^wT^1 "« ^ avera^

under-nounshed in the total population^In 30^?rfflL%2§?'Y ^ <C ^ ProP°rtion of the Trop,c of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn a^d indf«S.mfrlCa"kcou"tneS iocated between *

-auon to be uasatisfactory bLg ■S^ffSS?^ ^SS

asssstss&d&ssg,=r

appiication of efficient tXoS and mS, ^ y Wlth Pe°Ple's Pupation and the

acceptable. K dna metnods «iat are econonncally viable and socially

™S hei8htens de^

secui*y and s

_{^™ on food}

Page 5

VIII POVERTY IN AFRICA

subsidence Bvdftood.

blw>«=.

making.

27. surveys i» much Africa ««

maiority population. Rural poverty is considered°

« of inadequate access to the mateml P™

technology for own production to ^ete^enttal nee*.

energy and suitable urban and rural areas

-ces to meet minimum needs when production and exchange fail.

28. insufficient rural production is P^

root cause of their poverty is their lack ot

energy and that of their dht anf^!*

^1T

J fc^SS iabour

e"^ctive or service activities they engage

Stechnologies that would improve the

disposal and help relieve the product

constraints it imposes.

IX POVERTY ALLEVIATION 29. ln view of the causes o

address the primary physical rc«t otuPo^ee^,eraent potes that address issues

- urgently providing opportunities to a,l persons to earn sustainab.e livelihood and

alleviation and income generation.

31 «« ^{»,■» »}

„)

ECA/NRD/RC/DUMRE/13

Page 6

(c) Facilitate rational use of energy.

food shortfalls needs such energy

their limited muscular en^ ^bf

routinely perform for the

victims p

heavy overIoad X. THE NEED TO INCREASE AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT

The FAO indicates that a sustained a~

prerequisite for achieving food secuntv in S

to be attained in 20 yearsf * S

to

fl Afnca w.th a doubling of aggregate output atu °f a^ciiibi^ production is a

imgated conditions where

productivity of land. practicable, and (3) raises yields to increase

and 27% from expansion of land undt a'^cultuT ft

hrgher y,elds would be necessary if the 27^ exZsion of good agricultural land is already being used. ~XpanS1On of XI. ENERGY FOR INCREASED AGRICULTURAL

A«« would have

y (mU'tiple CroPP^)

T 8rcater contributions from

land can not be attained as "most

OUTPUT

iLsivet^ of high productivity

capacity attainable from human labour a^dXIght Sis "m*imUm °Utput

^aStlr^^^^ !»dhe^nt of

machmery applied se.ecivety in sucl S"P^f

planting, weeding fertilizer and pesticide

seasona,

sml

^crop

Page 7

quantities.

39. The energy inputs supp

utilized in efficient mobUe and

and/or gaseous fuels, and ^onary ^{and m ^ or}

achieve finable rural

s

41. When their men-fo* ^ work, women are increasingly taking Thus if agriculture output m A^' ultimately achieved, rt w. 1 be

lead role ^{for f y ^}

be responsible for this growth. Their

e t0 be p^operiy taken into account and

wome^ recuire to increase agncuhural

output.

«. The FAO had indicated in 1981 *- dojg two decades of the twentieth centary,™^

animate) energy consumption in tte

^festimate took account of the direct

pumping as well as energy used m the

XII ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURE 43. Each hectare of crop land in

and would have to feed six p

S

. land ^tentia, in

—■

than expansion of the area under agriculture.

ECA/NRD/RC/OUMRE/13

Page 8

XIII. EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN AGRICULTURE

„„«,

m'

of the labour force in Africa is

advantage to labour-inteasive

i acenff of ^"cultural labour. But rapid growth

d°Wn labour «* thereby giving the compSe

^^ to agricu]tura] em

.systems include labour-inteLiveSquetImwl," ^"f m generaL MaJor element" of

LOW-INPUT SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

XIV.

^ be introduced must be carefully

puct.v.ty in the seasonal peflabZ7emLd ^X^"6 J601™"11"08 by in^asing labou?

and disruption of rural livel hoods Accostat^f ^ Producti°n cycle without lo! ofjobs

» agricultural output, labour p^VH^ to ***** an annual 4?SS -th labour absorption in fcP«ric^^^J^««2* Per year side fy side

The programme justification states that more

productxvity of human labour andlbr income

^^^ R"? D-.opment (Chapter !4) t gy Transitlon <» Enhance Productivity

S6"^ '"^ m eSSential for j!

able agricultural and rural development (SARD? a^fU'atlons ?* Unlives leading £

development and transfer of appropriateIZZtJZ™, }- Md !mProved food security and to the

sustamable agriculture (LISA)^™ ^ technoIofi'« eluding where appropn4tw-Lput

53. The specific objectives of the programme area include:

Page 9

structured and divers.fied energy sources by mafcng avai.atte amative new

renewable sources of energy.

and

Sate and Hkdy to adequately ma ™

(b) mitiate and prcnote rura! energy proves supported by technica, training, ban^ng

d ltd infrastructure;

m p

and related infrastructure

SJaa:=raS5SSi:=Spi

environmental advantages ot renewable energy sources• ^ ^^tionai institutional mechanisms

tt°nsSionto enhanceproducuvity B™™™*\%$&££efficiency inagricultural produ^

for rural energy planning and m^f™e^r^d Strengthen extensions serv.ces and tal

village level."

ECA/NRD/RC/DUMRE/13

Page 10

Reference

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tSSagSJXf *<■ ""

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Rbl

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y^Jp A8riculture in sub-

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SUSTAiNABLE AGRICULTURE AND

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Page 11

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