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DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION D+C

ENTWICKLUNG UND ZUSAMMENARBEIT E+Z

International Journal

ISSN 2366-7257 D +C MONTHLY E-PAPER November 2020

DEVELOPMENT FINANCE POPULATION GROWTH COVID-19 Why Beijing-based AIIB How policymakers can Vaccinations must needs more stringent ensure that Africa gets become available transparency rules a demographic dividend everywhere

Healthy diets Title: Fruit and vegetable market in Kampala, Uganda‘s capital. Photo: Antoine Lorgnier/Biosphoto/Lineair D+C November 2020 In German E+Z Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit. Both language versions FOCUS at www.DandC.eu Healthy diets Monitor Acute hunger Digital support for Diaspora Africans who are looking for jobs back home | Imperial Ever more Zimbabweans are not sure they will get past shapes current world views | Nowadays: Chinese companies are keen on anything to eat tomorrow, so they don’t think much about balanced diets. Covid-19 and global organic honey from Zambia 4 heating are making the country’s long-lasting economic crisis even worse. Journalist Jeffrey Debate Moyo assesses the situation. PAGE 14 Comments on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s insufficient transparency rules and Chile’s progress on using renewable energy | Letters 7 Enough maize is not enough In Zambia, maize is the staple food. This important agricultural commodity is heavily subsidised. The government would like to promote greater Tribune diversity, but change is difficult to bring about JAKKIE CILLIERS where many people consider the words “meal” What needs to happen for Africa to benefit from a demographic dividend from and “maize” to be largely synonymous. In neigh- 2050 on 10 bouring Malawi, the international NGO Slow Food is teaching local communities to cultivate tradi- JÖRG SCHAABER tional plants. Doing so makes sense in terms of Vaccines are essential in the fight against infectious diseases, including Covid-19 11 health, economics and ecology. Two journalists report: Derrick Silimina from Zambia and Rabson Kondowe from Malawi. PAGES 15, 17 Focus: Healthy diets JEFFREY MOYO As in biblical times In Zimbabwe, people don’t worry about what they will eat tomorrow – but whether East Africa has been suffering a locust plague they will eat at all 14 since last winter, and another insect invasion is now looming. Mahwish Gul, a development con- DERRICK SILIMINA sultant, filed her story from Nairobi. PAGE 19 Zambians need more balanced diets 15

RABSON KONDOWE It is all in the mix Slow Food, an international NGO, is promoting traditional cultivars in Malawi 17 To live a healthy and active life, people need healthy diets. However, some 3 billion people go MAHWISH GUL without. Hunger is not the only reason, given that East Africa is facing the next locust invasion – and hunger 19 malnutrition is harmful too and can even affect people who are overweight. Simone Welte of SIMONE WELTE Welthungerhilfe, a Bonn-based non-governmental organisation, explains what constitutes a healthy Political will and awareness raising are essential for the promotion of healthy diets 20 diet. PAGE 20

SARAH SCHNEIDER AND ARMIN PAASCH Multinational corporations are aggressively marketing unhealthy food and Irresponsible corporations blocking consumer information 22 Food multinationals are systematically undermining health awareness. Aggressive marketing of THUANY RODRIGUES soft drinks and ready-made meals is not the only Why obesity is becoming ever more common in Brazil 25 problem. Sarah Schneider and Armin Paasch of Misereor, a Catholic non-governmental organisa- SABINE BALK, HANS DEMBOWSKI tion, sound the alarm. PAGE 22 Relevant reading on “hidden hunger” and globally increasing extreme poverty 27 Worrisome trend Covid-19 diary Ever more Brazilians are overweight. Better and Preventive action in two Indian Adivasi villages | Constitutional referendum during more balanced diets would help, but behavioural change is not easy to bring about, writes Thuany lockdown in Chile | Corona-related fake news in Arab countries | How an NGO is Rodrigues, a journalist based in Rio de Janeiro. facilitating handwashing in public places in Zimbabwe 30 PAGE 25

D+C e-Paper November 2020 OUR VIEW Lack of awareness Debate

Eating seems to be the simplest thing on earth. We can tell when we feel hungry, and we know what tastes good. Things are actually quite complex, however. For one thing, Germans are likely to prefer other dishes than Kenyans or Indi- ans. Moreover, we are genetically programmed to appreciate sugar and fat, even though both are unhealthy in excessive amounts. For hunters and gatherers, that was an incentive to strive hard to get food like meat or fruits, which contain valuable proteins or vitamins respectively. Today, excessive consumption of sweets and meat is causing multiple problems. Masses of people, nonetheless, still neither get what they like nor what they would need for a healthy lifestyle. The World Bank reckons that the Covid-19 crisis will plunge an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty in the Too many loopholes course of this year alone. Global heating is another cause of growing need. The AIIB’s public-disclosure rules are vague and On the other hand, increasing prosperity does not solve all problems. Un- lack time-bound requirements. There is too much healthy food is very popular, including not only white bread or candy. Ready- room for the top management to decide what the made meals have become easily available in the cities of low and middle-income public gets to know about the environmental and countries. All too often, they contain too much sugar, too much salt, too much social impacts of AIIB projects. Korinna Horta from the University of Lisbon and Wawa Wang fat and various aromatic substances. Such food is unhealthy, but people like the from the Danish NGO VedvarendeEnergi assess taste. Vegetables, fruits and whole wheat products are more advisable. matters. PAGE 7 Around the world, the share of overweight people is growing. Ironically, many of them suffer what is called “hidden hunger”: they lack important micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and some amino acids. Serious consequences include maternal and infant mortality as well as retarded mental and physical Tribune development. Unhealthy diets, moreover, contribute to chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and cancer. More awareness raising is needed in all world regions. Even in rich countries, many people do not know that eating a lot does not necessarily prevent malnutrition. The food industry is aggressively marketing its products and spending billions on advertising. Many consumers are clueless about packaged meals not including all the nutrients they need, and multinational corporations such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola or Unilever do not want us to know that. They have a pattern of resisting obligations to indicate unhealthy ingredients, and they certainly don‘t want to have them taxed either. At the same time, many low-income consumers consider healthy food – vegetables, fruits, whole-grain and dairy products – to be unaffordable. There are many reasons for high prices. Huge monoculture plantations tend to be more profitable than the cultivation of vegetables or fruits. Standardised commodities are easiest to export. Animal feed is produced on fields where healthy vegetarian food for people might otherwise grow. Commodity speculation and misguided agriculture subsidies are relevant too. Moreover, global heating is causing ever- Putting Africa first more draughts, storms and floods. If things go well, Africa could benefit from a Excessive meat consumption is probably the greatest single challenge. It “demographic dividend” in future decades. Policy- causes individual and collective harm. Intensive livestock farming requires ex- makers can make it happen, but that is no easy orbitant inputs of energy and other resources, and they are a driver of climate task. This argument is spelled out by Jakkie change. People around the world are copying the destructive consumption hab- Cillier, the founder of the think tank ISS Africa, its of Europe and North America. This is the road to disaster. The healthy alterna- which has its head office in Pretoria. PAGE 10 tive everywhere is more vegetarian, vitamin-rich and regionally produced food. More than crumbs for Africa No vaccination against Covid-19 is available so far. You’ll find all contributions The UN, the WHO and many top policymakers of our focus section plus SABINE BALK promise all countries have access once one related ones on is member of the editorial team of D+C becomes available. Jörg Schaaber of BUKO our website – they’ll be Development and Cooperation / E+Z Pharma-Kampagne, a civil-society group based in compiled in next month’s Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit. Bielefeld, elaborates why those pledges may not otos: Chen Yehua/picture-alliance/Xinhua; Philippe Lissac/GODONG/LineairChen Yehua/picture-alliance/Xinhua; otos: come true. PAGE 11 briefing section. [email protected] Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 MONITOR: CONFERENCES AND STUDIES

BUSINESS SUPPORT African countries. Kenya, Togo and Ethiopia will be added this year, and further countries will be added in 2021. “There is no shortage of ideas, What makes this platform unique is that it supports entrepreneurs in the informal sector, who constitute up to 90 % of the just a shortage of money” labour market in most sub-Saharan African countries. Zunzer expects that by the end of the project’s duration at the end of next year, over 6,000 jobs will have been created For years, development policymakers have € 250. The rest was paid for by the German and over € 8 million will have been mobi- wondered how the money that migrants government. lised. transfer back to their countries of origin Their experience illustrates the con- The entrepreneurs who receive fund- could be used to promote sustainable devel- cept behind WIDU.africa. The African busi- ing from WIDU do not simply receive money opment. Now there is a new online platform nesses that receive funding must contribute from Germany, however; they also receive that makes it attractive for the African dias- the same amount of money as their support- individual business coaching on site, pro- pora in Germany to financially support small ers in the diaspora. That aspect is important vided by local coaching organisations. and micro-enterprises in Africa. Their contri- to the project leaders because it ensures Tcheumeleu believes in the concept butions will be augmented by grants from that the partnership proceeds on equal foot- behind WIDU.africa: his association, along the German state. The goal is for more ing. “Investing the same amount makes the with other diaspora organisations, also money to flow into investments and for less partners equal,” claims the WIDU platform. helped develop the platform. As a result, to be spent on consumption. At the moment, only businesses in Ghana he says, the needs of the people in ques- and Cameroon are receiving donations. The tion were truly taken into account. He be- By Sabine Balk partner in the diaspora pays a fourth and the lieves that WIDU.africa represents a new entrepreneur likewise. The German govern- approach to development cooperation and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic ment then matches the sum of their contri- creates sustainable businesses. These busi- Cooperation and Development (BMZ), to- butions. The maximum funding amount is nesses are not being created by relatives gether with the German Agency for Inter- € 5000, so state contributions are capped at and friends in the diaspora, he continues, national Cooperation (GIZ), developed the € 2500 per project. but rather by the local entrepreneurs them- platform WIDU.africa with input from the The platform has been online since selves. He thinks that is a good thing, “be- diaspora from the very beginning, praises the end of 2019. According to the WIDU pro- cause in Africa, there is no shortage of ideas, Hervé Tcheumeleu, the director of the gramme director, Wolfram Zunzer of GIZ, just a shortage of money.” That’s where the Berlin cultural association “Afrika Medien over 2,000 projects have since been regis- diaspora can step in. Zentrum”. He himself has already ben- tered, of which around 650 are already be- The digital approach makes it possible efited from the platform, he says. “My aunt ing implemented in Ghana and Cameroon. to react quickly. For example, shortly after in Cameroon wanted to sell ice cream and Three million euros of private and public the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic needed about € 1000 for a stand. But she funding have thus been mobilised. The pi- in March 2020, WIDU started an additional didn’t have that much money.” He donated lot phase was concluded in May 2020, and funding programme. Its support targets the € 250 and she had to contribute another the project is now being launched in other small businesses whose activities contribute to overcoming the crisis. The coaching process was adapted to also be able to func- Online diaspora tion during times of lockdown and issue platform to create payments on time. There has been consider- new jobs in Africa. able demand for these services: 160 projects are currently underway. Existing projects have received coronavirus aid as well: on top of the regular WIDU grants, each business was awarded an additional € 250. The people affected can use that money to cover their costs of living or ongoing business expenses, to adhere to hygiene measures or to protect their livelihoods during the crisis.

LINK WIDU.africa:

https://widu.africa/de Screenshot: https://widu.africa/discover

D+C e-Paper November 2020 4 MONITOR: CONFERENCES AND STUDIES

GLOBAL AFFAIRS sivesly that while western interventions in North Africa from the late 18th century and the Middle East from the early 20th century Painting the big picture on had serious impacts, assessing them does not suffice to understand the complex tensions that still mark this world region. Puri has South Asian parents, worked Samir Puri addresses important questions in antee peace. In two millennia of Chinese for Britain’s Foreign Office and is now an his recently published book “The great impe- history, the worst periods were marked by adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins Uni- rial hangover”. His core thesis is that today’s domestic strife. The lesson that authoritar- versity in the USA. Of course, a short chap- world was shaped by the empires of the past, ian rule is preferable to anarchy and chaos ter of 30 pages or so cannot offer a detailed and as a result, how people perceive today’s makes sense to many people, and the Com- analysis of an entire world region’s complex world, depends on the historic experience of munist regime uses that message adeptly to history. Puri’s book is a good place to start, their respective nations. claim legitimacy. and readers will probably find those chap- Knowing the history of past empires ters the most useful that deal with the re- By Hans Dembowski helps to understand other world regions, gions they are least familiar with. of course. Prophet Mohammed started the The book’s weakest chapter is the one People from Europe and North America all world religion of Islam in the 7th century, and about sub-Saharan Africa. Part of the prob- too often believe that they understand the Arabs fast conquered most of what is now lem is certainly that there is no precolonial past. Unfortunately, many of us neither the Middle East, North Africa and Spain. written history for much of the continent. have an idea of how Africans and Asians However, the new faith suffered traumatis- Adding to the complexity, postcolonial Af- experienced colonialism nor do we know much about non-European empires. It is safe to say that many of our leading policymakers are ignorant about these things too. Puri’s book is a good primer for anyone who wants to learn more. Its eight chapters assess how the past informs current world- views in the USA, Britain, the European Un- ion, Russia, China, India, the Middle East and Africa. The differences help to explain, for example, why approaches to trade or human rights diverge considerably. Consider the opium wars of the 19th century, for example. The imperial western powers forced China to import opium they grew in their Asian colonies. Mass addiction in China guaranteed them huge profits. Brit- ain and other western powers declared that this was “free” trade (also see my essay in Focus section of D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2018/12). The plantation workers who were forced to Monument commemorating the opium wars in Guangzhou agglomeration. cultivate poppies stayed miserably poor of course, while the white owners prospered. There is a reason why “free trade” does not ing schism after the prophet’s death. Sunnis rica is fragmented into very many sovereign have a good reputation in China and India. and Shiites could not agree on who should states, many of which are very small, though The opium wars also started what Chi- be the prophet’s successor. The Arab empire all are multilingual and multicultural. More- nese leaders now call their country’s “cen- did not last, though cities like Tunis, Cairo, over, the states are marked by lasting ties to tury of humiliation”. There still was a Chi- Damascus and Baghdad stayed important the former colonial powers, the language of nese Emperor in Beijing, but his reach was centres of power. which they still use. Another shortcoming of limited. The country became fragmented, Puri elaborates how the Sunni-Shia the book is that it does not contain the chap- with competing power centres aligning with distinction later marked relations between ter on Latin America. different imperialist powers. Violence and the Ottoman empire and the Shia Safavid political instability compounded problems empire, the precursors of modern Turkey BOOK of poverty, and that experience confirmed and Iran. He sees the current rivalry be- Puri, S., 2020: The great imperial hangover – age-old Chinese narratives, according to tween Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia in How empires have shaped the world. London, oto: picture-alliance/Photoshot

which only a strong central power can guar- that tradition. The scholar argues conclu- Atlantic books. Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 5 NOWADAYS D+C correspondents write about daily life in developing countries

exports not only to China but to the entire When the bee stings Asian market. IMPRINT “What is currently happening in D+C DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION this sector is not fair,” Kantumoya says. Vol. 47, 2020 Zambia is developing a sweet alterna- “Some Chinese honey companies source D+C is the identical twin of the German edition E+Z Internet: www.DandC.eu tive to its reliance on the volatile copper our local product at below-market prices ISSN 2366-7257 trade: a thriving international market in for export to China.” The production of this e-Paper was completed on 30.10.2020. organic honey produced in the country’s Benjamin Kalima, a bee farmer D+C Development and Cooperation is funded by Germany´s Federal north-western forests. in the Solwezi district of north-western Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and commis- sioned by ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL. D+C does not serve as a From modest beginnings, Zambia’s Zambia, says the growing Asian demand governmental mouthpiece. Our mission is to provide a credible forum honey sector has grown to producing for organic honey could help build up of debate, involving governments, civil society, the private sector and approximately 2,500 tonnes per year and Zambia’s economy – if the honey trade academia at an international level. D+C is the identical twin of E+Z Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit, the German edition. employing over 30,000 people. Most of were conducted on a freely competitive this production is exported, bringing in basis. ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen vital foreign currencies. “These briefcase buyers, especially Tulpenfeld 7 But there is a sting in the tail of this those from China, always exploit us,” D-53113 Bonn Phone: +49 (0) 2 28 2 07 17-0 success story. Under a honey export pro- Kalima says. “They come here and offer Fax: +49 (0) 2 28 2 07 17-150 tocol reached between Zambia and China us a very low market price of 70 Kwacha www.engagement-global.de in 2018, Mpundu Wild Honey, a Chinese- (about € 3.3) per 2.5-litre container of ADVISORY BOARD: owned company based in central Zambia, honey, and we have no choice but to sell Thomas Loster, Prof. Dr. Katharina Michaelowa, Dr. Susanne Neubert, Prof. Dr. Imme Scholz, Hugh Williamson was granted exclusive rights to export to them at this price because we need Zambian honey to China. income for our families.” PUBLISHER: FAZIT Communication GmbH This exclusive deal has stung A 2.5 litre container of honey Executive director: Hannes Ludwig Zambian honey producers. Zambian bee- weighs 3.6 kilogrammes, so the price that ADDRESS OF THE PUBLISHER AND EDITORIAL OFFICE: keepers and honey traders say the deal Kalima cites translates into approximate- Frankenallee 71–81, D-60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany bars them from accessing the lucrative ly € 0.91 per kilogramme. In contrast, the This is also the legally relevant address of all indicated as responsible Chinese market directly. wholesale price on the Zambian market or entitled to represent them in this imprint. One of the affected local producers ranges between 50 and 80 Kwacha EDITORIAL OFFICE: is Miombo Honey, which buys and pro- (€ 2.3-€ 3.7) per kilogramme. Dr. Hans Dembowski (editor-in-chief), Dagmar Wolf (assistant) cesses raw organic honey and wax from On international markets, honey Freelance support: Sabine Balk, Katja Dombrowski, Aviva Freudmann, Monika Hellstern (social media), bee farmers in the Miombo forests of the trades at wholesale prices of about € 4.7 Jan Walter Hofmann (layout), Malcom Bell (translation), central Zambezian woodlands. The com- per kilogramme, according to the Na- Claire Davis (translation) Phone: +49 (0) 69 75 91-31 10 pany sees rich market potential in the Far tional Honey Board, a US-based industry [email protected] East. But founder Aaron Kantumoya says group. The difference between the local Disclaimer according to § 5,2 Hessian Law on the Freedom the exclusive rights for Mpundu tilt the Zambian and the international price and Rights of the Press: The shareholders of the company are scales in favour of the Chinese firm for shows how lucrative exports could be for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH (40 %) and Zambian honey producers. Frankfurter Societät GmbH (60 %).

The firm that has exclusive export ADVERTISING AND SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: rights to the Chinese market sees the FAZIT Communication GmbH c/o InTime Media Services GmbH market potential as well. Zhang Zhan- PO Box 1363 ping, director of Mpundu Wild Honey, D-82034 Deisenhofen, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 89 8 58 53-8 32 says his company plans to increase pro- Fax: +49 (0) 89 8 58 53-6 28 32 duction from the current annual level of [email protected]

3.4 tonnes by adding new beekeepers to PRINTING: its supply network. Westdeutsche Verlags- und Druckerei GmbH Kurhessenstraße 46 “The export of Zambian honey to D-64546 Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany China will improve the economies of both Opinions expressed by authors indicated in bylines do not necessarily ZAMBIA countries through employment creation reflect the views of ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL, the publisher or the and international trade,” he says. editor and his team. Provided that they indicate the original source, third parties have the permission to republish in complete or abridged Lusaka versions the manuscripts published by D+C Development and DERRICK SILIMINA Cooperaton and E+Z Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit. However, those who do so are requested to send the editorial office two hard is a freelance journalist copies and/or the links to the respective webpages. This general based in Lusaka. He permission does not apply to illustrations, maps and other items with explicitly and separately marked copyright disclaimers. focuses on Zambian

agriculture and PRICES (INCL. MAILING CHARGES): sustainability issues. single issue: € 2.20 annual subscription, Germany: € 14.00 [email protected] annual subscription, world: € 18.00

D+C e-Paper November 2020 6 DEBATE: OPINIONS

MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS diary must only report annually about environmental and social documentation – and even that will not be necessary if the infor- Too many loopholes mation is subject to regulatory constraints, or a project sponsor does not consent. The climate emergency and the erosion of biodiversity are escalating fast. At The AIIB’s public-disclosure rules are vague and/or its clients must release documents the same time, the space for civil-society ac- and lack time-bound requirements. There is concerning environmental and social im- tivism is shrinking or even disappearing in too much room for the top management to pacts. The pertinent ESF paragraphs only many countries. In China, for example, voic- decide what the public gets to know about call for “timely” release or disclosure “as es defending human rights and even public the environmental and social impacts of AIIB soon as” information becomes available. health have largely been silenced. projects. Moreover, the management may postpone In this setting, multilateral develop- disclosure to an undefined future date in ment banks must be held accountable. Ma- By Korinna Horta and Wawa Wang cases of commercial sensitivity, for exam- jor infrastructure projects are by definition ple when assets of a private-sector corpora- high risk. Unless the new ESF draft under- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank tion are affected. Commercial and corporate goes fundamental changes, shareholders (AIIB) has become an important global play- concerns thus trump the public interest. will miss an opportunity to promote trans- er in record time. It is based in Beijing, start- European shareholders have demand- parent governance, fairness and environ- ed operations in 2016 and aspires to become ed clearer rules on these matters. Depress- mental sustainability. The broader risk is the world’s leading financier of large-scale ingly, the current draft for an ESF revision that the AIIB approach will weaken how infrastructure by 2021. disappoints once more. It was published in other IFIs enforce their own environmental The AIIB was established at China’s September 2020 and is scheduled for ap- and social standards. After all, IFIs compete initiative, its President Jin Liqun is Chinese proval early next year. for investment opportunities. and the People’s Republic is its largest share- The draft does include relevant new holder. European and other governments clauses concerning public access to infor- KORINNA HORTA joined the AIIB against US President Barack mation in cases where the AIIB may apply is an independent researcher Obama’s wishes, stating they would ensure a client’s environmental and social systems and resident scholar at the the adoption of the best international stand- instead of its own ESF or where it is lending University of Lisbon. ards in regard to public transparency and to or investing in financial intermediaries, [email protected] accountability. such as commercial banks and private equi- This has not been achieved. The AIIB’s ty funds. But once again, loopholes abound, WAWA WANG so-called “Accountability Framework” del- and the transparency provisions are vague works for VedvarendeEnergi, egates increasing decisionmaking power to and open-ended. a Danish non-governmental the Bank’s president, sidelining the Board of Even when a financial intermediary organisation engaged in Directors, who represent member countries. finances high-risk activities with AIIB sup- developmental and Initially, the AIIB mostly co-financed port, there is no requirement to publish environmental matters. projects with other international financial specific information. The financial interme- https://www.sustainableenergy.dk/ institutions (IFIs), but it is now increasingly developing its own lending pipeline. Its reach is not limited to Asia, but extends to AIIB President Africa, Latin America and Europe. Jin Liqun. Concerning transparency, the AIIB of- fers nice rhetoric, but lacks substance when it comes to specific requirements, including the time frames for publishing environmental studies. Loopholes in its Public Policy on Information (PPI) ultimately allow the AIIB president to decide what documents are disclosed. For example, the Bank, using exemptions, can delay publishing environmental and social information that is essential to mitigating harm. Similarly, the rules on transparency in the AIIB’s Environmental and Social Frame- work (ESF) are inadequate. They do not de- oto: Chen Yehua/picture-alliance/Xinhua

fine precise time frames for when the Bank Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 7 DEBATE: OPINIONS

CHILE Morocco, as a supplier of green hydrogen or its derivatives. Another exciting development is Unsubsidised transformation Chile’s incremental phase-out of electricity generation by coal, which is happening par- allel to its expansion of renewables and in close cooperation with the industry. Almost Chile is converting its electricity supply to electricity sector in the years 2015 to 2018 two-thirds of coal-burning power plants with renewable energies, phasing out coal and – without government subsidies. Currently a total capacity of 5,529 megawatts have only betting on green hydrogen to deliver a car- around a fifth of the country’s electricity been in operation for less than ten years. Nev- bon-neutral economy by 2050. In doing so, it comes from fluctuating renewable sources ertheless, the power-plant operators have, can serve as an example to other newly (solar, wind, small hydropower); if large without state subsidies, voluntarily commit- industrialising countries. hydropower is included, the total comes to ted to ending coal-fired generation by 2040. 45 %. Together with the German Aerospace By Rainer Schröer Centre (DLR) and two coal-fired power plant GREEN HYDROGEN operators, GIZ is now analysing whether the Fifteen years ago, Chile’s electricity genera- coal plants that will be decommissioned can tion depended largely on gas imports from The next step was to make sectors other than be converted to thermal energy storage for Argentina. Those imports came to a halt in electricity sustainable as well. Since 2015, solar and wind energy. That way the ma- 2007 as a direct result of the energy crisis there has been activity in the area of green jority of existing infrastructure could still in Argentina. In order to secure its electric- hydrogen, which is created using electroly- be utilised and the shutdown of the power ity supply – in particular that of the copper sis from renewable electricity. Today it is plants could be accelerated. Chile’s experi- mining industry in northern Chile – the almost profitable in Chile. Therefore, hydro- ences in phasing out coal could be useful for country installed first diesel power plants, gen can contribute to reducing greenhouse- many other countries, and the energy trans- which were then slowly replaced by less ex- gas emissions in the energy sector, industry formation that has been carried out in the pensive coal-fired power plants. and transport, and help the country to be- South American country with Germany’s The use of renewable energy was not come climate neutral by 2050. Furthermore, help is also a good example of successful in- a priority at the time. Nevertheless, Chile’s green hydrogen could become a new major ternational cooperation. Atacama Desert has the highest solar irra- export item for Chile, alongside copper. GIZ diation in the world, and the south of the is currently supporting the Chilean govern- RAINER SCHRÖER country also has ideal locations for power ment in creating a national hydrogen strat- is the director of GIZ’s generation by wind energy. Lack of infor- egy, which should be completed by the end renewable energy and energy mation and mistrust of new technologies of 2020. Germany also presented a national efficiency programme in characterised the energy market, however. hydrogen strategy this year and can consid- Chile. The situation changed thanks to continu- er Chile, along with African countries like [email protected] ous contributions by GIZ, which works as adviser for Chile’s energy transformation on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment. A detailed analysis of Chile’s renewable energy potential provided the necessary planning security to expand the industry. According to the analysis, Chile has a realistic potential of over 1,865 giga- watts (GW) capacity from wind, solar and small hydropower. That is about 75 times the current installed electricity generation capacity of around 25 GW. Thanks to numerous discussions with experts and an intensive exchange with German electricity-grid operators, Chilean grid operators and other important actors in the energy sector overcame their initial scepticism and became enthusiastic ad- vocates of renewables. As a result, and not least due to falling technology prices, Chile has recorded the world’s largest percent-

age expansion of renewable energies in the Photovoltaic systems in the Atacama Desert. Ph oto: GIZ-4E-Chile

D+C e-Paper November 2020 8 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

which was created in the 1960s of foresight, environmental Letters to the editor and 1970s, is a lasting model impact assessment (EIA) and for how to involve the private SWAT analysis (strengths, sector in development affairs. weaknesses, opportunities Related joint ventures, by the and threats), costs and side in 1997 by Kofi Annan, who way, were initiated by a Ger- effects can easily outweigh DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION D+C

ENTWICKLUNG UND ZUSAMMENARBEIT E+Z was UN secretary-general at man UN pioneer: Alexander the merits. It is the prime

International Journal ISSN the time. The four underly- Gunther Friedrich. He was the duty of policy planners and 2366-7257 D C MONTHLY E-PAPER September 2020 + ing principles are protection ICP’s executive secretary. decisionmakers to design

LEBANON PAKISTAN AFGHANISTAN of human rights, enforcement Prof. Dr. Michael Bohnet, Bonn and implement development After the devastating Progress towards climate State failure’s long explosion, fundamental goals does not mean and traumatising change is needed government can relax history for fair labour standards, projects in ways that ensure application of eco-friendly UNEXPECTED AND long-term sustainability. In technology and fighting cor- UNDESIRABLE RESULTS view of escalating global en- ruption. Some 15,000 compa- vironmental problems, “no nies and organisations from D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2020/09, development” may actually 160 countries have joined the Focus section: Meanings of be a better option than inad- Meanings Compact. development equately planned and unsus- of development ●● More public-private The implementation of any tainable development pro- partnerships would be useful development project without jects that lead to unexpected too. UN agencies should ex- the sustainability element is and undesirable results. “BEST ALLIES” pand their partnerships with ultimately bound to become Dr. H. K. Sunil, former direc- business. The Industry Co- a meaningless and waste- tor of Sri Lanka’s Sugarcane D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2020/09, operation Programme (ICP), ful exercise. If there is a lack Research Institute Monitor section: Christiane Ru- dolph: “Indispensable private sector” The UN were established 75 years ago and have since mostly focused on issues of peace and development cooperation. As Christiane Ru- dolph correctly points out, however, the Sustainable De- velopment Goals (SDGs) can only be achieved with strong private-sector involvement. In a similar sense, António Guterres, the UN secretary- general, considers private- sector companies to be “the best allies” for implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change and achieving the SDGs. In order to boost private-sector involvement, the UN could and should do two things: ●● It would make sense to further develop the Global Compact. It is the world’s largest and most important initiative for promoting corporate responsibility and was started Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan addressing a Global Compact conference in 2004. oto: picture-alliance/photoshot Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 9 TRIBUNE: IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

POPULATION GROWTH One reason for the dim outlook for African incomes is that the continent’s GDP growth, while admirable, is too slow Putting Africa first to accommodate the needs of a growing population. Africa’s population is currently expanding at 2.6 % per year; although, by 2040, that rate is expected to slow to 1.9 %. From around 2050, Africa could start to see on the economy. Sustainable improvement The growth in economic output is not suf- a “demographic dividend” due to an increase of living standards, moreover, depends on ficient to keep up with the growth in the in the ratio of working-age people to depend- good policymaking regarding development- number of people. To keep up with forecast ents in its growing population. But that is not related issues such as technology, infra- population growth, the average rate of GDP guaranteed and would be just a first step structure and other things. growth would have to be at least double that towards sustainable improvement in The plain truth is that income gap of the currently forecast rate. incomes. Development policies, technology between Africa and the rest of the world is Aside from its effect on per-capita and infrastructure will matter very much. widening. While conditions are improving GDP, population growth is generally a good in Africa, they are doing so more slowly than thing for an economy, depending on the age By Jakkie Cilliers elsewhere. structure of the population. In particular, The forecast data on extreme poverty when the ranks of workers expand relative At first glance, Africa can expect robust provide a telling example. Extreme poverty to the ranks of dependents, a country ex- growth in the decades ahead, particularly (living on the purchasing power of $ 1.90 or periences an income-accelerating “demo- in its poorest regions. After the impact of less per day) is expected to increase in Africa graphic dividend”. The big challenge is to Covid-19, average annual rates of Gross Do- between now and 2040. The number of Afri- make this happen in Africa (see Hans Dem- mestic Product (GDP) growth from 2021 to cans in extreme poverty will increase from bowski in Focus section of D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2040 are forecast at 4.8 % for Africa with its 510 million to 573 million in 2030 (figure 2). 2020/04). 23 low-income countries growing particu- While extreme poverty is disappear- The continent’s age structure has not larly rapidly (figure 1). ing from most parts of the world, it is likely been favourable in the past. In 1987 the ra- Economic growth would thus be con- to remain in Africa in the decades to come. tio of working-age people to dependents in siderably faster than in other world regions. By 2030, the final year for the elimination of Africa bottomed out to 1.0 (one working-age But rapid GDP growth does not necessarily extreme poverty as included in the Sustain- person per dependent) – the lowest ratio translate into higher living standards. For able Development Goals, extreme poverty is for any region worldwide – compared to 1.6 one thing, Africa’s rapid population growth expected to affect around a third of Africa’s worldwide. reduces the rate at which per-capita in- population. An implication is that, after Since 1987 the worker-to-dependent comes improve, as the benefits are spread 2030, discussions about extreme poverty ratio in Africa has improved, but not by over more people. The age structure of the will focus on sub-Saharan Africa and only much: It is still below 1.3. The tipping point population matters as well: swelling ranks of very few other countries, such as Venezuela, at which demographic dividends appear is those too young or too old to work are a drag North Korea and Afghanistan, for example. around 1.7. Africa is expected to reach this

Figure 1: Forecast of average GDP growth rate: 2021 to 2040 Figure 2: Population increase from 2020 to 2040 (Growth rate) (Millions of people)

6.69 435

363 4.97 4.63

2.52

Africa Low-Income Africa LowMid-Africa UpMid-Africa Low income Africa Low-middle income Africa Upper-middle income Africa Sources: International Futures; IMF Economic Outlook 2018; UN Division Population World

D+C e-Paper November 2020 10 TRIBUNE: IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

point only around 2050. After that, the ratio the early 1960s and the 1990s, providing education, industrialisation, technology, should steadily improve, reaching to 2.0 by potential lessons for Africa. At the time of trade policy, political stability, govern- 2070. their booming expansion, these countries ance and external support. Adding to the To judge merely by demographic had a ratio of 2.8 working-age people per challenges, Africa must adapt to the cli- trends, one might thus say that good eco- dependent. In contrast, Africa will reach mate crisis (see my essay in Tribune sec- nomic times lie ahead – although some a much lower peak ratio of 2.0 in 2070. Af- tion of D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2020/06). Taken three decades into the future. However, de- rica’s demographic dividend will thus be together, policy changes in these areas mographic trends are only part of the pic- smaller than those of the Asian Tigers and would produce a powerful “Africa First” ture when it comes to reducing poverty rates China. scenario, whose aim would be to reduce and boosting average incomes. There is a further difference between poverty and increase incomes over time. Africa’s optimistic demographic sce- the Asian Tigers and Africa. In addition This scenario can provide a benchmark for nario for 2050 and beyond is undermined by to enjoying more favourable population evaluating measures to support Africa’s global trends in technology. Technologies age structures, China and the Asian Tigers development. such as machine-to-machine communica- boosted productivity and incomes through tion, which replace labour and reduce the a range of policies targeted at development. JAKKIE CILLIERS cost-advantage of workers in low-income They had development-oriented governing is the founder and former countries, can make demographic struc- elites that invested in agriculture and food director of the Institute for tures less significant as boosters of national security, ensured literacy and basic educa- Security Studies, a non-profit income. tion, built export-oriented economies, and organisation with offices in supported the productive elements of their South Africa, Senegal, Ethiopia and Kenya. This LESSONS FROM ASIA economies, such as encouraging low-end essay is based on his book “Africa first! manufacturing. Unleashing a growth revolution”, recently The economies of the “Asian Tiger” coun- Too little of this has occurred in Af- published by Jonathan Ball (Cape Town and tries (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea rica. The continent needs transformations Johannesburg, 2020, available on Amazon). and Taiwan) and China boomed between in agriculture, health, demographics, [email protected]

COVID-19 IMMUNISATION – were already circulating and causing serious illness. Investment has come almost exclusively from the public sector. The US Just crumbs for Africa? National Institutes of Health, for example, have invested nearly $ 700 million in coronavirus research since 2003, around $ 100 million of which has gone directly to private There is still no vaccine for Covid-19, but on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual enterprises. The Coalition for Epidemic Pre- there is a great deal of public money flowing Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), which paredness Innovations (CEPI) has also in- into research, and pharmaceutical compa- permits compulsory licensing of drugs and vested considerable sums of money. nies are also active. But how accessible will vaccines if public health is threatened. The Before the current outbreak, the phar- the fruits of that research and development WHA also recommended the pooling of pat- maceutical industry itself showed little in- be? UN, WHO and many world leaders prom- ents. terest in developing coronavirus vaccines, ise that everyone will have access to vac- A platform for doing that was launched despite encouragement and funding being cines when they are licensed. That, however, on 29 May 2020 by the World Health Or- offered by the European Commission as is by no means guaranteed. ganization (WHO). Christened the Covid-19 early as 2017. In the present pandemic, how- Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), it bundles ever, they see the prospect of large govern- By Jörg Schaaber patents and facilitates licensing. The es- ment grants and a huge market. The phar- tablishment of C TAP was supported by 38 maceutical companies are now in gold-rush On 19 May 2020, the World Health Assem- countries, including five EU member states. mood. bly (WHA) adopted a resolution on the fight Germany was not one of them. Since May 2020, the European Com- against Covid-19. In it, future immunisation mission has collected considerable sums of is explicitly recognised as a “global public LACK OF INTEREST money under the Access to Covid-19 Tools good”, and high priority is given to “univer- (ACT) Accelerator initiative for the Coro- sal, timely and equitable access to [...] es- Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, there were navirus Global Response. European Com- sential health technologies and products”. hardly any commercial coronavirus-re- mission President Ursula von der Leyen The resolution makes explicit reference to search projects, even though two coronavi- stressed: “We need to develop a vaccine, we the World Trade Organization’s Agreement rus strains – SARS (2002) and MERS (2012) need to produce it and to deploy it in every

D+C e-Paper November 2020 11 TRIBUNE: IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

single corner of the world and make it avail- Vaccines are key to able at affordable prices. This vaccine will the global fight be our universal common good.” But this against dangerous promise is nowhere fixed in legal terms. infectious diseases The European Commission has emphasised like Covid-19. that it would not expect manufacturers to relinquish their patent rights. The international pharmaceutical industry has further demands: the state should not only invest in the research but also pay for the vaccine factories that will be needed.

WHO CALLS THE SHOTS?

Lack of governance is a core problem. The reins should actually be in the hands of the WHO. However, unclear structures and fragmented responsibilities hinder the success of pandemic control. The ACT Accelerator plays a central role in the collection of pledges and distribution of Covid-19 funds. The international campaign was launched in April by the them for sale at any price outside the quo- flated prices or voluntary commitments by WHO and other actors such as the Gates tas purchased by GAVI. However, there is the industry will not ensure a fair global Foundation, the Global Fund and industry no way to assess whether the agreed pur- supply of medicines and vaccines. For that, associations. The respective donors, such chase price is fair; nor is there any guar- a patent pool is the more sensible instru- as governments and foundations, distribute antee that GAVI will be able to provide ment. After all, in order to manufacture their funds directly to the recipients. The EU sufficient supplies to the poorest parts of a drug in the greatest possible quantities merely keeps a record of whether the pay- the population in low- and middle-income and to be able to supply all regions of the ments are actually made. countries. world on a continuous basis, as many pro- Another important actor in the distri- Although German Chancellor An- duction facilities as possible need to be bution of Covid-19 research funds is CEPI, gela Merkel expressly declared before and operating. That is only possible, however, a public-private research initiative that has during the World Health Assembly that if patent rights are bundled, technology long been criticised for its unsatisfactory ac- Covid-19 vaccines are a global public good is transferred, and licences are granted to cess policy. that must be accessible to everyone world- large numbers of manufacturers on fair Responsibility for the procurement wide, her words are not backed up by po- terms. This is precisely what the WHO pat- and distribution of vaccines will reside with litical actions. Germany and other major EU ent pool can ensure. another public-private partnership, the member states have so far failed to pledge By failing to support the patent pool, GAVI Vaccine Alliance. Together with the support for the WHO patent pool C-TAP. the German government is hindering im- WHO, GAVI coordinates the international Instead of working for equitable ac- portant steps towards a fair global supply. vaccine platform COVAX, which aims to se- cess worldwide, not only the USA but also As a major donor to GAVI, Germany could cure options on the widest possible range of Europe is evidently pushing its own inter- also ensure that the allocation of funds to promising vaccine candidates. Self-financ- ests and going easy on the pharmaceutical commercial manufacturers is subject to ing countries can secure options on vaccine industry. This is corroborated by the agree- clear commitments to fair pricing and that doses by making down payments. ments reached with manufacturers. Oxfam intellectual property rights are transferred GAVI uses that money, together with calculates that half of the total potential to the WHO pool. On paper, the German development-aid funds, to make advance vaccine doses available within a year have government supports the WHO’s leadership marketing commitments (AMCs) to manu- already been secured by countries that ac- role. But more money alone is not enough facturers. This strategy is controversial, count for only 13 % of the world population. – it must actively demand and specifically however, because GAVI’s first AMC turned Winnie Byanyima, head of UNAIDS ensure fair access. out to be a subsidy programme for the phar- and a strong supporter of fair access to med- maceutical industry. The funds were used icines worldwide, is fiercely critical of this JÖRG SCHAABER for a pneumococcal vaccine already on the tactic: “First it was ‘America first’, now it is is a sociologist and public market, for which GAVI paid a price that was ‘Europe first’, and Africa is left with a few health scientist. He has far in excess of the production costs. crumbs.” worked for the BUKO Pharma With COVAX, the industry retains the Selective negotiations with individual Campaign since its inception. oto: Philippe Lissac/GODONG/Lineair

patent rights for its vaccines and can offer manufacturers, purchase guarantees at in- [email protected] Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 12 Information board about healthy food in front of a school in Vietnam.

Healthy diets

Welthungerhilfe, a German aid agency, sis. Awareness raising for healthy diets reckons that the number of peo- is needed in all world regions. Lack of ple suffering hunger may rise to micronutrients is causing so-called “hid- 1 billion in the course of the Covid-19 den hunger” even in prosperous coun- pandemic. Poor people do not worry tries. about what they will eat tomorrow, but whether they will eat at all. Malnutri- This focus section directly tion and unhealthy eating, which were relates to the UN’s second and serious problems even before the third Sustainable Development novel coronavirus began to spread, are Goals (SDGs): Zero hunger and health being compounded by this health cri- and well-being. oto: Ron Giling/Lineair Ph HEALTHY DIET

FOOD SECURITY of acute hunger”. The UN agency called for donations worth an additional 250 million US dollars to increase its food aid to the The ravages of acute hunger country. Precious Shumba, director of the Ha- rare Residents Trust, says that inflation in particular is proving devastating. “Urban In Zimbabwe, people increasingly worry not money, she is doing laundry work for other poverty is a reality now. Families are go- what, but whether they will eat tomorrow. families. “I have to swallow my pride,” Nahri ing for one meal instead of two or three per Covid-19 and drought are exacerbating the says. day”. Though food is available in the shops, long-lasting economic crisis. Covid-19 has made things worse for it is “priced beyond the majority’s reach” the her. Schools were closed because of the lock- civil-society activists says. Things are par- By Jeffrey Moyo down, and her side jobs had to sustain the ticularly bad in densely populated informal family. settlements. In the past, food used to be abundant in Late last year, the UN World Food Pro- At the same time, businesses are shut- Zimbabwe, but that has changed. Duduzile gramme stated that Zimbabwe was suffering ting down due to recession. Owen Dhliwayo, Nhari is a single mother with five children. its worst hunger crisis in a decade. Bettina a human-rights activist, points out that ever They must cope with a single meal per day. Lüscher, a WFP spokesperson, summed up more people are losing their jobs. According Nhari works as a teacher in a government the problems: “The crisis is being exacerbat- to trade-union leaders, the unemployment school, but years of inflation have drasti- ed by a dire shortage of currency, runaway rate is about 90 %, which means that the cally reduced her purchasing power (see inflation, mounting unemployment, lack vast majority of people depend on informal my comment in Debate section of D+C/E+Z of fuel, prolonged power outages and large- incomes. e-Paper 2019/09). After a recent pay raise, scale livestock losses.” At the time, half of To some extent, urban people have begun to migrate back to the villages. Danisa Masuka, for example, sent his family to live in the countryside with relatives after losing his job as a bus driver in Harare. He is looking for a new job and wants his family to live where the cost of living is lower until he finds one. Of course, life in rural areas is not easy either. Indeed, food insecurity tends to be worse. That is especially true as persistent drought is making farming ever more difficult. According to WFP, subsistence farmers make up three-quarters of Zimbabwe’s population and produce most of its food. In 2019, the rate of people suffering acute malnutrition rose from 2.5 % to 3.6 %, according to the WFP. About 90 % of the country’s children aged six to 24 months did not get the minimum diet needed. Many mothers have stopped breast-feeding in Zimbabwe is suffering the third year of drought in a row. the lack of sufficient food for themselves. Things have been getting worse since then. The sad truth is that people increasingly a Zimbabwean teacher earns an average of the population – 7.7 million people – were worry whether they will eat at all tomorrow, 6000 Zimbabwean dollars monthly. That said to lack secure access to the food they and not whether their diet is healthy. The is now only the equivalent of about 70 US need. In urban areas, which are generally global challenges of Covid-19 and climate dollars. The current inflation rate is about more prosperous, the share of people requir- change are exacerbating the pain caused by 800 %. ing food aid was 40 %. the country’s long-lasting economic crisis. The daily meal Nhari gives her chil- Things have gotten worse. In late July dren consists of maize. She prepares a thick 2020, the WFP estimated that 8.6 million JEFFREY MOYO porridge commonly known as sadza by (60 % of Zimbabweans) were in need, stat- is a Harare-based journalist. ground maize with boiled water. “My sal- ing that the price of maize had doubled in ary does not cover the rent,” she complains, the month of June alone. Lola Castro of the oto: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/picture-alliance/ASSOCIATED PRESS Mukwazhi/picture-alliance/ASSOCIATED oto: Tsvangirayi

“surely food comes first.” To make extra WFP said people were suffering “the ravages [email protected] Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 14 HEALTHY DIET

AGRICULTURAL DIVERSIFICATION 3.3 million metric tonnes of maize produced, 1.3 million are grown by small-scale farmers who do not benefit from FISP,” says Dethroning King Maize ZNFU spokesman Calvin Kaleyi. “With the FRA prices at 110 kwacha, maize farmers will be bankrupted and production will decline next year.” Zambia is reconsidering the priority it gives Lusaka’s Chongwe district. “Farmers should Producers of other cereals, vegetables to maize as both a cash crop and dietary sta- only have to worry about when the rains will and fruits, meanwhile, are vying for a piece ple. But in a culture where maize and food come, not about undelivered inputs.” of the FISP action. “We too need subsidised are nearly synonymous, diversifying crops The Zambia’s Farmers Input Support inputs, just as maize farmers do,” says and diets may be a tough sell. Programme (FISP) was launched by the Monde Sitwala, a rice farmer from Mongu government in 2002 to provide subsidised district. “The government should recognise By Derrick Silimina seeds and fertiliser to maize farmers and rice as a profitable smallholder cash crop to involve private traders in the supply of and a major contributor to national food se- In Zambia, maize is by far the most impor- inputs. In recent years the programme has curity.” tant dietary staple and a main beneficiary of been plagued by mismanagement and cor- When this essay was finalised in mid- agricultural subsidies. But in coming years, ruption. At the same time, it has fostered October, however, Zambia seemed to be maize may have to make room for compet- dependency among farmers. close to a severe financial crisis because of ing crops. “Most small-scale farmers on FISP high foreign indebtedness. How that crisis Inonge Wina, Zambia’s vice-president, have been beneficiaries for over five years, might play out, and how it would affect gov- recently startled people by calling on them even though they were meant to ‘gradu- ernment capacities was anybody’s guess. to vary their diets, eating less maize and ate’ to self-sufficiency after two years, says more millet, sorghum, cassava, rice and Robert Tembo, a farmer in Chipata, eastern IMPROVING DIETS sweet potatoes. “The switch to more nutri- Zambia. He adds that some politicians use tious foods is one of the low-cost and effec- FISP to gain favour with voters and stay in The debate over priority treatment for maize tive ways of addressing stunting and malnu- power. takes place against a backdrop of widespread trition in the country,” Wina said. On the other hand, the ZNFU wants malnutrition in Zambia. According to the Her proposal runs counter to Zambia’s more farmers to benefit from FISP. “Of the International Institute for Environment and culture. Zambians typically eat maize-based meals two or three times per day. Many do not consider themselves to have eaten at all if they have not eaten maize or something made of maize. Particularly popular is a stiff maize-based porridge known as nshima. Maize is also used to brew beer. The vice president’s comments come at a time when maize farmers face a host of other problems. Many of them see their costs going up, while the government- owned Food Reserve Agency (FRA), which buys their produce, continues to pay them a constant 110 kwacha (the equivalent of € 4.6) per 50 kilogramme bag of white maize. The Zambia National Farmers’ Un- ion (ZNFU) says the price should be raised to 130 kwacha, in view of farmers’ rising costs for fertilisers, seeds, chemicals, transport, electricity and labour. At the same time, a subsidy programme on which many maize farmers depend is failing to deliver necessary inputs like fertiliser or pesticides on time. “We are nearing the planting season and land prepa- ration is underway, but we still do not have the inputs we expected to get in July,” says oto: Sean Sprague/Lineair

Veronica Tembo, a small-scale farmer from Many farmers use very simple technology. Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 15 HEALTHY DIET

Development (IIED), an independent think Zambia is focused on producing and con- For the government, this means that tank based in London, the country’s heavy suming maize, other cash crops – including a public information campaign – plus emphasis on eating maize is the reason why soybeans, rice, cassava, beans plus vegeta- perhaps more subsidies for other crops, Zambia has one of the world’s highest rates bles and fruits – receive too little invest- aimed at reducing their market prices – is of undernourishment. More than a third of ment and too little attention from consum- in order. The government has made a start children under five have stunted growth, and ers. Cotton and tobacco are important cash in this direction, correctly targeting agri- a quarter of adults are obese, the report says. crops too, though they have no impact on culture as a priority sector for investment. Similarly, the UN Development Pro- people’s nutrition. But a sharper focus on which specific com- gramme’s 2019 Human Development Index The government is trying to allocate modities to single out for support may also shows that 48 % of Zambians cannot meet more resources to building infrastructure be needed. their minimum calorie requirements. The and conducting research and development Two-thirds of Zambia’s population Index ranks Zambia 143rd out of 189 coun- for a range of other crops. Of particular cur- live in rural areas and rely on agriculture tries in terms of key indicators of human rent policy interest is cassava, a starchy tu- for income, making investment in agricul- development. berous root vegetable and major source of ture particularly necessary. Agriculture ac- According to IIED author William carbohydrates. counts for only 20 % of Zambia’s GDP but Chilufya, the large amount of land devoted “Cassava is a game changer in light of could be a major source of growth, given the to maize contributes to poverty, both be- climate change,” says Veronica Chimuku, country’s abundant fertile land and good cause maize fetches low prices and because a cassava producer from the Kaoma district rainfall. it does not lend itself to many value-added of western Zambia. “It is more drought- Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, agro-processing, trading and input supply resistant than other crops that depend on growth in agriculture reduces poverty up activities. That limits the cereal’s economic rain-fed agriculture.” to 11 times faster than growth in other sec- multiplier effects. tors, according to the International Fund for In part, Zambia’s over-reliance on REORDERING PRIORITIES Agricultural Development, a specialised UN maize leads to poverty because it produces agency. maize inefficiently, using outdated farming Convincing Zambians to substitute other Diversifying crops and investing in ag- techniques. Most small-scale farmers use foods for maize may be more difficult than ricultural infrastructure may not be a mira- traditional tools and depend on rain, mak- changing national investment priorities, cle cure for Zambia’s ailing economy and ing them vulnerable to natural disasters however. With over 60 % of Zambians living malnourished population. But they offer and increasingly erratic weather due to the below the poverty line, varying diets may a promising way out of some of the country’s climate crisis. Rising average temperatures simply be too expensive. The Jesuit Cen- most pressing current problems. have caused severe food shortages for 1.7 tre for Theological Reflection, an advocacy million Zambians, or 18 % of the population, group for the poor, estimates that a varied FURTHER READING the IIED reckons. basket of foods meeting nutrition require- Chilufya, W., 2019: Beyond maize; exploring The link between poverty and over- ments would cost 7,000 kwacha (€ 296) per agricultural diversification in Zambia. London, reliance on maize can also be traced to the month – putting it out of the reach of most IIED. https://www.iied.org/beyond-maize- health effects of an unvaried diet. While households. exploring-agricultural-diversification-zambia

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D+C e-Paper November 2020 16 HEALTHY DIET

TRADITIONAL CROPS more nutrients than monoculture plantations offer. In 2010, Slow Food started a pro- Useful lessons gramme to launch “a thousand gardens in Africa”. The activists have been reaching out to schools as well as community organisations in villages and on urban fringes in two In Malawi, Slow Food campaigners are mak- out traditional crops in Malawi (also see dozen countries. The idea is to ensure that ing local communities aware of the health Lucien Silga in Focus section of D+C/E+Z people have a consistent supply of fresh and benefits of indigenous food. The cultivation e-Paper 2019/11). To a large extent, tradition- healthy produce. of traditional crops also makes sense in eco- al cultivars are not only ignored, but actually So far, the organisation claims to have nomic terms. shunned, Khoza says. The problem with the set up more than 3,000 gardens in Africa. high-yielding varieties is that they require Slow Food is particularly keen on involv- By Rabson Kondowe the application of expensive chemicals. ing young people. “We want them to grow By contrast, Slow Food gardens use nei- healthy through eating the right food,” Kho- “We should know who produces our food ther pesticides nor fertilisers. This approach za says. The activists want them to make use and how it is produced,” says Manvester protects the natural environment as well as of at home what they learn in school. Akson Khoza, the national coordinator of people. The application of toxic chemicals, The strategy is working out. Agness Slow Food in Malawi. The accountancy after all, is a health hazard in itself. Chipamba is involved in a school gardening graduate has been working for this inter- The gardens serve an educational project in central Malawi. She reports that national non-governmental organisation purpose. “We want local communities to be many students have now set their own back- (see box next page) since 2012. Back then, able to grow these plants,” the coordinator yard gardens at home and their families now his first task was to start 12 school gardens declares. At the same time, he insists that have “vegetables throughout the year”. for cultivating traditional crops. Today, he the gardens have proved to be more sustain- Previously, that kind of food would is coordinating 450 school and community able even in business terms than commer- only be available in the rainy season, she gardens across the country. cial farming. The cultivars are genetically says. The big difference is that people no As in many developing countries, the adapted to the region where they are grown, longer depend on vegetables brought in from use of hybrid varieties has been crowding and their diversity means that people get other places. “We are able to feed ourselves

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Development The military achievementsD+C e-Paper NovemberDisasters 2020 and aid Formative years and politics17 HEALTHY DIET

Participants listening To ensure that more people understand to community- what a healthy diet is, the health ministry is garden instructor. working on a nutrition syllabus. It wants the subject to be taught in primary and secondary schools and to figure in tertiary education as well. Pensulo says that girls matter in particular. Studies show that those who go to school are unlikely to have malnourished children. “They will be able to take care of them,” Pen- sulo says. Accordingly, the government does not want girls to drop out of school. In this context too, the Slow Food gardens are proving valuable. A surprising side effect of the project was that some drop-outs have begun to attend classes again. Khoza reports that school enrolment has thus with the food we grow here.” Some gardeners government reckons that 21 % of the popu- benefited from youngsters’ enthusiasm for sell produce on local markets, moreover. lation is overweight. In 1992, that was only growing their own healthy food. Undernutrition is a serious problem in true of nine percent. Malawi. Of the children under five, 37 % are There is a rural-urban divide, with obe- RABSON KONDOWE stunted, according to UN data. Things have sity affecting cities more. Pensulo notes that is a journalist based in been slowly improving, as that share was many urban people reject traditional food. Blantyre, Malawi. He is 53 % in 2004, as Felix Pensulo of the Minis- They think that indigenous vegetables, fruits interested in social try of Health points out. Further progress is and tubers are food for the rural poor. In development, health and obviously needed. At the same time, over- their eyes, tinned food, exotic vegetables and business related stories. nutrition is increasingly worrisome too. The pre-processed meals are signs of affluence. [email protected]

organisation, is to preserve tra- time, Slow Food opposes over- Mother Earth’s food diversity ditional and regional cuisine. production and food waste. Accordingly, it encourages the In 2004, Slow Food start- farming of plants, seeds and ed a network called Terra Madre Slow Food is a global grassroots the spread of fast food, espe- livestock characteristic of lo- (“Mother Earth”), which links organisation, which was found- cially as promoted by many cal ecosystems. This approach people interested in taking an ed in 1989 by Carlo Petrini in international retail chains. In- does not only support diver- alternative approach to gas- Italy. It is currently active in 160 deed, those products tend to in- sity in a biological sense, since tronomy. The idea is to protect countries. clude unhealthily high portions a broad range of small busi- biodiversity and foster respect Slow Food argues that we of sugar, fat and salt. The clever nesses and farms benefit. The for local cultures. While local all should know where our food alternative, according to the in- primary concern is food qual- food cultures are very diverse, comes from, how it is produced ternational non-governmental ity, not quantity. At the same the threats they are exposed to and how our food choices affect are the same all over the world, the world around us. After all, the activists argue, and the so- food relates to many other as- lutions are surprisingly similar. pects of life – including culture, Slow Food’s international politics, agriculture and the en- headquarters is in Bra, a small vironment. The triple purpose town in northern Italy. The of Slow Food is therefore to: organisation claims to have ●● stimulate people’s inter- 100,000 members around the est in the food they eat, world. rk ●● stem the disappearance of local food cultures and LINKS ●● put a break on the accel- Slow Food: eration of people’s pace of life. https://www.slowfood.com/ As the choice of name Terra Madre: oto: Khoza; Screenshot: https://www.slowfood.com

suggests, Slow Food opposes https://www.terramadre.info/en/ Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 18 HEALTHY DIET

FOOD INSECURITY economy and 70 % of livelihoods. Masses of people depend on traditional, low-productivity farming. Regional conflicts exacerbate As in biblical times problems, and so does the coronavirus pandemic. The UN sees a strong link between global heating and the current locust prob- East Africa is living with the looming threat of swarms. When several such swarms merge, lems, which similarly haunt parts of the a second invasion of desert locusts. These experts speak of a plague. Arab Peninsula and the Middle East. Wet insects are the most dangerous migratory In Kenya, no locust invasion was this weather has become more frequent, includ- pest in the world. The region has been grap- devastating in 70 years. The largest swarm ing cyclones. Unusually warm sea surfaces pling with a locust plague since the winter of to hit the country this year covered 2,400 in the Indian Ocean have recently made 2019/2020. square kilometres and was made up of 200 storms more likely. Experts warn that what billion locusts. seems like “freak weather” today may actu- By Mahwish Gul The pests destroy fields as well as wild- ally be normal soon. growth vegetation. Farmers struggle to cope, Locust swarms have been terrorising According to the UN Food and Agricul- as fields are ravaged and feed for livestock as humankind since biblical times. Science ture Organization (FAO), the current locust well as wildlife is destroyed. and modern technology so far are unable to plague is the worst to have hit in 25 years. In May, the FAO warned that 20 mil- prevent such plagues. The current scale of The multilateral agency warned in mid- lion people in East African countries were infestation in East Africa is unprecedented. October that recent rains have again created facing severe and acute food insecurity. It is difficult to predict when, where breeding grounds for locust swarms in Ethi- Acute food insecurity means an increasing and with what force the next locust swarm opia and Somalia as well as across the Red likelihood of famine. Millions of people see will strike. A great challenge is that, even Sea in Yemen. their savings depleted and livelihoods en- when a locust invasion is brought under The desert locust is a kind of short- dangered. control in one area, new swarms may build horned grasshopper. It is the most destruc- Two of the East African countries con- up in neighbouring ones. Wind speed and tive insect. In normal years, this species is cerned – Somalia and South Sudan – already direction matter. The wind may even blow found in deserts of Africa, the Middle East had high burden of malnutrition before the a swarm across the Red Sea. and Asia. However, heavy rainfalls make locust plague started. Other countries are For now, the only way to protect an them thrive by causing the growth of atypi- hardly faring better. The entire region is area is heavy use of pesticides. Vast areas cally abundant vegetation in areas that are marked by high morbidity, weak health- have been sprayed – and are being sprayed – normally arid. When that happens, the in- care and insufficient infrastructure. Agricul- this year. These chemicals are poisonous by sects stop living solitarily and form huge ture accounts for about half of the region’s definition and their side-effects on human and environmental health must not be ignored, though getting a grip on the insect infestation is certainly the more urgent issue. In the long run, a multi-pronged approach is needed. It must include better forecasting, surveillance and early detec- tion. Such efforts need to be coordinated across borders and include strife-torn areas, including in Yemen and Somalia. More- over, humankind must redefine its relation- ship with nature. Deforestation, intensive agricultural practices and overgrazing have all created open fields encouraging locust infestation. There is no silver bullet in the fight against locust outbreaks. It is clear, however, that some of the world’s least developed countries must rise to huge challenges.

MAHWISH GUL is a consultant with a focus on development management. She lives in Nairobi. oto: Patrick Ngugi/picture-alliance/ASSOCIATED PRESS Ngugi/picture-alliance/ASSOCIATED oto: Patrick

Two men engulfed by locusts in Kenya’s Samburu County. [email protected] Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 19 HEALTHY DIET

HEALTHY NUTRITION early as the 1960s, the UN enshrined the right to adequate food in the Charter of Hu- man Rights. Global attempts to implement It’s all in the mix this right have met with considerable success, but some 690 million people suffer hunger today according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and around To live healthy and active lives, people land was lost. Vast areas are no longer suit- 2 billion suffer micronutrient deficiencies require good nutrition. Unfortunately, hunger able for agriculture. Numerous tropical cy- (see box next page). There is reason to doubt and malnutrition remain widespread. Coun- clones and the catastrophic earthquake of that the second Sustainable Development termeasures are possible. Improving infants’ 2010 left devastation in their wake. Haitian Goal (SDG), to rid the world of hunger and nutrition is particularly important. Cross-sec- farmers’ harvests, which are meagre in good all forms of malnutrition by 2030, will be tor approaches make sense. times, were wiped out. achieved. The reasons why people in Haiti and Healthy nutrition is the foundation of By Simone Welte other countries suffer hunger include not a healthy and active life. Humans need en- only natural disasters, degraded soils and ergy, fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins The Caribbean island of Hispaniola was ruined infrastructure, but also dysfunc- and minerals. Food ensures that we can once home to abundant flora and fauna. tional markets, corruption, violent conflict grow, regenerate and maintain our bodily In the 18th century, the western half of the and poor education. Inequalities – between functions, including a strong immune sys- island, which is now Haiti, was France’s cities and rural areas or between men and tem. wealthiest colony. The colonisers brutally women, for example – exacerbate the prob- Healthy nutrition is of lifelong impor- exploited both the people and natural re- lems. It is rather challenging to tackle the tance. Babies are born healthy if, in utero, sources, causing a considerable loss of complex and interconnected causes. they received all important nutrients. Ac- biodiversity among other things. Colonial cordingly, young women should maintain exploitation started long-lasting negative THE RIGHT TO FOOD APPLIES TO EVERYONE a high-quality diet. That amounts to the best trends which ultimately made Haiti one of WORLDWIDE possible care of themselves and their babies the world’s poorest countries. when pregnant or breastfeeding. During Due to deforestation and the resulting Fighting hunger and malnutrition is one of pregnancy, they need additional micronu- erosion, around half of the country’s arable the global community’s central goals. As trients like folate and iodine. To stay healthy

A group of women has bought the harvest of a farmer in Haiti. They harvest the carrots and sell them at the surrounding markets. oto: Rommel/Welthungerhilfe Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 20 HEALTHY DIET

and perform well, however, everyone needs More healthy food – women, men, girls and boys. hunger and The first 1,000 days of life – that is the poverty span from conception until a child’s second Malnourished birthday – are decisive for the development pregnant women give birth to of physical and intellectual abilities. Deficits Poor work malnourished in this period can lead to irreversible dam- performance children age. Malnourished babies and children will and reduced income never reach their full cognitive and physical potential. Instead, it is the starting point of a vicious circle of hunger, malnutrition and The poor school performance which reduces vicious circle labour-market opportunities, leading to of Children poverty – a major cause of malnutrition (see Poor malnutrition with figure). school reduced performance mental and HEALTHY NUTRITION IS MULTI-FACETED physical abilities

Whether people’s nutrition is healthy, depends on what kinds of food are available and what quantities of essential nutrients A WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM they contain. Combining different food ap- AND CONTAMINATED WATER propriately ensures a balanced nutrient sup- INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD ply. Depending on regions, climate zones OF DISEASE and cultural practices, such combinations can look very different. Food has to be free of contamination from cultivation, storage problem is primarily overweight and obe- cation can contribute to better diets. Ad- and processing, and it must be accessible sity. In other countries, broad sections of dressing the nutrition of infants and small and affordable even for poorer people. the population are undernourished, while at children has proven successful, for exam- Large inequalities between individual the same time, many urban people are over- ple. In rural Haiti, few people know that the countries and within populations make it weight. Deficiencies in important micronu- poor health of a very thin child is typically difficult to implement the recommenda- trients like iodine and iron are common eve- due to that child having been weaned off tions. Undernutrition and overweight now rywhere. All of these forms of malnutrition too early and only getting an inadequate exist simultaneously in most countries. The have significant impacts on people, econo- and unbalanced diet. People believe that big difference is how many people are af- mies and national health systems. supranatural forces are to blame and hang fected by which phenomenon. In Europe, Long-term programmes geared to traditional amulets around children’s necks Oceania and large swaths of America, the behavioural change through nutrition edu- to protect them. Undernutrition is not

consumed because of poor food does not meet a person’s What is hunger? health and hygiene. need for important vitamins Malnutrition is an um- and minerals – like iodine and brella term that encompasses iron, for example – that person Hunger is a subjective feeling that persons need on average – the various forms of a dis- may suffer from a micronutrient people experience after not regardless of age, sex, stature or turbed physiological state of deficiency, or “hidden hunger” consuming food for some time. activity level – to lead a healthy undernourishment, overnour- (see review essay by Sabine Balk The Food and Agriculture Or- life. At the moment around 690 ishment or micronutrient defi- on p. 27 in this edition). Micro- ganization of the United Na- million people worldwide suf- ciency due to the inadequate, nutrient deficiencies can impair tions (FAO) defines undernour- fer undernourishment. unbalanced or excessive intake people’s growth, immune func- ishment in numerical terms as Measurable symptoms of macro- or micronutrients. tion, cognitive development, re- the consumption of fewer than of undernutrition either result Overnourishment occurs production and ability to work. 1,800 kilocalories per person from insufficient food intake when the intake of nutritional Micronutrient deficiencies also per day. That is the absolute or from a person’s inability to energy regularly exceeds the often occur in people with over-

minimum of nutritional energy make appropriate use of food body’s needs. If the available weight or obesity. sw Illustration: Welthungerhilfe

D+C e-Paper November 2020 21 HEALTHY DIET

caused by spirits, however, so what the chil- DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS ARE NO PANACEA the goal. Long-term education and aware- dren really need is better food and perhaps ness raising can help to change even deeply the attention of a health centre. Awareness In cases of acute or chronic deficiencies in ingrained behaviours. On the other hand, raising can make families aware of these vitamins or minerals, dietary supplements costs determine how diverse a family’s diet things. can certainly help. That is also true in spe- is. In this regard, governments and food Simply knowing what constitutes cific situations like pregnancy and breast- producers bear a great responsibility. They a healthy diet is not enough, however. feeding. But while enriched or fortified must ensure that healthy diets are feasible, Many factors have an impact on the va- staples help to ensure that micronutrients available and affordable – even in the most riety of food people have on their plates. are broadly distributed within a population, remote corners of the earth. They include cultural preferences and ta- they are no substitute for a balanced diet. In Haiti, cross-sector approaches have boos, personal tastes, the time constraints The reason is that food is more than the sum proven successful. They link nutrition edu- of those who prepare meals, cost consid- of its nutrients. Consuming a variety of phy- cation to sustainable agriculture, better hy- erations, cultivation and seasonal avail- tochemicals has a positive impact on a per- giene and safe drinking water. It is essential ability. son’s metabolism and boosts the immune to involve local and regional authorities in For many people in developing coun- system. The relevant nutrients, however, the planning and implementation of meas- tries, the main concern in daily life is getting are only contained in natural food, in which ures. Lasting improvements will only be enough to eat. When the majority of a fam- they are typically “packaged” in ways that achieved, however, if both policymakers ily’s income is spent for food, the general in- allow the body to absorb them slowly. By and the local communities concerned con- centive is to get as much food as possible for contrast, incorrect doses of dietary supple- sider healthy nutrition to be important. as little money as possible. Fresh fruit, veg- ments do not have any effect because con- etables and food of animal origin are often sumers’ bodies eliminate them fast. SIMONE WELTE unaffordable for such families. Instead, they Administering micronutrients, more- is a nutrition advisor at opt for high-carbohydrate staples or cheap over, does not address the structural causes Welthungerhilfe. convenience food. In the long run, the result of malnutrition. To do that, effective poli- simone.welte@ is malnutrition. cies are needed, and healthy diets must be welthungerhilfe.de

FOOD INDUSTRY In pursuit of their business interests, Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Unilever keep adjust- ing their products’ prices so a large section Profit prioritised of the world’s less affluent can afford them. Many people still consume food that they produce themselves or buy in small, local markets. On the other hand, low-quality According to the latest report on world hun- piecemeal approaches like fortifying food highly processed food products are increas- ger published by the Food and Agriculture with micronutrients to holistic strategies. ingly becoming available in both urban and Organization (FAO), 3 billion people around The latter aim to overcome the structural rural areas. Often, it really is just junk food. the world cannot afford a healthy, balanced causes of hunger and malnutrition by pro- Consumers may think they are choosing diet. This flags up the need to overcome not moting healthy food systems. For example, from a variety of products, but the meals’ just hunger in the narrow sense, but malnu- land reforms and support for smallholder content is largely confined to a few cheap in- trition as well. The depressing truth, however, farmers can result in food products that al- gredients such as saturated fats, oils, refined is that food manufacturers are systematically low for varied and healthy diet. starches and sugar. Thanks to advertising undermining efforts to promote healthy eat- One in three people in the world and sophisticated marketing, such products ing. suffer from some form of malnutrition: are consumed even in villages. undernutrition, overnutrition and/or one By Sarah Schneider and Armin Paasch or more of the micronutrient deficiencies MILK POWDER INSTEAD OF BREAST MILK collectively known as “hidden hunger” Nutrition is a highly competitive policy (see articles by Simone Welte on p. 20 and In the early 20th century, Nestlé developed area. Relevant players include UN agencies, Sabine Balk on p. 27 in this e-Paper). Trans- a global market for products based on dried governments, private-sector companies and national corporations are playing a prob- milk. They included breast milk substitutes. civil-society organisations. They pursue di- lematic role as they want to increase their The consequences for the health of many verging interests and offer a broad variety market shares in low and middle-income children in countries of the global south of solutions. Policy proposals range from countries. were dire. In 2010, the World Health Organi-

D+C e-Paper November 2020 22 HEALTHY DIET

Coca-Cola and other companies market their products aggressively in developing countries and emerging markets, as here in Nairobi, Kenya.

zation (WHO) pointed out that 1.5 million of industrially processed food – including WHO and other organisations had recom- children’s lives could be saved every year if bakery products, dairy products, snacks and mended a tax rate of at least 20 %. The low women breastfed more and longer, provided junk food – have risen by five to 10 % a year. rate set in Mexico was due to pressure from that complementary feeding was improved Small traditional grocery stores have disap- the industry (see Sonja Peteranderl in D+C/ as well. That is still not happening, and peared, while supermarkets and discount E+Z e-Paper 2017/06, Tribune section, and one reason, according to the WHO, is the stores have mushroomed. interview with Alejandro Calvillo in D+C/ inappropriate marketing and promotion of Seven out of ten adults in Mexico are E+Z e-Paper 2018/03, Focus section). breast milk substitutes. overweight or obese. That is also true of Revenues from the tax are supposed An investigation by Save the Children, 30 % of children and adolescents. At the to be used for preventive action. That in- an international non-governmental organi- same time, one in eight children under five cludes, for example, installing 40,000 sation, revealed that six companies market is chronically undernourished. Children in drinking fountains in schools. So far, how- such substitutes and other baby foods very poor rural regions are particularly affected. ever, only 11,000 fountains are in place. Fol- aggressively. They are Nestlé, Danone, RB, According to estimates, more than 40,000 lowing Mexico’s example, 23 more countries Abbott, FrieslandCampina and Kraft Heinz. deaths a year are linked with the consump- and eight US cities have introduced taxes The sale of soft drinks is a similarly tion of sugar-sweetened drinks. Diabetes on sweetened drinks. Not all attempts have lucrative business. In 2019, the Coca-Cola and obesity make the Mexican population been successful, however. In Colombia, Company generated worldwide revenues of particularly vulnerable to Covid-19, for ex- a proposed tax failed in the face of opposi- around $ 37 billion. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo ample. The National Institute of Public tion from the beverage industry. are the market leaders – including in Mexi- Health reports that a third of the pandemic co, the country with the highest carbonated fatalities were diabetic and 25 % were obese. POLITICAL INFLUENCE soft drink consumption. Around 70 % of the In a bid to curb the consumption of sugar that Mexicans consume is contained soft drinks, Mexico became the first Ameri- In recent years, agribusiness and food-in- in soft drinks. can country to pass a law taxing drinks dustry groups have increasingly established Since the 1990s, the Mexican food containing added sugar. The law went into themselves as cooperation partners in the system has undergone major changes, re- effect in January 2014, making a litre of sug- “fight against hunger” and as crucial play- sulting in a disproportionate increase in ary drinks one peso more expensive. That ers in global food policy. Companies such oto: Ron Giling/Lineair

malnutrition, obesity and diabetes. Sales was equivalent to a 10 % price increase. The as Bayer, Monsanto, Nestlé or PepsiCo have Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 23 HEALTHY DIET

gone beyond just lobbying to influence gov- convene both policymakers and corporate and Control) Act 2012. In a policy briefing, ernments and supranational organisations managers. One example is the Global Alli- GAIN sought to weaken the bill, arguing that like the WHO or FAO. They are involved in ance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). It co- the legislation would present an obstacle to the committees where food-policy decisions operates with 600 private enterprises world- implementing Kenya’s commitments as are taken. With governments and UN agen- wide, finances public-private partnerships a member of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) cies increasingly strapped for cash, they and actively lobbies for the harmonisation initiative. are increasingly willing to cooperate with of national policies on food fortification. SUN was launched in 2010. It pursues private-sector corporations that command GAIN hails food fortification as the a similar agenda to GAIN, except that it does ample funds. Possible conflicts of interests “most cost-effective means of combatting so on behalf of and with the authority of are largely neglected, though they obviously malnutrition”. This claim goes along with more than 50 governments plus UN organi- arise when public institutions cooperate demands for more public money to be spent sations such as UNICEF, the World Food Pro- with profit-maximising enterprises. on fortification programmes. In 2012, GAIN gramme (WFP) and the World Health Organ- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation tried to stop a sensible initiative of Kenya’s ization (WHO). The World Bank is involved plays a role as a door-opener for big busi- government. The idea was to introduce too. In 2012, GAIN and WFP established the ness. It initiates alliances, especially so- strong regulations on artificial baby food SUN Business Network to promote private called multi-stakeholder platforms, which in the Breast Milk Substitutes (Regulation sector involvement in SUN.

ucts. The negotiations were could make it easier for Euro- Trade agreements as suspended in 2013, although pean supermarket chains to es- the EU has recently confirmed tablish a presence in Paraguay door-openers its intention to resume them. and possibly Uruguay, whereas In June last year, the EU the Mercosur members would reached an agreement in prin- mainly export agricultural Bilateral trade agreements wants to conclude the EPA with ciple on a trade deal with four commodities, including bio- often act as door-openers for the Economic Community of members of the regional associ- fuels. No account is taken of the manufactured products of West African States (ECOWAS). ation Mercosur. The members local food systems or the right multinational food companies. Ghana is an ECOWAS member, Milk powder with vegetable and has already signed a sepa- fat is an example. From 2008 rate interim EPA committing to to 2018, European exports of do this by 2021. this good to West Africa rose Trade agreements do not by 234 %. Corporations such as just eliminate agricultural tar- Lactalis (France), Nestlé (Swit- iffs. They also include service zerland) and Milcobel (Bel- and investment provisions, gium) repackage the powder at which facilitate the expansion West African facilities and sell of European and US supermar- it at dumping prices. Among ket chains and thus increase other things, they benefit from sales opportunities for multi- the EU’s agricultural subsidies. national food companies. In This kind of substitute the negotiations for a trade normally does not have the agreement with India, which same nutritional value as whole began in 2007, a top priority for milk. However, that is not indi- the EU was to agree investment cated on the packaging. Euro- provisions to allow European pean milk powder is crowding supermarket chains such as A retailer in Burkina Faso sells Dutch products, including milk powder, out whole milk produced by Carrefour, Tesco or the German in his small store. local dairy farmers. Their busi- Metro Group to open stores in nesses are at risk. Things may India. This provoked massive become worse if the projected protests not only from Indian are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay to food – especially for vulner- Economic Partnership Agree- street traders but also from and Uruguay. However, the able groups such as indigenous ment (EPA) requires the elimi- farmers, who feared exposure agreement is not likely to be communities and landless vic- nation of relevant import du- to ruinous competition from ratified any time soon. It con- tims of agribusiness expansion. oto: Ron Giling/Lineair

ties within five years. The EU European manufactured prod- tains a chapter on services that ss, ap Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 24 HEALTHY DIET

More than 400 companies are now three countries, concluded that SUN helps SARAH SCHNEIDER active in the SUN Business Network. The the private sector influence public poli- is an advisor on food and declared goal is to reach a targeted 1.3 bil- cies concerning food and nutrition. Gov- agriculture for Misereor, lion people between 2013 and 2020. BASF, ernments are encouraged, for example, to a Catholic development the German multinational, is a member and implement mostly short-term, technical agency based in Germany. has undertaken to supply 60 million people interventions that benefit private enter- [email protected] a year with fortified staple foods. Hexagon prises. There is thus a risk of governments Nutrition, an Indian corporation, aims to dis- abandoning strategies that address the root ARMIN PAASCH tribute 100 million packets of micronutrient causes of hunger and malnutrition, such as is an advisor on business and powder in Asia, Africa and Latin America. poverty, discrimination, low wages, exploi- human rights for Misereor. A study by the human-rights organisa- tation, land grabbing and misleading mar- tion FIAN, which scrutinised SUN’s work in keting of food. [email protected]

LIFESTYLES are currently obese. Moreover, more than half of the adult population is overweight. It is considered to be particularly worrisome Facing a global challenge that evermore young people are affected. In the age groups of 25 to 34 years and 35 to 44 years, the problems are increasing particularly fast. One in three Brazilian children A growing share of Brazil’s people are obese. son has so much body fat that it is likely to was overweight in 2019, according to Sisvan, Healthier diets would help, but eating habits affect a person’s health. Associated com- the national government’s food and nutri- are not easy to change. plications include hypertension, heart at- tion surveillance system. tacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes and joint The Ministry of Health runs a surveil- By Thuany Rodrigues problems. Depression and sleep problems lance system called Vigital which monitors are common too. The World Health Organi- chronic diseases. The data show that 7.7 % of In 1996, 12.7 % of Brazil’s adult population zation (WHO) considers persons to be obese the adult population has diabetes and 24.7 % was obese. In 2016, 20 years later, that share if their body-mass index is 30 or more. A has hypertension. These chronic conditions had almost doubled to 22.1 %, according to body-mass index of 25 means a person is are often linked to excessive weight. The statistics of the OECD (Organisation for Eco- overweight. National Health Survey (PNS) indicates that nomic Co-operation and Development). Brazil’s Ministry of Health released among adults with diabetes, 75.2 % are over- Obesity does not simply mean that a survey this year. Results included that weight. The figure for adults with hyperten- someone is overweight. It means that a per- 25.4 % of adult women and 18.5 % of men sion is 74.4 %.

Ever more Brazilians are overweight: football fans in Porto Seguro in 2014. oto: picture-alliance/GES-Sportfoto Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 25 HEALTHY DIET

These health problems are linked to years 2020 to 2023, even though civil-socie- carbohydrates plus some sweets that they people’s lifestyles. The wrong kind of diet ty organisations have shown interest. consume as treats. On the other hand, work- and too little exercise make them more prev- The Covid-19 crisis is currently coming mothers tend to lack time for cooking alent. Excessive consumption of sugar, car- pounding problems. In normal times, about and therefore provide their families with bohydrates and saturated fats is unhealthy. 40 million kids in public schools depend on pre-prepared meals and fast food, both of However, such consumption is promoted school meals. Such meals were not available which typically include much sugar, salt in advertising for pre-processed food or during the lockdown. The Bolsonaro govern- and fats. sweets, for example. Children and adoles- ment has, however, authorised exceptional Obesity in children and adolescents cents are targeted in particular. food provisions to parents and guardians of is particularly worrisome. They are likely to Brazil’s data reflect international students concerned, channelling revenues get stuck in habits that make them obese, trends. The WHO speaks of a “global obesity to food producers, including smallholder epidemic” and warns that “’globasity’ is tak- farmers, as a side effect. The politically im- ing over the world”. International experts portant issue, in the eyes of the right-wing agree that it is not just a matter of individual government, is to be seen as fighting hunger choices. Political, economic, social and cul- and promoting agriculture rather than tack- tural factors are relevant because those fac- ling more complex health challenges. BRAZIL tors influence people’s decisions and form The president’s response to the pan- their habits. According to the WHO, the big demic has largely been downplaying (see policy challenge is to make healthy choices my contribution in Covid-19 diary of D+C/ easier. E+Z e-Paper 2020/06). Lockdowns were Brasília imposed by sub-national governments at PLANSAN ASPIRATIONS state and municipal levels. By mid-October, the website Worldometer had counted al- Brazilian authorities want to stop the trend most 5.2 million infections and more than towards ever worsening obesity. That was 150,000 dead in Brazil. Only the USA had made explicit in the National Food and Nu- seen more people die of this disease. trition Security Plan (Plansan) for the years Brazil’s economy too has been hit 2016 to 2019. It was adopted by the centre- hard by Covid-19. By the end of this year, left government of President Dilma Rouss- the World Bank expects the number of ex- and the earlier a person becomes obese, the eff. Among other things, the goals were: tremely poor people in our country to rise sooner they are likely to experience the neg- ●● to halt the growth of obesity in the to almost 15 million, so their share would ative health impacts. adult population; increase by more than half. There is reason to worry in all coun- ●● to reduce regular consumption of soda tries. According to research done by the and artificial juice and GROWING AWARENESS WHO in cooperation with Imperial College ●● to increase the percentage of adults London in 2017, the number of obese chil- who consume fruits and vegetables regu- On the upside, many Brazilians are paying dren and adolescents (aged five to 19) has larly. attention to health matters. The interest in increased tenfold in the past four decades. The implementation report published related information and lifestyles is grow- The study warned that, if current trends in 2018 showed, however, that almost 90 % ing. Not quite 40 % of Brazilians exercise in continue, there will be more children and of the government’s efforts served promot- their free time, for example. Many of them adolescents with obesity than with moder- ing universal access to adequate and healthy know that healthy nutrition contributes to ate and severe malnutrition by 2022. food, with priority for families and people in physical fitness. Of course, balanced and Lopes says that Brazilian children situations of food and nutritional insecurity. diversified diets are good for people who today live rather sedentary lives, watch- Government action thus specifically target- are not amateur athletes too. Awareness of ing a lot of TV and using their cell phones. ed people in situations of poverty, includ- these things is growing, says Monyke Lopes, Fast food is popular in this age group, but ing extremely poor families and the elderly. a health practitioner who specialises in nu- its members do not eat enough vegetables. The health dimension was not paid much trition, though some people still remain ig- In her eyes, it is no surprise, that half of her attention. The background is that Brazil norant. patients want to lose weight and/or need suffered a severe recession in recent years, Food choices, moreover, are complex, treatment for chronic disease. The nutrition and poverty has grown worse. About 6.5 % she points out. The socio-economic status expert regrets that children are not taught of the people were reckoned to be living in matters very much. As Lopes argues, peo- about health and good diets at school. extreme poverty at the end of 2019. ple with low incomes often cannot afford to There were administrative reforms, eat well. Healthy food items – organic veg- THUANY RODRIGUES moreover, which ultimately meant that etables and fruits, for example, – tend to be is a journalist based in Rio de Plansan was discontinued under the current expensive. The same is true of protein-rich Janeiro. President Jair Bolsonaro. The government food such as lean meat or fish. To a large is not planning to launch a new plan for the extent, poor people’s diets consist mostly of [email protected]

D+C e-Paper November 2020 26 HEALTHY DIET

In a Durban township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a woman collects a food parcel provided by a group fighting against hidden hunger.

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY processes and bodily functions without providing energy. The human body has a very effective signalling mechanism to prevent Hunger without feeling hungry macronutrient deficiencies – it makes us feel hungry – but scientists are so far not aware of endogenous alarm signals for a lack of essential micronutrients. Billions of people suffer from a kind of hun- Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, vitamin Biesalski points out that malnutrition ger that they do not feel. It is known as D deficiency rickets and vitamin A deficien- has particularly dire consequences for chil- “hidden hunger” and is due to an inadequate cy night blindness. According to Biesalski, dren. For every child that starves to death intake of vital micronutrients. It is a problem 90 % of such cases are found in developing there are “at least ten more with nutritional in the rich world, but it is a bigger one for the countries. deficiencies that go unnoticed until it is too poor. German nutritionist Hans K. Biesalski is For many other micronutrients, late”. For those children, hunger – either as one of the world’s leading experts on hidden however, the signs of deficiency are either chronic malnutrition or undernutrition – is hunger and has written several standard unknown or non-specific. The number of not a short-term sensation but a permanent works on the subject. people who are affected by hidden hunger condition. Emergency food aid is no rem- without being aware of it can only be esti- edy. By Sabine Balk mated. Biesalski reckons that around 2 bil- According to Biesalski, there are three lion people in the world suffer from iron de- different phenotypes of malnutrition: First and foremost, Biesalski seeks to raise ficiency and 1 billion from zinc deficiency. ●● low weight for height (wasting), awareness: chronic undernutrition is of- One cause of hidden hunger is an un- ●● low height for age (stunting), ten overlooked, he says, because it takes balanced diet. According to Biesalski, one ●● low weight for age (underweight). a long time for it to manifest itself as ill- third of the world’s people currently get The nutritionist writes that the high ness. But the effects can be devastating. around 80 % of the calories they need from infant and maternal mortality rates that Children suffer from impaired physical staples such as rice, corn and wheat alone. many developing countries report directly and mental development and face a mor- Those cereals contain important macro- “relate to poor food quality”, including tality rate many times higher than children nutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrates) hidden hunger. An insufficient intake of with a healthy diet. In adults, the immune but hardly any micronutrients (vitamins, vitamin A, iron and zinc weakens all the system can be weakened, and in pregnant minerals, trace elements and certain amino body’s defences. The immune system suf- women specifically, deficiencies of micro- acids). Biesalski stresses that both nutrient fers, and so do the mucous membranes of nutrients such as iron result in higher peri- groups are vital. the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, natal mortality. Macronutrients are the energy-yield- which provide important protection. The When hidden hunger becomes ing components of food, while micronu- result is frequent infections, which further oto: picture-alliance/abaca/RealTime Images/ABACA

“visible”, it does so in severe deficiencies. trients are essential for many metabolic weaken the body’s defences. Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 27 HEALTHY DIET

Respiratory diseases are among the whether a child will be impaired in its devel- overlooked. The expert argues that admin- most common serious illnesses in children opment and will also suffer more frequently istering micronutrients is the best course of with malnutrition. They are also associated as an adult from so-called diseases of civi- action for young girls who are malnourished with high mortality. Biesalski sums up: “If lisation such as diabetes, hypertension or and might become pregnant. However, he maternal and child nutrition was even mod- obesity. Biesalski divides the first thousand stresses that such measures must always erately adequate, more than half of fatalities days into three decisive nutritional phases: go along with nutritional education. After could be avoided.” ●● nutrition during pregnancy all, the most sensible and sustainable way The hunger expert highlights strate- ●● breastfeeding to improve a person’s diet is to ensure that gies that could be implemented to combat ●● post-breastfeeding through to a child’s it includes as wide a variety of natural foods hidden hunger. First, of course, this prob- second birthday. as possible (see also Silke Stöber’s article in lem must be perceived. He points out that Biesalski believes it makes perfect D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2020/01 Tribune section). hidden hunger has the most critical con- sense to give supplementary vitamins or sequences for a person’s life during the so- minerals during these nutritional phases, REFERENCE called thousand-day window. The first thou- but he warns that there are risks. For exam- Biesalski, H. K., 2013: Hidden Hunger. sand days of a human life, he says, decide ple, the lack of other micronutrients can be Heidelberg, Springer.

mitted to securing political ac- Poverty is worsening countability and financial support” is certainly correct. The big question, however, is what The World Bank expects ex- of this decade. Violent con- considerations lead to policy- treme poverty to increase this flict is said to be devastating makers often being less than year. The reasons are Covid-19, as well. The report warns that fully committed. For diplo- violent conflicts and climate the pandemic, environmen- matic reasons, the multilateral change. That is the most im- tal problems and civil strife institution usually shies away portant message in a recently cause mutually reinforcing from addressing such explicitly published report. problems. political issues. The report’s title is “Re- While the poor remain A long-standing pattern versals of fortune”. It is the predominantly rural, young of World Bank reasoning is to 2020 edition of the series called and uneducated, the authors try to leave as much as possi- Poverty and Shared Prosperity. point out that other groups are ble to market forces. Accord- The report is not easy The authors reckon that 100 increasingly being affected too: ingly, the new report proposes to read. The World Bank is million people will be pushed “The new poor tend to be more to make efforts to identify the developing its own technical into extreme poverty because urban than the chronically needy and then provide target- jargon, and the technocratic of Covid-19 in the course of this poor and to work outside of aged support. The problem with style means relevant politi- year alone. That is a dramatic riculture, in sectors including this approach is three-fold: cal challenges are not clearly increase. In 2017, the total num- informal services, construction ●● it requires considerable spelled out. To some extent, ber of extremely poor people and manufacturing.” Social administrative capacities, one must expect a multilateral worldwide was not quite 690 mobility is being reduced while ●● uses resources for exclud- institution to do both. On the million, according to the re- inequality is widening. ing people not considered suf- other hand, clearer messages port, and the number had been Assessing global statistics ficiently needy, and would help the global public to declining for a long time. That diligently, the authors sound ●● tends to breed resent- understand these issues, and decline had been slowing down the alarm unmistakably. They ment among those who feel the pressure on policymakers in recent years, and has now want action be taken to stop the poor, but do not benefit. to improve governance might been reversed, so hunger is ob- downward trend. Unfortunate- Building rudimentary grow. dem viously becoming worse. ly, their proposals are less con- social-protection systems that Global heating is com- vincing than their warnings. serve all people to some extent LINK pounding the problems. The Suggestions such as “closing typically costs more money, but World Bank, 2020: Reversals World Bank estimates that the the gap between policy aspira- it is far less controversial politi- of fortune. Poverty and Shared manifold impacts of climate tions and attainment” are eas- cally. Moreover, it contributes Prosperity Report 2020. change will plunge up to 132 ier said than done. The state- to nation building (see my con- https://www.worldbank.org/en/ million more people into ex- ment that “success requires tribution in Monitor section of publication/poverty-and-shared- treme poverty in the course leadership that is fully com- D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2019/11). prosperity

D+C e-Paper November 2020 28 Join us on Facebook!

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Novel coronavirus

As D+C/E+Z is supposed to tackle issues of long-term relevance without responding much to breaking news, Covid-19 took us by surprise. To deal with this crisis, we started a Covid-19 diary on our website and are including some of the most recent entries here. The authors are from four different continents. Their articles do not necessarily reflect the fast changing state of affairs. The relevant date is the indicated day of publication on our website.

Our web diary: https://www.dandc.eu/node/4306

30 OCTOBER 2020 Safe so far

Though India is hit hard by the Covid-19 pan- Apart from cooking, meals and sleeping, demic, our small cluster of two Adivasi vil- Santals spend most of their time during the lages in West Bengal has not suffered infec- day on the Kulhi, the common dust road of tions yet. We do feel the economic impacts of the village. Field work is done collectively, course. and the women perform their daily activities, which include collecting firewood in By Boro Baski the forest or small snails for water bodies, in groups. Keeping a distance feels uncomfort- The Santals are an Adivasi community with able, but people are getting used to doing so. about 7.4 million people in Eastern India, Wearing masks is uncomfortable too. Bangladesh and Nepal. There are several vil- In general, women, who assume responsibil- lages in our district in West Bengal. We are ity for their families, observe the mask rules using masks, social distancing and washing more obediently than men. As people fear our hands regularly – which is a challenge, infections, however, most accept masks. For as our village homes do not have running some time, the police were strictly enforc- water. ing mask wearing in our district, but as they The Hindu caste system has histori- have relaxed their attention, some Santals cally kept our community at a distance. have been becoming more negligent. Especially, but not only high-caste Hindus For a while, the State government hand- avoided coming near us. We were restricted ed out free food rations. That was a great relief from going to their homes and courtyards. for those below the poverty line. Some of our These conventions have been weakening in people had migrated to cities to work as daily recent decades, but they still exist. There are labourers, but lost their jobs and incomes tube wells we are not supposed to use. Dis- during the lockdown. Many returned home respectful body language or mild casteist and desperately needed support. Our village slurs are still common. In the current health communities made them stay in quarantine crisis, however, such discrimination has to ensure they did not spread the virus. helped to keep our villages safe. Farm work has continued quietly. To Santals traditionally lead communi- many Santals, one lesson of the pandemic oto: Elshamy/picture-alliance/AP Photo; Boro Baskioto: Elshamy/picture-alliance/AP

Putting on masks before going outside. tarian lives and emphasise togetherness. has been that agriculture provides the safest Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 30 COVID-19 DIARY

livelihoods. It goes on even when other sec- students. During the lockdown, the teach- BORO BASKI tors close down. ers supported our awareness programmes. works for the community- Hunting is a traditional practice, Especially needy families were given not based organisation moreover. According to media reports, only food, but also masks made by village Ghosaldanga Adibasi Seva wildlife hunting doubled during the lock- women. In October, teaching has gradu- Sangha in West Bengal. The down. People from our villagers have been ally resumed, in line with government rules. NGO is supported by the German NGO involved too. The prey includes birds, mice, Beyond the standard curriculum required Freundeskreis Ghosaldanga und Bishnubati. wild pigs and other animals. As schools were by the state, we involve them in activities He was the first person from his village to go closed, children often came along. like bee keeping, vermicompost and duck to college as well as the first to earn a PhD (in In our villages, our community-based breeding. Because of the lockdown, the social work). organisation runs a non-formal primary students had not taken care of these things school and coaching classes for high-school since March. [email protected]

23 OCTOBER 2020 Concepción in lockdown Concepción

CHILE

Chile is suffering severely under coronavirus. nificance. It is considered the antithesis Concepción, the third largest city in the of Santiago. country, has been under quarantine since 11 The differences, political and oth- September, and curfews have also been erwise, between the two metropolises are enacted for many other cities, districts and likely the reason why the Ministry of Health istry of Health attempted to manipulate the localities. The situation raises the question of has placed Concepción under quarantine, official Covid-19 mortality figures. how, under these conditions, a constitutional which means that people may only leave Shortly before the Chilean Independ- referendum can be held. their homes for important reasons. At least ence Day on 18 September, the new Minister that is what the residents believe, having of Health, Enrique Paris, decided to allow By Javier A. Cisterna Figueroa completely lost faith in the responsible family gatherings. The mayor of Concep- members of government. ción, who is himself a government official, Concepción is about 500 kilometres away In June, the mayor of Recoleta, who criticised the move publicly by pointing out from Santiago, the capital, and is the belongs to the opposition, took legal action that Paris’ policy contradicted the general most important city in the southern part against President Sebastián Piñera and the order to isolate. Following heated discus- of the country. It lies on the Biobío River, Minister of Health at the time, Jaime Mañal- sions in the media, Paris withdrew his per- which forms the border to the indigenous ich, who was responsible for the pandemic mission. Relations broke down even more territories of the Mapuche, and has both response. In the course of the investigation, after that. major strategic as well as symbolic sig- it has recently become known that the Min- In Concepción, like in the rest of the country, it is difficult to follow the Covid-19 guidelines. Political squabbling, social ten- Independence Day sions and a lack of clear communication celebrations in have contributed to Chile’s unsettling situa- a Chilean nursing tion: the country of 19 million has registered home. around 17,500 deaths in connection with the pandemic. The places where curfews are in place today experienced mass demonstrations one year ago. These began in October 2019 in Santiago as a protest against an increase in the price of metro tickets and ended as a popular uprising that swept the entire country and also resulted in violence and human-rights abuses (see Katie Cashman in oto: Esteban Felix/picture-alliance/AP Photo oto: Esteban Felix/picture-alliance/AP

D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2020/01, Debate section). Ph

D+C e-Paper November 2020 31 COVID-19 DIARY

This social uprising forced those in gov- with regard to voter participation. While latter situation could call the legitimacy of ernment to clear the way for a new constitu- election authorities have put guidelines the election into question. tion. The current constitution is a relic of the in place to protect voters, many people are dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. On 25 Oc- wary of gatherings where they could be in- JAVIER A. CISTERNA tober, a referendum will be held to ask voters fected. In Concepción, they are also won- FIGUEROA whether a new constitution should be drafted. dering whether the quarantine will be lifted is a journalist living in Polls indicate that the majority fa- before the referendum, or whether it will Concepción. vours change. Questions remain, however, proceed under the current restrictions. The [email protected]

18 OCTOBER 2020 front of a Muslim cleric. The fact checkers have evidence of it having been filmed long before the start of the pandemic. Old patterns, new content Examples like this show that Arab societies are dealing with Covid-19 in ways that fit long-established patterns, which include insisting on the supremacy of one’s In the Arab region, Covid-19 related fake cured of Covid-19. The photo showed an own religion and providing conversion sto- news include that people who have been Asian looking man with three children. How- ries as proof. In the pandemic’s early days, cured convert to Islam or that Muslims are ever, Fatabyyano, a fact checking platform, fake news claimed that only non-Muslims immune to the disease. Long-established revealed that the information was wrong. contracted the novel virus or that its emer- conspiracy theories have a bearing on the Though the man really did become a Mus- gence served to punish China for repressing rumours. It also matters that people do not lim, that had happened more than 20 years the Muslim Uighur minority. trust state authorities. ago, and the picture was taken five years ago. After Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe A video with similar content proved Conte admitted that his government had By Mona Naggar even more popular in Arab speaking coun- lost control of this health crisis, WhatsApp tries. It was about a Chinese woman con- groups shared a video that supposedly pro- A popular story on Facebook was that a Japa- verting to Islam because of the coronavirus. vided evidence of many Italians converting nese family converted to Islam after being The clip shows her professing her faith in to Islam. Similar narratives are prevalent in

The platform Fatabyyano reveals fake news. Screenshot: Fatabyyano.net

D+C e-Paper November 2020 32 COVID-19 DIARY

small communities too. Palestinian refu- care professionals are involved. His assess- marginalised east. Fake news soon emerged gee camps in Lebanon are an example. Ini- ment is that they do not understand scien- according to which members of other faiths tially, the message was common that camp tific studies properly, fail to think critically had caused infections to hurt the Christians residents’ moral superiority protected them or are led by the theory that the rich world is and, respectively, the town concerned. from corona infections. using corona as a weapon in its permanent Press freedom is restricted in the Sometimes fake news originates in war on the poor. Arab region, and government information Europe and then moves on into the Arab Many Arab people wonder why is quite often not trustworthy. Both issues digital sphere. That rout was taken by mis- their world region is permanently in such make conspiracy theories and fake news information concerning the relevance of the a depressing state. Conspiracy theories of- more likely to resonate with masses. After pharmaceutical, the role of Bill Gates or the fer simple explanations. The idea that the decades of bitter disappointments, people harmful impacts of 5G mobile networks. entire world is fighting Islam and the Arab do not trust their governments. Why should According to Moustafa Elsayed, who region is quite popular, though claims about that suddenly change in the Covid-19 era? works as a fact checker for Fatabyyano, it who exactly is the enemy vary. is mostly private persons who generate and Some conspiracy theories only focus MONA NAGGAR spread such messages. Many of them hope on individual countries, faith-based groups is a journalist and media to become famous. They neither trust in- or specific communities. In Lebanon, for trainer. She lives in Beirut, ternational organisations nor their govern- example, Covid-19 infections initially pre- Lebanon. ments, and they form their views inside dominated in areas where mostly Christians digital bubbles. He says, that even health- live as well as in a town in the country’s [email protected]

30 SEPTEMBER 2020 Zimbabweans, however, cannot even afford to buy soap. The price of hand sanitizer also exceeds many families’ budgets. Clean water to fight Covid-19 In Zimbabwe, Covid-19 is just one more crisis piling up on others. Incomes have been eroded by hyperinflation. The climate crisis has reduced water availabil- Zimbabwe is facing a water crisis, due to ity. The city of Harare is failing to provide poor infrastructure and the impacts of cli- water to its 2 million people, citing poor mate change. That makes it harder to prevent infrastructure and the impact of incessant the spread of the novel coronavirus as peo- droughts for years. The water level of Lake ple do not have enough clean water to wash Chivero, the capital city’s main source of wa- their hands. Thanks to non-governmental ter, is very low. activists, hand-washing stations are availa- ZIMBABWE Most Harare residents fetch the pre- Harare ble in Mbare, a densely populated suburb of cious liquid from open wells in the wetlands. Zimbabwe’s capital Harare. Others rely on a small number of community boreholes, where they risk contract- By Farai Shawn Matiashe ing the virus due to overcrowding. In some suburbs private companies are cashing in on There are about 60 such stations, and each residents when they make home deliveries has a 200 litre tank. The water is mixed with with bulk water trucks. Filling up a 5,000 li- detergents. Fresh water is brought to the sta- He sees a lot of enthusiasm. Relevant stake- tre tank costs about $ 40 in Zimbabwe. That tions twice per day. holders including the soap providers, wa- is far beyond the reach of many citizens. The hand-washing stations have been ter suppliers and the handwashing station Harare Residents’ Trust director Pre- set up by the WASH Covid-19 Prevention technicians appreciate the initiative. cious Shumba says the NGO intervention and Response Project. The acronym WASH Gabriella Prandini, GOAL Zimbabwe is welcome. He also insists that much more stands for “water, sanitation and hygiene”. country director, says she wants to reach must happen. The city of Harare needs GOAL Zimbabwe, a non-governmental 360,000 of Mbare’s population. Harare has a long-term solution to the water crisis. organisation, started the project in coop- the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the eration with others in June. Support comes country, and water supply is particularly FARAI SHAWN MATIASHE from the UN Education Fund. poor. Prandini says handwashing facilities is a journalist based in Patrick Mirirayi, a WASH project man- are urgently needed. Mutare, Zimbabwe. ager for GOAL Zimbabwe, says that about Washing hands is critical in the fight [email protected] 30,000 people use the stations per week. against the Coronavirus pandemic. Most Twitter: @ZuzeShawn

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