Courtesy: THE SEYCHELLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY – NEWSLETTER – June 2008 Issue
La Crise Alimentaire, Une Crise Mondiale et Seychelloise
During the past eight months we have all heard in the national media, television, radio and newspapers of the food crisis of fairly serious proportions in many countries, particularly in the third world and emerging economies. The price of food worldwide has significantly risen and is continuing to escalate. There are various causes for this frightening phenomenon, the worst since the Second World War. An attempt is made from the information available to enumerate the causes and their effects on Seychelles:
Global Warming.
The effects of global warming on the climate, temperature, rainfall, melting snow, wind, drought, humidity, etc have seriously affected the world agricultural effort, reducing production and output.
The Falling US Dollar.
The depreciation of the US$ is having a negative effect on world economies, reducing revenues and profits of producers in all countries that produce and export the main food elements of the third world.
The Rising Cost of Oil.
At US $ 120 per barrel the costs of production, distribution, freight, exports and sales of food have increased alarmingly and may continue to spiral upwards.
Increased Food Consumption.
The efforts by developing countries to reduce poverty through wealth creation are reaping dividends and now challenge food production and output in the food producing countries of the world. Today over two billion people in developing and emerging economies are eating more and their diets have become more sophisticated requiring more tonnage of rice and cereals, milk and milk products, meat, fish and other foodstuffs. China, India, Asia in general, the Middle East, Latin America and, indeed, Seychelles are among those with populations consuming and needing much more food.
Bio-Fuel.
We are being told incessantly that the known oil reserves may last another 50 years maximum at the present rate of exploitation. Consequently, it is imperative if the world is to sustain the current use of its ships, aircrafts, engines and mechanised vehicles, that other types of fuel are developed for use. Today, many countries like Brazil, USA, Australia and South Africa, are increasingly producing bio-fuel extracted from maize, sugarcane and other grains and plants, with a view to replacing petrol for energy and fuel for vehicles and even aircrafts. It is believed that 2-3% of maize and sugarcane production in ‘bio-fuel pioneering’ states are being diverted into the production of ethanol, hence reducing supplies for food production and causing increased prices.
Meanwhile, food riots have occurred in many poorer countries some of which had abandoned agriculture and food security as a priority. Even India and China, agricultural countries par excellence, have to import grain, keeping all or most of their rice production for national use. Thailand, the world’s largest exporter of rice, is now exporting less despite the price exceeding US $ 1,000 per tonne for the first time ever.
What about Seychelles?
During the Second World War when Seychelles was more or less isolated with its population of 40,000 the Colonial Government was able to muster enough resources together with the landowners to produce over 80% of the country’s needs to adequately feed the population. There was then enough arable agricultural land at Grand Anse, Anse Boileau, Deux Arpents, Anse La Mouche, Anse Aux Pins, Barbarons, Praslin and on the outlying islands, which produced enough food for the population of 1939 - 1946.
In the early 70’s a French Consultant was commissioned to draw up a land use plan and delineate the granitic islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette into sectors suitable for agriculture, tourism, housing and industrial and urban development while keeping 50% of the territory for forests and parklands.
The excellent plan produced and entitled ‘l’aménagement du Territoire’ was accepted by all concerned. A total of 32,000 acres of land appropriate for agriculture was reserved for this purpose. This reserve would have been adequate to produce much of the food the country would require with the exception of rice and flour. More importantly, in an emergency situation, it would ensure that the people of Seychelles would not only survive but thrive, independent of outside problems and shocks which could curtail or even severe food imports.
Unfortunately, for misplaced principles of social justice or a misunderstanding of the providential state, and acting on an excess of zeal, the administrators of this country after the Third Republic started encroaching on the sectors reserved for agriculture to build houses, flats and more houses. Instead of effecting intelligent
long term planning while strictly respecting the sectors reserved for housing and urban development, and which should have been constructed skyward, the good, fertile agricultural land was used for individual housing which spread outwards. Thus, the whole of Anse Aux Pins, Anse La Mouche, parts of Grand Anse, Anse Boileau, Port Glaud, Praslin and elsewhere completely depleted agricultural land in favour of housing.
In less than thirty years the 32,000 acres of land reserved for growing food has shrunk to less than 8,000 acres today. While the ‘rape’ or irresponsible planning was taking place those responsible for agriculture and food security said very little, hardly protested against the onslaught or were simply muzzled to remain silent.
The unforgivable mistakes committed over the past three decades are now the main causes for the high costs of vegetables and fruits because demand exceeds supply. The poor farmers have to work in difficult terrain which yields far less than on the flat, fertile and mechanisable land.
Let us pray that no serious world conflicts ever occur that could cause Seychelles to be completely isolated. If such an upheaval were to happen, there is not enough land to produce food to feed 82,000 people. Houses shelter people but do not produce food,
unfortunately and Seychelles has little or no control over increasing world food prices. Meanwhile, although the more affluent Seychellois may not suffer from the high food prices, a good third of the population will pay a high price for imported foodstuffs as the farmers cannot produce alternative food.
Albert PAYET, CHAIRMAN