Behind the scenes

Linking Food Security Information to Action in the SADC Region: An Interview with Elijah Mukhala

Elijah Mukhala, Senior Agrometeorologist at the Southern African Development Community’s Regional Remote Sensing Unit (SADC- RRSU), was recently at FAO Headquarters in Rome to work on documentation for the Crop Monitoring Box - a suite of software, training and data for rapidly setting up an operational national crop monitoring and forecasting system.

The Southern African Development Community’s Regional Remote Sensing Unit (RRSU) was established in 1988. Initially funded mainly by FAO, it is now fully funded by the EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme.

Denise Melvin is the Communications Officer of the EC-FAO Food Security Programme.

Denise Melvin: How does the Regional Remote Sensing Unit help monitor food security in the SADC region?

Elijah Mukhala:
In the SADC region, 90% of agricultural activities are rain-fed. Therefore, poor rainfall performance has a huge impact on agricultural production and food security.

"90% of agricultural activities in the SADC region are rain-fed."

While food security also encompasses access, availability and utilisation, monitoring crop performance during the growing season gives us vital information about what will be available at harvest time. To obtain this information, the RRSU, working in close collaboration with its partners, uses satellite imagery and field surveys. It also uses the Crop Monitoring Box - developed by FAO - to estimate probable yields and production.

RRSU activities are important because they provide early warning of impending food crises – which is critical for effective humanitarian assistance.

DM: Who do you work with?

EM:
The SADC region has 14 member States. Because of the huge scale of the work involved, numerous institutions work together to collect data. These include: National Meteorological Services, Agricultural Departments, Disaster Management Units, Vulnerability Assessment Units and international organisations working in individual member states.

"Communication is a two way process. when information is conveyed, there has to be a response to indicate that it has been understood. "

The RRSU is part of the Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS) within the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate of SADC. The information and analysis it provides allows SADC member states and the international community to take timely action when faced with impending food shortages.

In response to the severe food crisis of 2002-2003, AIMS now covers livestock and commodity markets and includes livelihood and vulnerability analysis. In order to increase impact, it has also strengthened links with SADC policy makers.

The RRSU works closely with Regional Vulnerability Assessment Committees (RVACs) and National Vulnerability Assessment Committees (NVACs). It conducts capacity building programmes in the use of satellite imagery for identifying areas where agricultural production will be poor. This information is then matched with socio-economic data to determine household vulnerability.

The information provided is collected by institutions that have received specific training on how and what type of information to collect. Indeed, capacity building activities have the big advantage of helping to standardize methodologies and reporting. This ensures that information and analysis can easily be exchanged between countries and makes reporting at the regional level possible.


DM: Can you give me an example of some bulletins you produce?

EM:
For example, we produce “Agromet Updates” every 10 days from the beginning of the season in November until the end of the season in April. The information they provide about precipitation and vegetation performance is crucial for predicting if the harvest will be successful or not. They also include crop stage and performance, crop and animal disease incidences, the general condition of pasture for livestock and possible implications of rainfall performance.

> See the latest bulletins and updates from SADC

DM: What are the implications of poor rainfall and vegetation performance?

EM:
The general performance of natural vegetation - observed through satellite imagery - gives an indication of soil moisture condition. If soil moisture is limited, this will have an impact on crops and pastures.

In early 2006, for example, we saw that Tanzania received less than 60% of its normal annual rainfall. Satellite pictures indicated that vegetation was badly affected. The drought also affected pasture land and, consequently, livestock. The Tanzanian government declared a disaster and requested humanitarian assistance.

As indicated earlier, poor rainfall performance has implications for agricultural production. The RRSU shares information about impending grain deficits with member states so that those who choose to import grain can source it from within the region. South Africa, for example, is a major regional supplier of grain.

The SADC also has other strategies for improving food security in the region. For example, it is looking into the possibility of setting up a Regional Food Reserve Facility which would include both a physical reserve of food and a financial facility. This reflects a shift from concentrating on national self-sufficiency towards a more trade based approach.

Recognizing the importance of not only producing good information but making sure it reached the right people and was relevant for decision making, Elijah Mukhala completed an M.A. in Communication in addition to a Ph.D in Agrometeorology.

DM: What were the main communication problems you faced?

EM:
First of all, communication is a two way process. When information is conveyed, there has to be a response to indicate that it has been understood. Often, the way information is presented makes it difficult to understand how it can be used for decision making – especially by non-experts. We have tried to improve this by gaining a better understanding of the decision making process. This includes examining what type of information is required, as well as when and how it is required. Making sure the information is effectively used in policy development is a continuous process.

" Policy makers do not receive enough guidance on different options and on the process of how decisions should be made using the information provided. "

Another problem is that policy makers do not receive enough guidance on different options and on the process of how decisions should be made using the information provided.


DM: How do you disseminate your findings?

EM:
Most of the information is disseminated by e-mail and on the SADC website - which has links to updates and bulletins. We have a mailing list of targeted users and partners. The information also goes into SADC’s comprehensive food security bulletin, which includes food security analysis and information from many sectors, as well as other national bulletins and updates. Information is also disseminated in hard copy - although this can be quite expensive!

We are often invited to forums, conferences and workshops within and outside the SADC region and readily take on opportunities to make presentations on the current food security situation.

DM: What is the current food security situation in the SADC Region?

EM:
Cereal production has actually increased this year for several SADC member states: Malawi (502,000 tonnes), Mozambique (53,000 tonnes), South Africa (440,000 tonnes) and Zambia (77,000 tonnes) are expected to have maize surpluses for the 2006/07 marketing year. Reduced deficits have been assessed in Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Nonetheless, recent assessments indicate a regional maize deficit of 574,000 tonnes compared to a surplus of 2.28 million tonnes in 2005/06.

Nevertheless, preliminary vulnerability assessments indicate that the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance in the region has dropped significantly from 9.71 million in the 2005-2006 marketing year to around 3 million in 2006-2007 due to improved food production in the region.


Rome, August 2006


Note: The EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme supports the Southern African Development Community’s Regional Remote Sensing Unit.