Farmers in the tiny West African islands of Cape Verde celebrate the reversal of soil erosion on their land. On the other side of the vast continent, in a region emerging from decades of violent conflict, Ethiopian women are garnering resources to generate income to support their families in the countryside. And far to the south, in South Africa, post-apartheid democracy has brought a fresh sense of empowerment to rural poor people.

Multiplying these experiences by supporting the self-help efforts of small farmers and rural entrepreneurs is a key to overcoming hunger in Africa.

It doesn't have to be that way. Africa has the resources to feed itself and become economically strong. More importantly, the people of Africa possess the ideas and determination necessary to improve their own conditions. The people and government of the United States should support their efforts.

More than three-quarters of the people in sub-Saharan Africa are farmers tilling no more than five acres of land, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Up to 80 percent of Africa's domestic food supply is produced by women farmers. Because so many Africans depend on agriculture, both for their food and for their livelihoods, investments in small farmers and rural entrepreneurs (especially women) could make a critical difference to millions of people on the continent.

In most African countries, agriculture has suffered from decades of neglect and poor management by colonial, military and unresponsive governments. Conflict and civil strife, crippling debt and lack of rural roads and infrastructure have exacerbated these problems. Lack of access to credit also impedes agricultural development. Farming requires up-front investments in cash for seeds, tools and fertilizer, but the income must wait until harvest time. Additionally, small-scale African farmers often lack access to advanced agricultural methods that would help them be more productive. The International Food Policy Research Institute, a leading authority on food security, cites the continuing neglect of Africa's small farmers as the "root cause" of the continent's chronic food insecurity.

Progress will be neither easy nor quick, but many signs of hope demonstrate that conditions in Africa can improve. While life expectancies in Africa are low, they have improved considerably over the years. And while child mortality rates are high, they have dropped dramatically. The number of children enrolled in primary schools and universities has increased. More African nations have held democratic elections than ever before.

Market-based economies are replacing highly centralized economies and the residues of colonial administration. Increasingly, African nations are entering the global economy. While overall economic progress has been painfully slow in some countries, 10 of sub-Saharan Africa's economies had growth rates of over 10 percent per year in 1996.

Since the 1980s, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have blossomed throughout Africa. These groups are demonstrating new and successful approaches to development and are providing voices for communities that must be included in any effective development strategy.

In the post-Cold War era, the U.S. government is rethinking its policies toward Africa. Both Congress and the Clinton administration are pursuing initiatives that will urge more African governments to adopt market-based policies and open trade and investment opportunities to U.S. businesses. Already U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa are twice U.S. exports to Eastern Europe.

Trade and investment proposals can help raise Africans' standard of living, but current patterns tend to favor urban areas. Poor people don't always benefit. As new African markets open, Bread for the World urges that steps be taken to ensure that small farmers and rural entrepreneurs benefit as well as large-scale farms and businesses.

Also, trade cannot simply be a substitute for development aid. So long as the vast majority of Africa's citizens are undernourished, development assistance and humanitarian aid is also critical. Unfortunately, both agricultural aid in general and aid to sub-Saharan Africa in particular are declining. The U.S. currently spends about one-tenth of one percent of its budget to aid needy Africans, and a declining fraction of aid to Africa supports agriculture.

This year's Offering of Letters, Africa: Seeds of Hope, seeks to increase support for agriculture and rural development in Africa. The campaign addresses three critical areas: rural finance, agricultural research and extension, and food security.

Three principles guide the campaign:

• serving the needs of small farmers (most of whom are women), small entrepreneurs and rural workers and communities;
• ensuring that hungry and poor people are consulted in decisions that affect their lives;
• ensuring that Africans, especially local communities, are involved in planning and carrying out development programs.

More easily attainable credit can enable small farmers to combine subsistence farming with farming that produces a cash income. Credit programs can have an especially dramatic impact for families of women farmers, since women's income is more likely to be spent on food, nutrition, clothing and education than male-controlled income.

Africa: Seeds of Hope will work to increase funding for microcredit and to target at least half of these resources toward the poorest people, with a greater emphasis on rural needs. It will urge that there be a greater focus on USAID's microcredit funding for Africa.

Africa: Seeds of Hope supports the development of credit and finance systems to serve farmers' cooperatives and other producer-marketing associations. The campaign will support a new African agriculture and rural development fund through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a U.S. government agency, which assists U.S. companies investing in developing countries. The fund would assist in financing small-scale businesses through intermediary organizations (private business, NGOs, or local governments) with track records of working directly with small farmers and rural entrepreneurs. In addition to providing credit, these funds would help develop finance and business skills, encourage savings, and support farms and small businesses as they grow.

Africa: Seeds of Hope also seeks to renew U.S. support to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a highly effective U.N. agency working with small farmers. The United States currently provides only $5 million annually to IFAD and it has indicated that it will not contribute any funds in the future. The campaign will work to restore the U.S. commitment to IFAD.

Research plays a vital role in the effort of African farmers to feed themselves and generate more income. Adapting the best of traditional farming practices, plus improved management of natural fertilizers can fill part of the need. New technologies, such as genetic improvements of crops for arid lands or for resistance to diseases and pests, must also be applied.

Agricultural extension services must reach small farmers and adapt research to their needs. Effective extension programs consider local growing conditions and traditional African crops. Unfortunately, most extension services have not in the past served small farmers, especially women.

Africa: Seeds of Hope will advocate for substantially increased funding for agricultural research and extension, focusing on small farmers, women, and sustainable farming.

With congressional approval last year, the Clinton administration is launching an African Food Security Initiative. Its purpose is to improve child nutrition and increase the incomes of rural people throughout Africa by increasing agricultural production, increasing small farmers' access to the market and expanding agricultural trade and investment. Bread for the World endorses the initiative and calls for increased funding and a greater emphasis on participation of small farmers, especially women.

Additionally, Africa: Seeds of Hope will urge Congress to authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture to replenish the Food Security Commodity Reserve, which serves as a critical backup for emergency food aid needs.

Creating Just Policies Towards Africa

In a time of renewed attention to the United States' relationship to Africa by government and business, Christians and concerned citizens can hold up a litmus test. Are the needs of African women, small farmers, and small entrepreneurs being considered in policy debates? Are their voices heard and heeded? Are they encouraged and supported in controlling their own destiny?

Africa: Seeds of Hope is part of Bread for the World's long-term commitment to hungry people in Africa. Our 1991 Offering of Letters urged the U.S. government to shift from Cold War priorities in the Horn of Africa to support for peace, democracy and development. President George Bush signed our bill into law in April 1992. It helped engage the U.S. government in negotiating peace in Ethiopia and has allowed vital aid (mainly to grassroots groups) in Ethiopia and Somalia. Bread for the World's 1995 Offering of Letters also helped protect millions of dollars in life-saving aid to Africa in a year when Congress slashed development assistance.

Once again, Bread for the World members and other concerned constituents have the opportunity to speak out on behalf of those most in need. By offering letters and prayers of support, the Africa: Seeds of Hope campaign will again win effective U.S. policies that will assist Africans in their efforts to overcome hunger.

For more information about how you can help the Seeds of Hope campaign, contact Raymond A. Almeida.

BREAD FOR THE WORLD