3. Food security: Sierra Leone and the multi-level
governance a. Global governance
1st of January 2016 marked the day the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
became operational. Adopted in September 2015, they took over for the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG's). More numerous and comprehensive, they
define the goals to be achieved by 2030 in terms of sustainable development (UN
2016). Signatory parties have a 15 years window to organize their country in
order to reach the targets set and make sure every stakeholder is involved in
the process. Gathered in the Agenda 2030, the negotiations lasted 2
years and took into account both
29 Data from 2013
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governments and civil society. Unlike the MDG's food security
was specifically mentioned. and incorporated into the goal n°2 `End
hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable
agriculture'. The Agenda 2030 brought under a unique goal food
security and nutrition, therefore facilitating the understanding of the
multi-dimensional concept (FAO 2017). The SDGs, also known as Global Goals,
build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals and are set to do more
to end all forms of poverty. Unlike the MDG's, the SDG's involve country
leaders as well as the civil society. Everyone has a part to play in the
advancement toward better more equal world. While they are not legally binding,
governments are expected to live up to their promises by fulfilling their duty
and mobilizing all necessary means for the end goal. In order to do so, they
must «establish national frameworks for the achievement of the 17
Goals» (UN, The Sustainable Development Agenda 2016).
Despite having made evident progress toward the achievement of
the MDG's, Sierra Leone failed to do so. The MDG's are tailored to give
countries 15 years to achieve the goals. However, in Sierra Leone's case the
first 10 years were lost to the civil war which left the country in shambles
(GoSL 2016). At the time of the MDG's launching Sierra Leone's civil war was
still taking place. Infrastructures, health system and the economy were
severely devastated. The repercussions of war were such that, the economy came
to a close stop for several month entailing increased levels of poverty and
food insecure people. After a somehow successful recovery, the EVO once again
struck the country. The economy contracted by approximatively 50% and social
indicators such as HDI declined (GoSL 2016). This once again prevented the
government from achieving the MDG's. Nonetheless, those were not the only
factors that played a role in the government's failure to deliver on its
promises. Actually, Sierra Leone has demonstrated flagrant structural
fragilities in several areas, such as infrastructure, providing populations
with satisfying public service or health system. The MDG's were incorporated in
the Agenda for Change (A4C), which was launched and implemented in 2008 (GoSL
2008).
b. Regional policies
The West African sub-region implemented several plans and
committed to improve food security and reduce poverty on multiple occasions.
The most widespread is the Lagos Plan of Action, which pushed the idea of
self-reliance and self-sufficiency (OAU 1980). Even if
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today the idea seems somehow outdated, most countries in
Africa still cling onto it. However, today, countries like Sierra Leone are
more focused on policies surrounding food security rather than
self-sufficiency. The Nepad's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development
Programme has however taken the lead. More up to date and less focused on
self-sufficiency (NEPAD, Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
2003). Sierra Leone also takes advantage of the ECOWAS' Regional Agency for
Agriculture and Food and West Africa Regional Food Security Reserve
launched in 2013 to specifically tackle food security in West Africa. The
Initiatives are recent but the ECOWAS has great expectations from them (ICTSD
2012) (ReliefWeb 2013).
c. National policies
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Sierra Leone has been
a leading example of a country successfully emerging from conflict. This is
evidenced by some significant progress made on several MDG indicators since
2000. One key factor supporting progress has been that the national priorities
Ð as set out in the Agenda for Change, the Agenda for Prosperity, and most
recently the National Ebola Recovery Strategy Ð have mirrored and
complemented the MDGs. In line with sustained efforts to meet the MDGs for
Sierra Leone, the government has revised and consolidated long-term targets for
development as exemplified by the pillars of the A4P: Pillar 2 Ð Managing
Natural Resources, Pillar 7 Ð Governance and Public Sector Reform.
***
The concept of food security evolved with landmarks of the
20th century perfected by contributors from all fields of work. The
major contribution remains that of Amartya Sen who revolutionized the way we
perceive and approach the concept of food security. The four pillar definition
then was established and used by important institutions giving it more
legitimacy. The three levels of governance integrated the concept and made food
security a rather important focus with time. In Sierra Leone the it's only
recently that the way of approaching food security shifted. While the MDG's
were not attained, the recent PRSP incorporated the concept and made it a
greater concern.
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