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Sustainable
development and food security in the South East Low Veld
Xavier Marchal,
European Commission
August 22, 2008
It is particularly
important for me to be here on the occasion of the inception seminar
of this innovative programme, the PARSEL.
Politically,
it would have been best if the context would be of a new Zimbabwe,
led by a legitimate Government representing the will of Zimbabweans,
and endorsed by the European Union.
Indeed, without
such an environment, what you plan to do, in spite of your efforts,
will unfortunately remain limited in scope.
Technically,
the programme is about Food Security. It is in line with current
restrictive EU policy towards Zimbabwe. It connects poverty eradication
to holistic management of natural resources. Rural communities will
become stakeholders in and beneficiaries of Conservancies. It brings
all stakeholders as Partners to optimizing land use: rural communities
and traditional authorities, Parks, local and public authorities,
the private sector, the civil society, the scientific community,
implementing institutions. I will call them the "Secret Seven".
This is an approach
in which complementarities are transformed into opportunities, a
test for comprehensive sustainable development. Context permitting,
your programme could then become a catalyst for action at wider
level.
Assets
of and vision for the South East Low Veld
Having just
spent an inspiring week deep into the Gonaredzou, the place for
elephants, let me focus on how this could be done in the SouthEast
Low Veld.
Talks around
a wood fire with seasoned Low Velders, each of them cumulating massive
knowledge and experience, under an immaculate blanket of stars,
greatly helped me to develop a Vision for comprehensive development
of this magnificent part of Zimbabwe.
A Vision in
which Food Security rhymes with biodiversity, with Sugar Industry,
with Public-Private complementarity, with connectivity and interdependency
and, necessarily, with democracy.
The South East
Low Veld can achieve its full potential, by building up effective
complementarities between its four assets: location, pristine natural
environment, huge agricultural potential, human resources. I will
call them the "Big Four".
Conservation
as a land use option to the benefit of local people is a key principle
of the recently established Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, the
world's biggest animal Kingdom, and it's associated Transfrontier
Conservation Area. Each of the participating countries, Mozambique,
South Africa, and Zimbabwe, brings in uniqueness into mutually reinforcing
complementarities.
In this endeavor,
Zimbabwe offers a unique patchwork of natural environment, composed
of a major national park, the Gonaredzou, surrounded by top end
private conservancies. And also a very well located airport. There
is extreme diversity and potential here, and Zimbabwe has always
been at the forefront in term of best management practices. It is
here, in the South East Low Veld, that traditional extensive cattle
ranching was replaced by wildlife management and exploitation as
a better socio-economic development option.
The combination
of climatic, geographic, and soil factors, enhanced by innovative
hydro-engineering man made work, have turned the South East Low
Veld into a world class sugar production area. Here best yields
can be achieved at lowest costs.
Most importantly,
the South East Low Veld is endowed with a population, the Machangana,
who have learned to forge survival alliances with their environment.
Years before the nationwide "Campfire" programme was launched,
they were already engaged in sustainable management of their natural
resources. Conservation as a land use option is a key principle
for them.
Current
situation and what the Commission can offer
But today, this
huge potential of four interdependent assets, is not realized. Men
have settled illegally in conservancies, while vast irrigation projects
are abandoned. Private entities are constantly threatened. Tourists
are gone, and so are crucial investments. Poaching is rampant. Communities
have been abandoned, or forced into political submission. "Campfire"
is dormant or deviated from its real goals. Foot and Mouth Disease
is prevalent. The Sugar Industry is in critical stage. Farms are
invaded and sugar growers expelled. There is a breakdown of the
Rule of Law.
In short, the
four formidable assets of the South East Low Veld are in conflict,
instead of being in symbiosis.
But this can
be changed. The South East Low Veld can become a jewel of and a
key development engine for Zimbabwe.
The European
Commission could significantly contribute to that goal, if and when
the European Union has normalized its relationship with Zimbabwe,
on the basis of clear principles, and following a genuine and legitimate
Political Agreement.
Significant
current or new resources could be made available, from different
origins in term of budget, brought together in a formidable "critical
mass" of coordinated support.
In 2007, we
made funds (15 million Euro nationwide) available to improve Food
security in Zimbabwe through Non Governmental Organisations. We
welcomed projects that would establish a link with the management
of natural resources. The PARSEL programme was proposed and accepted,
and I would like to warmly recognise here its key Partners: CIRAD
as applicant, WWF-SARPO, Save Valley Trust and Malilangwe Trust.
PARSEL is paving the way for a Vision as outlined above.
We are now launching
a new food security initiative (9.5 million Euro nationwide). We
have decided to go further towards including environment as a basis
for food security, and it will be mandatory to do so for a proposal
to be eligible. A significant part of this fund could benefit to
the South East Low Veld. This is in addition to an additional amount
of 16 million Euro earmarked for programmes to support Food security
throughout the country, including of course the Low Veld.
Zimbabwe could
take full advantage of an EC funded Sugar Adaptation Strategy, aimed
at bringing back her Sugar Industry from abyss to world class level
again. The amount possible for this could reach 45 million Euro
over six years. An initial amount of 2.7 million Euro is being considered
for preparatory measures and studies, including funding related
to environment. We could for example support moving settlers from
a Conservancy to an abandoned irrigation scheme.
Part of the
funds of a vast (total nationwide is 20 million Euro) EC funded
Stabex programme, implemented through the main Agricultural Unions,
the CFU, the ZFU, and the ZCFU, could also be allocated to the South
East Low Veld. The same applies for a 6 million euros project aimed
at supporting small scale irrigation.
We could also
integrate what we do in health, and basic education, to better serve
our Vision for the South East Low Veld.
Then, there
is the 10th European Development Fund, of which one of the two focal
sectors is focused on land, agriculture, food security, and environment.
The amount to be dedicated to this would be around 50 million euros
nationwide.
Finally, the
South East Low Veld could also benefit from significant resources
from a major new initiative of the Commission, aimed at helping
farmers of Africa to tackle high food prices, access farming inputs
such as seeds and fertilizers, and boost output.
Let me conclude
with three points"
- The Constitution
of one of the Conservancy of the South East Low Veld outlines
one of its objectives as follows, and I quote: "to promote
the development of a programme to enhance communication with neighboring
communities and to stimulate the economic and social advancement
of such communities through durable linkages with the Conservancy's
wildlife industry". This is evidently the way to go.
- I would like
to make a very strong appeal to all Zimbabweans, that they should
make full use of these real possibilities offered by all stakeholders
directly concerned to properly manage theirs assets, for the benefit
of all. The objective is clearly to achieve sustainable management
of natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations.
My call covers of course the urgent need for a fair and legitimate
agreement between political forces, indispensable to take Zimbabwe
on the path of recovery.
- I am tabling
a concrete offer: that as soon as the context permits, the European
Commission funds a one day high level strategic meeting, bringing
together all stakeholders of the South East Low Veld to further
reflect on how to implement the Vision I have outlined, and to
take concrete steps towards its implementation. I hope that this
can be done very soon.
Thank you
*Xavier Marchal is Head of Delegation of the European Commission
in Zimbabwe
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