Introduction: What and Why

Hello!

My name is Henry Wigston. I am a third-year geography student at UCL. I’m taking a module about water and development in Africa. I am writing a blog over the few months focusing on the link between water and food in Africa. The blog itself will focus more specifically on a few sub-topics. In this first blog I will discuss the wider nature of the food and water topic.

Why Water and Food?

The blog will be centred around the topic of water and food for a few reasons. Primarily because water and food are such important aspects of daily life, and the adaption to water stress or water scarcity is very interesting. Secondly, the idea of a dramatic lack of food and ‘mass starvation’ is a very commonly perceived imagined geography of Africa. I would like this blog to break through the stereotype. In future weeks I will discuss some of the advanced and adaptive farming techniques, new integrated technologies, and the future of food production in Africa.

The type of media representation rarely seen when portraying agriculture in Africa.

(Source)

The global demand for water, energy and food is increasing. Africa must ensure that it can utilise its resources efficiently in a way that connects all three. The sixth UN sustainable development goal was to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” (United Nations, 2019). However, the first and second SDGs surrounded the topics of hunger and poverty. The link between water, food and poverty is incredibly strong, water is directly necessary to sustain life, as well as indirectly necessary in the growth and production of food (Taylor, 2004).

Fresh water is arguably one of the most valuable resources in the world. At its most basic level it is consumed by each individual to drink. Domestic water usage in Africa is around 12.6% of the total withdrawal volume. Comparatively, 83.1% of freshwater withdrawals go to agriculture. The reason that agriculture and food production draw such a higher proportion is due to the amount of water it takes to grow food. Around 2,500 litres of freshwater is required to grow a kilogram of rice (Bouman, 2009). With only around 4% of crop land in sub-Saharan Africa irrigated, dependence on rain led irrigation leaves communities very vulnerable to drought (Giordano, 2006).

In this blog I won’t be focusing on one area of Africa, but I will be focusing on specific topics that can be discussed across the continent, taking examples from different places. I will be discussing the following topics:

-       ‘Improved irrigation’ and the saline intrusion of aquifers

-       Virtual water: strengths and limitations of the concept

-       The economics, conflict and politics behind water and food

-       The future of African technology and indigenous knowledge

I think an important part of this blog will be removing the preconceived ideas of agriculture in Africa. I want to demonstrate how in many ways, the existing indigenous farming knowledge is much more advanced than the comparative knowledge in well irrigated areas. The wild and rugged African cliché is no longer an acceptable discourse. I believe a short satirical piece by Kenyan author and journalist Binyavanga Wainaina captures this perfectly with the quote “Remember, any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the ‘real Africa’” (Wainaina, 2005).

So, to complete Wainaina’s irony, I must end this post with a quote from Nelson Mandela, but maybe a more positive one that can make us think about the future advancement of African development:

“It always seems impossible until it is done” – Nelson Mandela

I look forward to writing this blog and exploring some of the more interesting topics surrounding water and food, advancing knowledge and contributing to the academic conversation surrounding the subject.

Thanks for reading,

Henry