Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
15 June 2022
Post No. 252
The Week’s Contents
• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus from Wednesday 15/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Tackle Food Price Increases
• The Internally Displaced People of Rutshuru Need Help: June 2022 Humanitarian Relief Appeal
• Coming this Summer: FACS Issue No. 76 to be entitled as Food Security in Africa: Africa-based Sister Organisations Can Make It Happen
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus from Wednesday 15/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Tackle Food Price Increases
Our Season of Rebuilding and Month of Creative Economic Development continue with Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Tackle Food Price Increases.
A number of solutions to the current food crisis has been proposed by various people and organisations. Amongst these proposals are creations and innovations. Create and innovate to tackle increases in food prices or what some call ‘agflation’ could be one of the most effective and efficient ways of addressing food crisis not only for now but also for the future.
To understand the point we have just made, these notes about this week’s contents for Creative Economic Development Month provide some clues about the types of creations and innovations we may need to develop together with the community in order to tackle rising food prices.
The notes are mainly about what CENFACS and the community can do together in terms of creations and innovations in order to tackle rising food prices and avoid further food poverty or any other type of poverty that may be induced by rising food prices within our community.
Briefly, the key message here is let us create and innovate to tackle rising food prices. Under the Main Development section of this post, there is further explanation about this first key message.
• The Internally Displaced People of Rutshuru Need Help: June 2022 Humanitarian Relief Appeal
“With 5.6 million IDPs [Internally Displaced People], the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the largest internal displacement situation in Africa” said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Canada (1).
The same UNHCR Canada argues that
“At least 170,000 civilians have been displaced, often repeatedly since an escalation of fighting in eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) [re-started] from November 2021“.
Likewise, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (2) jointly argue that
“In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 25.9 million people are projected to face crisis or worse (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity, including 5.4 million people in Emergency (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Phase 4), between January and June 2022. The recent escalation in conflicts and population movements as well as increasing food prices, could increase the magnitude and severity of acute food insecurity especially in eastern provinces” (p. 14)
Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are now the BIG issue in North Kivu province of DRC, particularly in Rutshuru and Kiwanja Territories with high number of IDPs.
This displacement situation not only raises concern in terms of numbers, but also poses a threat or risk of humanitarian catastrophe if it derails. Amongst these IDPs are the People of Rutshuru who Need Help. They have been displaced and driven from their homes as they fleeing from violence as well as the fight between regular Congolese and irregular forces in their territories.
This is why CENFACS is making this Appeal, Peace Appeal for Rutshuru Territory of the North-eastern DRC.
It is an appeal to support internally displaced peoples (that is, women, men and children) who have driven from their homes and lands because of violence and deadly fight between regular Congolese and irregular forces in the Rutshuru Territory of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• • What is happening in Rutshuru
Recently, there has been escalation in deadly conflicts and population movements in Rutshuru Territory in North Kivu, DRC. As a result of cycle of violence and displacement,
people are fleeing their homes
children have been separated from their families
women and girls have exposed to sexual violence
fields and shops have been looted and abandoned.
Homes, fields, livestock and other infrastructures have been destroyed as well as human rights have been violated as the crisis goes on. Many people have been displaced, made homeless and are seeking for refuges in neighbouring villages and towns such as Busanza, Jomba, Mungo, Musenzera, Bugusa, etc. This situation can only create further poverty for the victims of this violence.
• • Situational poverty data that speak for the peoples of Rutshuru
According to local sources and organisations,
√ Over 2,900 vulnerable people need assistance in the form of blankets, sleeping mats, soap and other household essentials
√ There are risks of cholera, malaria and other diseases among the IDPs
√ There is a lack of access to food and clean water
√ People have lost all their belongings as they have been fleeing to save their lives.
• • What CENFACS wants you to do: Provide a Peace-Giving Gift
CENFACS wants you to create a magic by providing Peace-Giving Gift to the IDPs and victims of this insecurity and violence without giving money. How?
We are appealing to you to try to do something different about what is happening in the Rutshuru Territory of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, so that the poor civilians can enjoy sustainable peace and internally displaced people can safely return to their homes and lands.
We often argue that there are always some little things one can do to create a BIG change or simply to try to change a very complex situation on the grounds without sometimes giving money, although there is a say that Money is King.
These little things include the following:
√ Talking to someone who has influence on what is happening on the ground can change life
√ Networking, campaigning, responding to a petition, and so on can make a life-saving impact
√ A phone/video call or a mobile phone text message or even a tweet or a video record can save millions of lives
√ Raising your voice without fear about the crisis in the Rutshuru Territory of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at a peace talks or rallies
√ Having online chat about possible ways out about this crisis
√ Spreading the news in your social networks and contacts about the issue
√ Having some thoughts about what is happening in Rutshuru Territory of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and on practical ways of helping
Etc.
CENFACS hopes you will act NOW NOT LATER upon this June 2022 humanitarian appeal and create the magic of Peace-Giving Gift without giving money so that the sufferers in Rutshuru Territory of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo can navigate their way to sustainable and inclusive peace.
• • Contacting CENFACS about this Appeal
You can contact CENFACS to discuss or talk about this appeal at http://cenfacs.org.uk/contact-us/
Please ACT NOW NOT LATER.
Thank you for considering delivering on this appeal.
• Coming this Summer: FACS Issue No. 76 to be entitled as Food Security in Africa: Africa-based Sister Organisations Can Make It Happen
Abstract
Food security continues to be a serious challenge for many people in Africa. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations et al. (3),
“The number of severely food insecure people rose from 203.6 millions to 283.7 millions between 2014/2016 and 2018/2020 in Sub-Saharan Africa (including Sudan)”.
At this time of food crisis exacerbated by the invasion of Russia in Ukraine which has increased food prices, the above mentioned number could have further increased. Africa has been challenged with its imports of cereals and fertilizers from Ukraine ports in the Black seas.
To address, create and innovate food security in Africa; it requires a multi-stakeholder perspective. Within this multi-stakeholder perspective, the 76th Issue will focus on the contribution that CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Organisations can make for food security to happen in Africa, at least in their areas of operation. In this respect, the 76th Issue gives attention to efforts deployed by CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Organisations in helping to bring food security in those areas.
In the above said focus, the 76th Issue uses agency-led approach as it considers individuals’ inputs in the process that shape their food systems. It refers as well to sustainability-oriented approach as its includes the three dimensions (i.e. economic, social and environmental) in food security.
The 76th Issue, which looks at the effects of food crisis on food security, deals with the four dimensions of food security as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (4), which are: food availability, food access, food utilisation and stability. Far from being a simple description of these dimensions, the 76th Issue puts them in the context of those in need, the food insecure.
To make food security a matter of reality rather than a dream only, the 76th Issue combines theories and data relating to the problem of food security faced by those in most need of food. The Issue then goes on from food coping strategies to exploring ways through which the food poor can navigate in order to achieve the goal of food security.
Food security can be created and innovated. To put this into perspective, the 76th Issue leads its readers by showing ways of creating and innovating food security, especially at this challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis.
Finally, since one cannot speak about food security without talking about food poverty, the 76th Issue provides some good insights into the relationship between security and poverty around the concept of food.
To read more about this Summer Issue, please keep checking on CENFACS incoming posts this Summer 2022. To reserve a paper copy of this 76th Issue of FACS, please contact CENFACS with your mailing details.
Extra Messages
• Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus (SPBFBC): Only One Week to Go!
You can help…
1) Rebuild resilient critical infrastructures, facilities and livelihoods required for the functioning of COVID-19 stricken people and communities in Africa
2) Restore basic life-sustaining health, economic and environmental assets, systems and activities of COVID-19 affected people and communities as well as align them to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.
You can DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION for any amount as a way of supporting the SPBFBC.
To donate, gift aid and or support differently, please contact CENFACS.
For further information about project aim, objectives, beneficiaries and outcomes; please go to: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/
• Arts and Design Project
e-Workshop 2: Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card to Support World Desertification and Drought Day 2022 on 17 June
We are continuing with our e-workshops 1 and 2 about Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card Expressing ‘Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature’ or ‘Rising up from Drought Together’
The first e-workshop related to this project for this year has been to construct and post e-cards or e-objects expressing the theme of “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature”. The construction would echo the World Environmental Day’s celebratory theme held on 05/06/2022.
The second e-workshop is about constructing and posting the similar cards as expressions or ways of dealing with drought to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17/06/2022. The theme of 2022 Desertification and Drought Day is “Rising up from drought together”.
One can seize this occasion to construct and post a p-card (paper card) and/or e-card (electronic card) as expressions or ways to feature the theme of “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature” relating to World Environment Day, and/or the theme of “Rising up from drought together” linked to the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
One can follow the card design criteria we published last week for Arts and Design e-workshop 1, and design their p-card or e-card.
So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme and focus of Desertification and Drought Day 2022.
To support and or enquire about Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development, please contact CENFACS.
To find out more about Desertification and Drought Day 2022, please go to: https://www.unccd.int/events/ddd/2022-desertification-and-drought-day (2022 Desertification and Drought Day | UNCCD)
• Zero Income Deficit Campaign: Activities Mid-year Review
We are almost at the middle of our Zero Income Deficit Campaign (ZIDC) for this year. As a result, we are conducting a mid-year review about the activities so far carried out regarding this campaign.
• • What this mid-year review is about
It is a discussion of the quality of activities organised as part of the campaign. It is also an opportunity for us to know where participants to the campaign stand in terms of the application of advice, tips and hints given and received through these activities. It is finally an occasion to know if anyone needs help and support.
• • What are these activities we are talking about?
They are:
√ Setting up the aim of the campaign, which is the reduction of inter-generational poverty
√ Owning the campaign aim (owned by users)
√ Reduction of excess of liabilities over assets
√ Budgeting income and expenses
√ Tracking your household incomings and outgoings
and √ Dealing with household accounts as implements for family management.
For those who have some information to feed regarding these activities or those who would like us go over any of these activities with them, they can let us know. Please feel free to get in touch with CENFACS if you want to know more about this mid-year review.
Message in French (Message en français)
Campagne sur le déficit de revenu zéro : L’évaluation de milieu d’année des activités
Nous sommes presqu’au milieu de notre campagne de déficit de revenu zéro pour cette année. En conséquence, nous procédons à un examen des activités menées jusqu’à présent dans le cadre de cette campagne.
De quoi parle cette évaluation?
Il s’agit d’une discussion sur la qualité des activités organisées dans le cadre de la campagne. C’est aussi l’occasion pour nous de savoir où se situent les participants à la campagne en termes de conseils, d’astuces et de tuyaux donnés à travers ces activités. C’est enfin savoir s’ils ont besoin d’aide et de soutien.
De quelles activités parle-t-on?
Ce sont les suivantes:
√ Mettre en place l’objectif de la campagne, qui est la réduction de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle
√ Appropriation de l’objectif de la campagne par les utilisateurs
√ Réduction de l’excédent de passif sur l’actif
√ Budgétisation des revenus et des dépenses
√ Suivi et contrôle des entrées et des sorties de vos comptes des ménages
√ Gestion de comptes des ménages en tant qu’outils de gestion familiale.
Pour ceux/celles qui ont des informations à nourrir concernant ces activités ou ceux/celles qui voudraient que nous passions en revue l’une de ces activités avec eux/elles, ils/elles peuvent nous le faire savoir. N’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS si vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur ce sujet.
Main Development
• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus from Wednesday 15/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Tackle Food Price Increases
To enable our users and supporters to understand how we are going to approach this week’s work focus on Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Tackle Food Price Increases, we have grouped our notes under the following headlines:
Key Concepts
Post-pandemic creations to tackle food prices increases
Post-pandemic innovations to tackle food price increases
How CENFACS can create and innovate with the community to tackle food price increases
Let us look at what is inside these headings.
• • Key Concepts
There are two concepts we would like to highlight before creating and innovating to tackle food price increases, conecpts which are: Food Price Index and Inflation-adjusted Food Price Index.
Our understanding of these two concepts come from their definitions as given by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
(a) Food Price Index
According to the FAO (5),
“Food price index consists of the average of 5 (meat, dairy, cereals, vegetable oils and sugar) commodity group price indices, weighted with the average export shares of each of the groups for 2014-2016: in total 95 price quotations considered by FAO commodity specialists as representing the international prices of the food commodities are included in the overall index. Each sub-index as weighted average of the price relative of the commodities included in the group with the base period price consisting of the averages for the years 2014-2016”.
The same FAO (op. cit. ) argues that
“The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) average 157.4 points in May 2022, down 0.9 points (0.6 percent) from April, making the second consecutive monthly decline, though still 29.2 points (22.8 percent) above its value in the corresponding month last year. The drop in May was led by declines in the vegetable oil and dairy price indices, while the sugar price index also fell to a lesser extent. Meanwhile, cereal and meat price indices increased” (p. 158)
Briefly speaking, the FFPI is defined as
“A measure of the monthly change in international prices of basket of food commodities. It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices weighted by the average export shares of each of the groups over [a period, for example] 2014-2016”.
However, the FFPI is limited in its scope as it is not adjusted by inflation.
(b) Inflation-adjusted Food Price Index
The World Economic Forum (6) states that
“The Food Price Index is designed to capture the combined outcome of changes in a range of food commodities, including vegetable, oils, cereals, meat and sugar; and compare them month to month”.
According to the World Economic Forum (op. cit.),
“The index needs to be adjusted for inflation. When prices are adjusted for inflation, they are real”.
So, in the context of these notes, we will be interested in real prices which show the real impact or effects of rising food prices on income. To undertake creations and innovations, there could be a need to take into account these real prices.
• • Post-pandemic creations to tackle food prices increases
Post-pandemic creations are the makings, inventions and productions following the period after the coronavirus period; creations that help to tackle food prices increases.
Examples of such creations are many and could include the creation of new food products, new packaging, food convenience, new food delivery systems and so on. They could also be the making of safer and more nutritious products.
• • Post-pandemic innovations to tackle food price increases
Post-pandemic innovations are the changes, alterations and reforms introduced after the coronavirus period of disaster; innovations that assist in countering rising energy prices.
Examples of these types of innovations are made up of the following: Connecting people (CENFACS users) to affordable and cheap food markets and suppliers, explaining those in need existing food programmes and income transfer programmes for healthy food consumption and people’s entitlement to these programmes.
As we argued in our previous posts, the creations and innovations in which we are interested in the context of CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month would be those that help our members to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.
• • How CENFACS can create and innovate with the community to tackle food price increases
CENFACS does not replace those who have the power to cut food prices and or provide financial support to its members of community who could become food poor or needy because of hikes in food prices. Besides this invaluable support given by other players, CENFACS can create and innovate together with its users and Africa-based Sister Organisations to also weaken the impact of food inflation or ‘agflation’.
In particular, CENFACS can work with them on the following matters:
√ Create a food budget adjusted for inflation
√ Create a new users’ consumption basket
√ Compare and contrast food real prices and stores as part of innovation process
√ Create new ways of reducting food waste at home and away
√ Review food spending and other expenses within household budgets to innovate in terms of share of food in total household expenditure
√ Innovate ways of shopping by embracing farmers’ markets and nature-based solutions to food poverty
√ Remake charitable food support (e.g. food banks, food vouchers, etc.) for the food poor
√ Innovate the way in which food information and news reach our users by keeping them aware of environmentally damaging food products
√ Creating with them new advice, tips and hints about ways of cutting food bills and costs without adversely affecting their healthy diets
√ Create and innovate ways of stopping food price increases that can lead to food poverty or intergenerational poverty within our community
Etc.
All these ways of creating and innovating with the community will help to protect them against food inflation. The more and better we create and innovate with the community, the more and better we can tackle and be resilient to food price increases.
It is all about working with users to improve the way in which they manage their income and life in order to overcome future upheavals of the financial and real economic markets, which have recently been overwhelmed with stories of rising food and energy prices.
The above is our notes about Post-pandemic innovations to tackle food price increases. For any further details about these notes and Creative Economic Development Month, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
_________
• References
(1) https://www.unhcr.ca/news/unhcr-deeply-concerned-by-renewed-violence-displacing-thousands-in-north-kivu-dr-congo/ (accessed in June 2022)
(2) WFP and FAO (2022), Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, June to September 2022, Outlook, Rome
(3) FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO (2021), The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021: Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all, Rome at https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4474en (accessed in June 2022)
(4) FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO (idem)
(5) FAO (2022), Food Outlook – Biannual Report on Global Food Markets, Rome at https://doi.org/10-4060/cb9427en (accessed in June 2022)
(6) https://weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/global-food-prices-global-global-food-price-index (accessed in June 2022)
___________
• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year
We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.
One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.
Donate to support CENFACS!
FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.
JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)
Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.
Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.
We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2022 and beyond.
With many thanks.
