Fertilizers: as the cause of famine in Ethiopia

By G. Hailu (December 18, 2002)

Much is known and much have been said about the role of human being as the cause of famine in the world in general, and in Ethiopia in particular. Big issues like deforestation, population growth, etc come to the front in many top discussions. However, there are seemingly small issues that are not equally addressed although their effects could be much worst and have direct effect to the famine than that of deforestation and population growth etc. An example is the role of lower level administrators and professionals at provinces in the farming field. To be specific, the role of the people directly involved with the activities of farmers and people who are supposed to solve the problem of famine instead who contribute to worsen it. In this writing, I will explain how and why such group of people are contributing to the famine in Ethiopia. I refer to a witness of an agriculture expert to elaborate this.

To start with, the work relationship between these administrators (commonly politicians) and advisors (professionals) in Ethiopia is not harmonious. This relationship is based on power and much less based on good will and common goal. In most situations, it is the administrators who take the upper hand and oblige the professionals to make decisions. Decisions that are made without taking into consideration what really is correct and necessary to do, but one that satisfy higher officials. Mistakes made by such lower officials in the provinces (regions) have severe consequences to the large population of our country, the farmers. Please bear in mind, although I say lower level officials, in large countries like Ethiopia, I am talking about officials responsible for large area coverage and millions op people. I would not be exaggerating, if I say, the responsibility of such administrators may be equated with the responsibilities of many leaders in other countries.

Many examples can be mentioned to elaborate this point. But let me take one case, that of agriculture and the use of fertilizers in Ethiopia, as expressed by a concerned expert in that field. According to one Ethiopian agriculture expert, (needless to mention his name) fertilizers are contributing to the famine of Ethiopia at this moment, and probably was contributing for long time. He believes the existence of all Ethiopians could eventually be endangered in the near future, because of this. He blames the local administrators and professionals in the regions for the bad use of the fertilizers.

At first, I thought this is absurd and I wanted to ignore it. But later, I was convinced and found it to be an alarming story to all Ethiopians. Above all it is the professional himself who is telling the story. Why would I ignore it? Thus, I decided to share his thinking with you.

Let me tell a little bit about this expert, in order to let you have the right impression of him. This Ethiopian, whom i know very well, is highly educated in European universities and has decades of work experience in his field, in many countries. All these years he has worked for the United Nations. He has been to many countries in the world (Far East, Africa and Latin America etc) for his work. Like that he has acquired knowledge and good experience about draught and famine stricken countries. With such curriculum vitae, and with the interest he has to contribute to his country of origin, we can safely categorize him as the right professional/advisor to countries like Ethiopia. A couple of years ago, he managed to get some budget from UN and started a research project in his field in Ethiopia. He was very happy with this achievement. However, soon after starting his project he was confronted with a practical problem. He realized, the way fertilizers are used in the region was a disaster. He made an effort to convince the responsible regional administrators and professionals and advised them to abort the method. However, his effort did work negative to him and had to abort his project. He finally had to leave the country achieving nothing.

Below are his comments that cause him abort his project. He had some emotion when he told me his story, but he had tried to tell me exactly like the farmers did tell him, with simple language and with no professional jargons.
I quote:
The use of fertilizers is to enrich the soil with the necessary minerals to produce more grains. Soil, like human being, needs balanced diet (minerals) to produce quantitative and qualitative offspring's (cereals). It needs not be overdosed with one mineral and deprived of another. It also has to be taken care of periodically (every season). Good soil contains variety of minerals, proportionately supplied according to the need of the type of cereals one wants to produce. Adding urea enriched fertilizer to the soil only results on the growth of the leaves not the amount or quality of cereals. On the other hand adding potassium enriched fertilizer results on salty soil where nothing or little will grow after one season of consumption. Such incorrect use of fertilizer can cause the sterilization of the soil. If this continues, nothing will grow in it in the future.

In Ethiopia One can purchase or import fertilizers without considering the type of soil where it is going to be applied and without consulting the farmers who use it. The knowledge and experience of the farmers is ignored. Most annoying case is that the farmers who refuse to use the fertilizer are punished or are discouraged to use their farm or even deprived of their farms. Indigenous farmers are forced to use one type of fertilizer again and again in the same farm. Because of this, soils are permanently being enriched with unnecessary minerals, mainly salt. One cannot produce any cereals on salty soils. Even if the rain comes no grain will be able to grow. Type of fertilizer bought for a certain area in southern Ethiopia are used in places more than 1000 km away in northern or eastern Ethiopia. Farmers are not trained nor informed about the existence or use of different type of fertilizers for different type of soils and different cereals. One type of fertilizer is good only for one season, otherwise it should not be used the next season again.

I am telling you the complaints of the indigenous farmers themselves as is. The very right people who should be consulted in relation to the famine. The peasants know such fertilizer usage will definitely result in less production and eventually famine.
They say, the soil is becoming poorer than it naturally was and is non-reparably being wasted.
They say, we are producing less even when there is enough rain.
They say, we the fertilizers are not increasing production.
They say, fertilizers are contributing to the famine at this moment.
They say, in few years time the result will be much worst.
They say, stop the permanent sterilization of the soil.
They say, we will not be able to survive if we do not produce enough cereal.

At first, I blamed the professionals and said they lack the right know-how. But, it didn't take me long to know what was happening. I talked to a number of them. To my surprise, I found many of them to be much more frustrated about the practice than myself. The cause of the problem became clear to me when one of them said. "Man, we are in a democratic country, our advises are approved by the administration in a democratic way. You may be a real researcher and man of science, but your experience is not based in here. You are thinking European way. If it is impossible for you to work with us in such circumstances, leave us alone. We have enough problems."
What this man has said has nothing to do with the point I wanted to discuss with him. He could not say anything of the facts, I am sure he knows very well. He was not telling me what he has in his mind, but saying a cliché that everybody in the administration uses. A cliché that keeps the professionals shut their mouth and let them see worst things happen, in this case the soil being wasted forever.
End of quotation

The point this expert has made is simple and can be understood by anybody. He told me exactly what he has objectively observed. He had listened to the right people, the farmers. He has convinced me the peasants are complaining correctly. I agree with him, unless such human errors are corrected on time, the disaster caused by bad use of fertilizers will be incomprehensible.

Let me add what frustrates me most in relation to such mistakes we Ethiopians have made. We Ethiopians have failed in many things so far.

• We have failed to cop up with the natural as well as social development changes taking place in the world.
• We have failed to conquer ignorance. We have let it dominate the country.
• We have failed to respect our educated population. Instead we admire others.
• We have failed to communicate with our professionals correctly. Instead we make pressure on them to do against their wish.
• We have failed to keep the educated people at home. Many have abandoned the country. Many are ready to follow them.
• We have failed to get united at heart and have lost trust of one another. Read your heart to justify it.
• We have failed to live in peace and harmony and failed to avoid war.
• We have failed to respect our indigenous farming skills, instead we undermine them.
• We have failed to stop the famine, and have become dependent on others for our survival.
• We have failed to conquer draught, while the country is rich in water resources.
• We have failed to stop AIDS (don't forget there are a lot more fatal diseases as well).
• We have failed to understand and accept one another as we are, instead we let antagonism flourish.
• We have failed to understand our failures, instead we keep telling about our old good history.
• Not only did we fail, we are not even trying to come nearer to the solution either.
• At present, we have 15 million people endangered by famine, may be another 10 million AIDS patients. These total to nearly 50% of our population. In the coming 10 years this may go up to 75%.
  For me, these are the problems, and there are a lot more, that we have got to deal with if we want to win famine. If we let these failures continue, then, I am afraid, we are in a real danger of being extinct from that country in the near future.

  However, it is not my frustration that I want to convey primarily. By writing this article, I am hoping to reach and encourage others to tell us their practical concerns. Concerns like the incorrect use of fertilizers, a typical and practical human error as the result bad work relationship between professionals and the administrators in regions of Ethiopia. I am sure there are many experts who have similar experience in other fields than agriculture. Well, in this information age, I believe, sometime, some somebody, somewhere will read your experience and learn from it, if you publish it. Not only that, but it may be possible for somebody to start where you stopped and solve the problem you encountered.

  If you have problem in publishing your writing or have any question, then email it to me at ethionl@xs4all.nl address. I will at least put it in my website http://ethionl.xs4all.nl so that my clients will read it.

  I thank the owner of this site for publishing this.

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