The Sunday Mail
The interconnectedness of the world, which allowed the seamless movement of goods from one part of the world to the other, was once its strength, but now its weakness.
In the past two years, we have learnt that disruptions in one part of the world can cause vulnerabilities and insecurities elsewhere.
Coronavirus is a case in point.
Had it not been for the global health crisis, Zimbabwe could by now be getting a staggering 600MW from two units at Hwange Power Station — Unit 7 and Unit 8 — but delays in moving equipment and key personnel for the project from China resulted in costly delays.
All things being equal, we could have achieved energy security by now.
However, the highly transformative project, whose ground-breaking ceremony was held on June 27, 2018 and projected to have been completed within 35 to 42 months, is now expected to be commissioned in November.
There have been similar coronavirus-induced delays on projects such as Lake Gwayi-Shangani and the new Parliament in Mount Hampden.
But it is the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that is likely to be keenly felt in every part of the world.
From America to Europe, Asia and Africa, food and energy prices are rising, threatening to condemn millions of people into dire poverty.
For perspective, Moscow and Kyiv contribute 25 percent of the world’s wheat, while the former is a major supplier of energy and fertiliser, among other critical commodities.
The crisis is likely to take on a life of its own. Not surprisingly, as observed by African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, the continent has inadvertently become “the collateral victim” of the conflict in Eastern Europe.
“Africa has become the collateral victim of a distant conflict, that between Russia and Ukraine,” he said in a statement commemorating Africa Day.
“By profoundly upsetting the fragile global geopolitical and geostrategic balance, it has also cast a harsh light on the structural fragility of our economies.
“The most emblematic sign of these fragilities is the food crisis following the climatic disorders, the health crisis of Covid-19, amplified today by the conflict in Ukraine. This crisis is characterised by a shrinking world supply of agricultural products and a soaring inflation of food prices,” he added.
As the conflict persists and countries become increasingly fretful about potential food shortages and high prices on the world market, a new phenomenon of “food protectionism” is slowly becoming the norm, threatening to make an already bad situation worse.
We saw it when Indonesia temporarily banned palm oil exports recently.
And we also saw it when India, which was widely expected to help ease the global wheat supply crunch as the world’s second-biggest producer, announced the ban on wheat and sugar exports on Wednesday.
The consequences of food insecurity could be dire.
As has always been the trend, it often leads to social unrest and political instability.
Thankfully, Zimbabwe has enough wheat to see it through to the next harvest after producing a record 330 000 tonnes last year. Local demand currently stands at 360 000, but the shortfall is covered by carry-over stocks from the previous season.
Plans to put 75 000 hectares, with a capacity to produce 380 000 tonnes of the cereal, during the current winter season are commendable.
Government, therefore, has to stay the course and assiduously work to achieve the ambitious targets it has set for itself.
Brick by brick and stone upon stone, we will get there.
To ensure durable food security that will insulate us from global shocks, we need to switch from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation and localise our value chains.
President Mnangagwa’s vision is clear: To put 350 000 hectares under irrigation by 2025 and increase both production and productivity through mechanisation and sound agronomic practices.
The recent record grain and wheat harvests are the result of this vision.
So, we have to double down and make sure we achieve food security at all costs.
