Food Security: Let them Eat Information

Abstract

Summary Improved capacity to predict drought‐induced famines has not led to a concomitant improvement in famine prevention. In a comparative study of five African countries, this article argues that the failure to translate more information into timely and appropriate response is explained by a myriad of institutional and ‐ crucially ‐ political obstacles. It is often negotiation over conflicting interests between donors and governments of recipient countries which determines the timing and level of famine response; the role of information becomes peripheral to much of the decision‐making process. Policy implications of the study include better preplanning of response and decentralization of response capacity, as well as joint ventures between donors and governments to provide ‐ and hence own ‐ early warning information. Resumé La sécurité alimentaire: qu'ils mangent de l'information L'amélioration dans les capacités de prévision des famines résultant des sécheresses n'aurait pas pour autant mené à une amélioration correspondante dans la prévention des famines. Par le biais d'une étude comparative de cinq pays africains, le présent article propose que le manquement à traduire un plus grand nombre d'informations en une réponse utile et appropriée serait expliqué par un très grand nombre d'obstacles institutionnels et, crucialement, politiques. C'est souvent la negotiation à l'égard des conflits d'intérêts entre les donateurs et les gouvernements dans les pays donataires qui détermine l'incidence et l'importance de la réponse à la famine: le rôle de l'information devient plus ou moins marginal dans une grande partie du processus de prise des décisions. Les implications de l'étude en termes de la politique comprennent une meilleure avant‐planification de la réponse, ainsi que la décentralisation des moyens de réponse, en même temps que des projets liant paritairement les donateurs et les gouvernements de sorte que l'on puisse fournir, et donc posséder ‐ des informations plus précoces. Resumen Seguridad alimentaria: que coman información La mejorada capacidad para predecir situaciónes de hambre ocasionadas por la sequía no ha llevado a un mejoramiento concordante en la prevención del hambre. En un estudio comparativo de cinco países africanos, el artículo argumenta que el fracaso en el intento de transformar más información en respuestas apropiadas y oportunas se explica por una miríada de obstáculos institucionales y ‐ crucialmente ‐ políticos. A menudo, la negociación de intereses conflictivos entre los donantes y los gobiernos de los países beneficiarios determina el momento propicio y el nivel de la respuesta a la situación de hambre; el papel de la información se torna periférico con respecto a la mayor parte del proceso de toma de decisiónes. Las implicaciónes normativas del estudio incluyen el pre‐planeamiento de las respuestas y la descentralización de la capacidad de respuesta, así como proyectos conjuntos entre donantes y gobiernos para proveer ‐ y por tanto poseer ‐ información de alerta previa.

Empirical forecasting of slow-onset disasters for improved emergency response: An application to Kenya’s arid north

“…Furthermore, ALRMP belongs to a government task force, along with USAID, FEWSNET, WFP, FAO and other key providers of emergency relief that meet regularly to discuss needs and response. The joint-decision making of government and international agencies, the decentralized nature of operations, and the expressed demand for improved early warning systems have all been high- lighted as determinants that improve the potential impact of advanced information systems (Buchanan-Smith et al, 1994). An assessment of early warning systems in Sub-Saharan Africa indicates that in Kenya, the commitment of both government and development partners to coordinated assessment and targeting during times of food insecurity is clear and has resulted in greater consistency and more timely action in determining and implementing innovations (Tefft et al, 2006).…”

Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries: Beyond Rhetoric

“…Generic information about what individuals and at-risk communities should do is useless if those communities cannot put such actions into practice. Buchanan-Smith et al (1994) in their provocatively titled article, "let them eat information" provide an excellent discussion of the great gulf that exists between information and people's ability to put that information to beneficial use. Therefore, adaptation planning and policies need to be smart in identifying the kinds of interventions that are needed or likely to be most effective in specific context.…”

Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts in the Greater Horn of Africa

“…Moreover, the absence of social security nets, such as savings and risk insurance, in many African rural communities, limit farmers' readiness to try new practices in responses to climate-related risks (Lallau 2008). Buchanan-Smith et al (1994) emphasized that the prevention of famine in SSA has not improved since the disasters of the 1980s, despite better predictive capacity in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. Regardless of accuracy, information cannot be eaten by famine-inflicted communities.…”

“…Even precise and accurate forecasts by themselves are not sufficient to reduce hazardous impacts on society (Buchanan-Smith et al 1994;Bailey 2013). This research demonstrates a lack of concrete use of the climate information, when released in its aggregated form after each COF.…”