Africa Daily – “Can Sudan feed itself in the future?”

Podcast: Africa Daily by BBC World Service
Host: Alan Kasuja
Guest: Professor Nizreen El Amin, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African Studies, University of Toronto
Date: February 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this compelling episode, Alan Kasuja explores whether Sudan can overcome its current devastating food crisis and eventually feed itself. The conversation zeroes in on Al Jazeera State—once Sudan's agricultural breadbasket and home to the historic Gezira Scheme. Professor Nizreen El Amin, whose family hails from the region, steps in to shed light on the intricate history of land management, the impact of protracted war, and what could be done to reclaim Sudan’s agricultural potential.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Gezira Scheme: Sudan's Agricultural Heartland

• Background: Established by the British in 1925, nestled between the White and Blue Niles, and originally irrigated by the Sennaar Dam.
• Scale & Structure:
  • 2 million acres, gravity-irrigated via a massive network of canals (03:05).
  • Historically, land tenanted by farmers leasing from the state; extended family and labor from Fulani communities (03:49).
• Economic Role:
  • In the 1970s, the scheme produced about half of Sudan’s agricultural output and contributed 30% of its GDP (04:16).
  • Once seen as a potential breadbasket for the Middle East due to Gulf investment interests in the 70s-80s (05:16).

2. Land Ownership and Foreign Investment

• Unique Land Tenure:
  • Land within the scheme is privately owned, making dispossession by the state or investors difficult (05:51).
  • Contrast with communally owned, rain-fed land outside the scheme, more vulnerable to state appropriation under colonial-era laws (06:15).
• Foreign Land Grabs:
  • While Gulf investors struggled to acquire Gezira land, the government has handed over land outside the scheme—often leading to the cultivation of animal feed for export rather than food for Sudan (07:19).
  • Example: Emirati-controlled farm producing alfalfa and Rhodes grass for the Gulf’s dairy industry (07:19).
• Quote:
  • “They were unable to kind of get a hold of that land ... they're still vying for that land because, again, of its strategic location.” — Professor El Amin (16:42)

3. Crops and Their Changing Nature

• Traditional Crops:
  • Cotton, wheat, sorghum, groundnuts—often rotated (07:45).
  • Focus on cash crops led to ecological challenges; cotton and wheat are not well-suited to the land (08:12).
• Shift in Policy:
  • Post-2005 reforms further privatized the scheme, letting farmers choose crops but pushing even more towards cash crops and animal feed for export (08:10).
• Recent Trends:
  • Gulf demand has turned fertile Sudanese land towards export-oriented animal feed instead of domestic food security (08:34).

4. Historical Mismanagement and Its Consequences

• Privatization Effects:
  • Starting in the 1990s under the Bashir regime, the government withdrew agricultural support, leaving farmers with little institutional backing (09:41).
  • Technical staff collapsed from 10,000 to about 100 by the early 2000s, with maintenance of vital canals neglected (10:08).
  • Shift to private loans increased farmer debts and forced many out of agriculture (09:41–12:33).
• World Bank Involvement:
  • Structural adjustment policies pushed privatization, with dire long-term effects on food production (11:49).

5. War’s Immediate Impact: Displacement and Infrastructure Destruction

• RSF Occupation:
  • The Rapid Support Forces’ control led to mass displacement (~70% of farmers fled in the east), massacre, destruction of irrigation infrastructure, and looting of livestock (13:00–13:36).
  • Quote: “They looted 60% of the 11 million livestock in the Jazeera.” — Professor El Amin (13:36).
  • Grain storage facilities destroyed and agricultural operations halted.
• Return Under Military Control:
  • As the army regains control, some farmers return to ruined homes and infrastructure, restarting with small-scale, subsistence vegetable planting (14:23–14:46).
  • Communities rally to clear canals and plant in protected compounds for safety (14:46).

6. Strategic and Geopolitical Significance

• Why Control Jazeera?
  • The region's fertility and proximity to Khartoum make it a strategic prize for all armed groups and foreign interests (15:30–17:03).
  • Land is a “gold mine,” potentially as valuable a resource as Sudan’s gold in financing the ongoing war.
• Foreign Stakeholders:
  • Especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to seek influence over Sudanese farmland, but the unique private land ownership complicates dispossession (16:18).

7. Rebuilding and Future Hope

• Community Resilience:
  • Despite devastation, local farmers and communities are launching their own replanting efforts and grassroots campaigns.
  • “What we are witnessing in Sudan right now should give us hope that the civilian population is very capable of running the country ... With the right kind of support, we can rebuild Sudan and this famine and hunger crisis can be addressed.” — Professor El Amin (17:03).
• Call for Investment in Local Leadership:
  • Meaningful recovery is only possible by investing in “people- and farmer-centered solutions” focused on staples like sorghum, not export-oriented crops or animal feed (14:46–17:03).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gezira's Potential:
  "We're looking at ... 2 million acres of arable land that could easily feed the entire country, if not the region." — Professor Nizreen El Amin (04:56)

• On Privatization's Harm:
  “...by the early 2000s, there are about maybe 100 left [technical staff] ... and so that had a huge impact. ... the average Dazida farmer ... really suffered under these privatization policies.” — Alan Kasuja (09:41–10:34)

• On War’s Devastation:
  “They looted 60% of the 11 million livestock in the Jazeera ... sexual violence was used as a weapon of war.” — Professor El Amin (13:36)

• On the Way Forward:
  “There is an opportunity to really invest in a kind of people farmer centered solution to the current hunger crisis and to utilize the potential of the Jazira to feed not only the families that are returning, but also displaced people beyond the region.” — Alan Kasuja (14:46)

Key Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction & Setting the Stage: 00:07–02:20
• Gezira Scheme History & Structure: 02:20–05:28
• Land Ownership Complexities: 05:28–07:19
• Changing Crops & Export Focus: 07:19–09:00
• Historical Policy Failures: 09:28–12:33
• Impact of War & Displacement: 12:33–14:45
• Farmer-Led Recovery & Grassroots Response: 14:45–15:30
• Jazeera's Strategic Importance: 15:30–17:03
• Closing Reflections on Community Resilience: 17:03–18:38

Tone and Language

Throughout the episode, the tone is informative but urgent, blending academic rigor with personal testimony from Professor El Amin. Alan Kasuja’s questions are empathetic and probing, drawing out both historical understanding and present-day realities. The overall feel is one of cautious hope amid profound challenge—highlighting resourcefulness and resilience as key to Sudan’s possible recovery.

This summary captures the essential discussions and analyzes the episode for anyone interested in Sudanese food security, agricultural policy, and the lasting impacts of war and mismanagement.