Impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture

HIV and AIDS were considered to be health issues and programmes to combat the epidemic were managed by health science and health-related organisations. 
However, the impact of HIV/AIDS on development programmes experienced in countries where the prevalence rate is high has forced the health and other development agencies to approach the problem from different angles. The epidemic is now considered to be an important cross-sectoral development issue, which has far-reaching implications for policy and programmes at all levels.
In the agricultural sector, it is already having noticeable impact on households’ ability to produce their own food and escalating labour shortages in some African countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence.
Food insecurity, labour shortage, loss of household income, shift in farming practices and loss of knowledge on traditional method of farming are some of the effects that HIV/AIDS could have on agriculture.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), more than seven million agricultural workers
have died of AIDS since it was
first detected in 1982.
Studies conducted by FAO in African countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence have found that farming families affected by the epidemic are substituting cash crops for crops which require less labour.
FAO observed that Gwanda and Nakyerira regions of Uganda have abandoned coffee in favour of cultivated cassava and banana, which require less attention and care. Affected families have also stopped cultivating rice in favour of maize and cassava.
FAO also observed that affected families in Zimbabwe have replaced cotton and groundnut (peanut) with maize.
While the impact of HIV/AIDS is not yet seriously felt in PNG, it is clear that the epidemic would certainly have an effect on our agriculture system if the epidemic is allowed to spread at its current trend (see above figure). This poses a serious challenge on our agriculture system.
Up to 85% of the people depend on agriculture. Therefore, the agriculture sector cannot continue with business as usual but must join hands with other partners in addressing the epidemic.
Key stakeholders in the agriculture sector need to understand and prepare for the likely impact of HIV/AIDS on our food and agricultural systems. We need to develop strategies to address the likely impact that HIV/AIDS could have on our agricultural system, particularly in relation to food, nutrition and labour requirements.
It is important to explore which agricultural systems are being, or will be, affected in what ways and what aspects of each agricultural system are most vulnerable. This will help us formulate strategies for the way forward in agricultural development. It is essential for agricultural research and development organisations to develop strategies to address issues concerning what is happening, what is likely to happen, what can be done, what are the likely responses and gender issues.
It is highly likely that policies and strategies currently in place, which are aimed at promoting or improving agriculture in PNG, may have left out HIV/AIDS and its implications.
NARI is aware of these issues and has initiated necessary steps to address the problem effectively by mainstreaming HIV/AIDS.
Not only is the institute concerned with minimising risks and disruption and distress at its workplaces but also with orienting its research and development activities to minimise and/or alleviate the effects of the epidemic on farming systems and agricultural communities.
To strengthen its commitment, the institute developed and launched its HIV/AIDS workplace policy in 2007. The policy emphasised NARI’s concern on the rapid spread of the epidemic, especially in the rural areas where NARI’s work is focussed.
This workplace policy is intended to provide guidelines for the institute with respect to its mandate and stakeholders, and the mainstreaming of strategies to deal with the implications of the epidemic in its core research and development activities.
While NARI and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector have initiated steps at organisation level to address the epidemic, the way forward is to approach the problem collectively. The impact is likely to affect the entire agricultural sector, from food crops to plantations and livestock.
The future impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture will depend, among other things, on finding ways to reduce the labour requirement by introducing less labour intensive methods of production and farm mechanisation with simple agricultural tools. It is anticipated that the epidemic would intensify labour shortages, increase food insecurity, loss of household income, shift in farming systems and loss of knowledge about traditional farming methods.
The HIV/AIDS and gender component of the Agricultural Research and Development Support Facility funded by AusAID is one of the avenues that could be used to bring together all stakeholders to address the epidemic collectively. This also presents an opportunity to review and revise research and development programmes and design interventions to address and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS.
It is about time to start thinking and acting seriously about integrating HIV/AIDS in agricultural research and development programmes.
The task looks more complex than we think and it is important for the agriculture sector to act now or it would be too late.