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CAR Conflict Challenges Food Production

The past several years of sectarian violence following a 2013 coup have left the Central African Republic’s agricultural sector devastated. Agriculture once made up 54 percent of the GDP, but, since the onset of the crisis, food production has plummeted, and food prices in the market have skyrocketed -- compromising the sustainability of agriculture and foreshadowing a deeper food crisis.

"Here we tried to grow green beans. But the seeds were of poor quality," stated one farmer, "And it didn't grow. So we grow cassava instead."

For a collective of farmers located 30 kilometers from the capital, Bangui, time has come to grow what is commonly called "crisis food", such as cassava. It takes a long time to grow and is labor intensive, but it's hard to steal and is the last resort for these farmers in a bid to survive.

When the civil war broke out in the Central African Republic a couple of years ago, many farms were looted. So some farmers have begun working the land together.

But they lack everything from machines to quality seeds, explained coordinator Felicite Ignabode. “If we don't get seeds in time and we can't plant, there will be a real food crisis. Not only for the farmer, but also for the people who depend on their production. Besides, farmers have families. If they can't feed them anymore, there is a temptation for them to give up, take up a weapon and do bad things,” said Ignabode.

The local NGO Calebasse has hired technicians to help the farmers produce more efficiently.

"Sometimes, their technique is a bit amateurish. They would grow several products on the same little plot. So we teach them to separate them and also to vary the kind of products they grow, like marrow, yam, banana. There is a market for these," explained Boris Wabie.

One market in Bangui is almost deserted. The collapse of local agricultural production and a surge of imported food provoked a sharp increase in prices.

And agriculture is not the only sector affected by it. The price of meat has also increased, said Blandine, a customer. "Prices have increased a lot. For the same amount of money, I get less quantity," Blandine said.

Trader Emmanuel Bongo justified the rising prices because of the challenges he now has to face to get meat to the stalls.

Traditionally, Muslims dominated meat production and livestock transportation. With the war, many of them fled, leaving the traders to travel further and further to get livestock.

"Now we have to get the livestock far away from Bangui, so we often encounter anti-balakas [Christian and animist militias] on the road, and they tax us," Bongo said. "Armed Peul [ethnic group] also often rob us. And, once we finally get back here, we don't have fridges to store the meat, and it goes bad very quickly."

For the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, social cohesion is the key to rebuiding the food industry on which different population groups depend.

So, besides providing seeds and training to farmers, agronomist Pierre Vauthier says FAO also tries to bring the Peul population back into society. "The Central African livestock keepers, which are Peul, in majority, are at the moment hidden in the bush. So we want to help them to receive services, in particular for the cattle," he stated..

Prior to the war, 70 percent of Central Africans lived off of agriculture and livestock.

詞匯解析

midday

難度：2星擴(kuò)展詞匯，屬常用10000詞

英漢解釋

n.正午；中午

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

He's grilling out there in the midday sun.

他在正午的陽光下受炙烤。

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commander

難度：2星擴(kuò)展詞匯，屬常用10000詞

英漢解釋

n.司令官；指揮官

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

The commander ordered a counterattack.

司令官命令反攻。

The army was arrayed before the commander.

部隊(duì)在指揮官前列好陣勢(shì)。

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sufficient

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

adj.足夠的；充分的

參考例句

用作形容詞 (adj.)

The money I have saved is sufficient for buying a car.

我所存的錢足以買一輛汽車。

We must work hard, but equally we must get sufficient rest.

我們必須努力工作,但同時(shí)也要有充分的休息。

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absolutely

難度：3星常用詞匯，屬常用6000詞

英漢解釋

adv.完全地；絕對(duì)地；[語]獨(dú)立地

int.（表示贊同）完全正確，一點(diǎn)沒錯(cuò)

參考例句

用作副詞 (adv.)

I trust his discretion absolutely.

我完全相信他的判斷。

Most researchers believe that, in theory, mobile phones are absolutely safe.

多數(shù)研究者認(rèn)為,從理論上講,移動(dòng)電話是絕對(duì)安全的。

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vehicle

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

n.車輛；交通工具；傳播媒介；手段；工具

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

It is time for the yearly check of vehicle safety.

到車輛安全年審的時(shí)間了。

It subsequently evolved into an even more complex investment vehicle.

并隨后發(fā)展成為一種更為復(fù)雜的投資手段。

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confidence

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

n.信任；把握；信心；知心話

adj.騙得信任的

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

The worst barrier to your success is not lack of money, but lack of confidence.

你成功最大的障礙不是缺錢,而是缺乏信心。

The two girls told each other confidences about their boyfriends.

這兩個(gè)姑娘相互談了關(guān)于各自男友的悄悄話。

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unwilling

難度：2星擴(kuò)展詞匯，屬常用10000詞

英漢解釋

adj.不愿意的

參考例句

用作形容詞 (adj.)

I am unwilling to set a precedent.

我不想開先例。

If you are unwilling, don't hesitate to say no.

如果你不愿意,請(qǐng)直說吧。

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