Fufu pur
Fufu is a staple in the diet of West Africa, made from cassava, sometimes combined with other tubers like yam. While it is traditionally eaten in various contexts, during times of food crises, it becomes a primary source of calories for communities impacted by land degradation and the loss of agricultural diversity.
INGREDIENTS
- Cassava (sometimes combined with yam)
- Water
PREPARATION
- Peel the cassava roots and boil them in water until they are soft.
- Pound the cassava in a mortar or use special tools until it becomes a smooth, elastic dough.
- Fufu is often served as a side dish with stews or sauces, but during crises, it is frequently eaten on its own or with simple accompaniments.
Crisis Context: Fufu has become a mainstay in regions where land has been depleted due to intensive industrial farming, palm oil plantations, or the exploitation of natural resources. Although fufu is traditionally part of a rich cuisine, during crises, meals are often reduced to just the cassava dough, which lacks essential nutrients.
In countries like Nigeria, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia, international corporations have long been operating in ways that brutally reshape the lives of local communities, driving them toward hunger and malnutrition. Instead of delivering the promised wealth and development, the exploitation of natural resources has become a source of tragedy – deepening food crises and destroying the environment on which these people depend for their survival.
In Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta, oil corporations have been operating for decades. Oil extraction, which was supposed to bring prosperity, has caused an unprecedented level of pollution. Oil spills, toxic waste, and gas flaring have decimated rivers and soils where farmers once grew crops and fishermen caught fish. Today, these lands are poisoned, and those who once fed their families are now starving, with no access to food.
The land is dead, and the waters are full of toxins. Communities that once thrived on self-sufficiency are now reliant on expensive, imported food. People who worked the land are now fighting to survive, eating whatever they can find – from scraps to contaminated food that they would have previously rejected. The toxins in the water and soil not only ruin crops but also cause serious health problems, threatening entire generations.
In Ghana and Liberia, agricultural corporations focus on mass-producing palm oil and cocoa – products that have long fueled the global market. But for local farmers, these plantations are a death sentence. The land that once supported diverse crops has been transformed into monoculture wastelands. Giant plantations, managed by large corporations like Firestone in Liberia, have driven small farmers off their land. Land that once provided food for the community now serves only to produce raw materials for export.
Palm oil fruits, which the world uses on a massive scale, do not fill the plates of local residents. Instead, farmers are forced to leave their land, working for meager wages on the very plantations that exploited them. Local food production has plummeted, leading to rising food prices. People who once had easy access to fresh produce now must rely on imported food, which many of the poorest cannot afford. While global markets reap the benefits of this exploitation, the people who live on this land suffer from hunger.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the wealthiest countries in terms of natural resources, the story is equally tragic. The extraction of gold, cobalt, and copper, controlled by foreign corporations, is displacing local communities from their land. Regions that have been cultivated for centuries are now transformed into mines. Instead of fertile soil that provided food for thousands, what remains is barren and destroyed land.
Mines pollute the water, cause soil erosion, and destroy entire ecosystems. Work in the mines does not compensate for these losses. The local population, forced to abandon farming, loses its primary means of subsistence. Food that was once available locally must now be imported – its prices rise, and poverty becomes an everyday reality. Shortages of food and a lack of access to clean water lead to widespread disease, and people living in one of the most resource-rich countries in the world suffer from malnutrition and hunger.
The exploitation of natural resources by international corporations not only devastates the environment but also deepens social inequalities. Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are rich in resources that fuel the global economy. However, instead of benefiting local communities, the profits from these resources go into the hands of major corporations, leaving the locals in poverty.
Environmental degradation, land grabbing, and the destruction of traditional food sources lead to food crises. Communities that were once self-sufficient now struggle to survive, dependent on expensive, imported products they often cannot afford. Hunger and malnutrition have become permanent fixtures in regions that should be teeming with life and prosperity.
It is ironic that countries so rich in natural resources are becoming epicenters of hunger. The actions of corporations not only destroy the land but also the future of millions of people.
