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ROB MCCLENDON: WELL IT'S BEEN SAID THAT WITHOUT FOOD, PEOPLE HAVE ONLY
THREE OPTIONS, THEY CAN RIOT, THEY CAN EMIGRATE, OR THEY CAN DIE; HARSH
REALITIES IN THE DEVELOPIONG WORLD, WHERE LITERALLY BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT TO TRY TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING.
YET UNDERLYING FACTORS REMAIN WHICH PERPETUATE A CYLCE OF POVERTY AND
HUNGER THAT CAUSE POOR HEALTH; AND THEN IN TURN, LOW PRODUCTIVITY.
IT IS A WORLD VERY DIFFERENT THAN OURS IN THIS LAND OF PLENTY, BUT
ONE A GROUP OF OKLAHOMANS ARE HOPING TO CHANGE.
[SOUNDS OF AFRICAN DRUM BEATS]
ONCE ON THE GROUND, THE PROBLEMS FACING UGANDA
PRESENTED THEMSELVES QUICKLY.
WE STARTED OUR JOURNEY IN UGANDA'S LARGEST CITY, KAMPALA.
WORDS LIKE, CONGESTION AND TRAFFIC, SIMPLY DO NOT DO JUSTICE TO THIS BEAST
KNOWN LOCALLY AS, THE JAM.
YOU SEE, THE LATEST ESTIMATES PUT THE POPULATION OF THIS TOWN AT
ABOUT 1.7
MILLION PEOPLE.
THAT'S AROUND A HALF-MILLION MORE THAN OKLAHOMA CITY.
BUT THE SQUARE MILEAGE OF THE CITY IS CLOSER TO THE SIZE OF ENID.
THE COUNTRY IS SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN OKLAHOMA, BUT WITH MORE THAN 10 TIMES
THE POPULATION.
AND AN ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH RATE OF 3.2
PERCENT, IT GETS MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
YOU SEE, WHILE THE POPULATION IS GROWING AT 3.2
PERCENT, AGRICULTURE IS GROWING AT
ONLY 2.6.
AND IN A COUNTRY SITUATED ON THE EQUATOR WITH TWO COMPLETE GROWING SEASONS
AND BI-MODAL RAINS, 38 PERCENT OF CHILDREN ARE CONSIDERED MALNOURISHED OR
STUNTED.
NOW, IN TERMS OF AGRICULTURE, THERE ARE A SMALL NUMBER OF LARGE
CORPORATE FARMS IN UGANDA.
TEA, CORN, AND SUGAR ARE ALL GROWN IN ABUNDANCE HERE BUT THE VAST MAJORITY
OF FARMS ARE SMALL, AN ACRE OR LESS ON AVERAGE AND SHRINKING, BECAUSE
FARMS TEND TO BE BROKEN UP AMONG THE CHILDREN, AND ON AVERAGE EVERY WOMAN HERE
WILL HAVE SEVEN CHILDREN.
PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE IS WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER IN THE UNITED STATES AS
GARDENING.
YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY WHENEVER PEOPLE HAVE A GARDEN ON A HALF-ACRE,
THEY DON'T HAVE JOHN DEERE TRACTORS AND MASSEY FERGUSONS, AND THEY DO ALL
OF THEIR PLANTING AND MOST OF THEIR HARVESTING BY HAND.
AND WHEN YOU GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND LOOK, AND LOOK AT AGRICULTURE; IT'S LOTS
AND LOTS AND LOTS OF PRODUCE AND GARDENING PROGRAMS GOING ON AND VERY
LITTLE LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE.
REPORTER: AS WE CONTINUE TO PULL BACK THE LAYERS AND SEE MORE AND MORE INTO
THESE ISSUES OF FOOD SECURITY, THE LACK OF A FOOD-STORAGE
INFRASTRUCTURE, PROBLEMS IN THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, AND THE POLITICAL
INFIGHTING BETWEEN MINISTRIES, LOOKING TO SEE WHO HAS TO ADDRESS AND WHO
CAN ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE MALNUTRITION.
YOU BEGIN TO SEE JUST WHAT AN IMMENSE TASK OUR FELLOWS WERE UP AGAINST.
AND YET THERE IS SOME REMARKABLE WORK BEING DONE.
OUR FIRST TASTE OF THAT WORK CAME ON THE NORTH SIDE OF KAMPALA, VISITING
A NEWLY FORMED COOPERATIVE OF TOMATO FARMERS.
HOWEVER MUCH THESE FARMERS ARE NEAR THE TOWN, THE MAIN CITY, THEY ARE VERY
POOR.
AT THE MOMENT, THE TOMATOES ARE NOT GROWN ON A WIDE SCALE.
AND WE DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE ON THIS, AND WE
HAVE THE SAVING SCHEMES.
WITH THE MONEY WE SAVED, WE ARE GOING TO ENLARGE OUR GARDENS.
REPORTER: COOPERATIVES LIKE THIS ONE WERE ONCE THE NORM IN UGANDA, BUT
SEVERAL DECADES AGO THEY WERE ABOLISHED IN THE CHANGING POLITICAL LANDS.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE BUNCHED, BUT THEY'RE SLOWLY COMING BACK BECAUSE
OF ADVANTAGES.
WE ARE ENCOURAGING THEM TO START CONSOLIDATING OR BEGINNING COLLECTIVE
MARKETING WHEREBY THEY BRING WHATEVER THEY NEED OF THEIR PRODUCE,
PARTICULARLY ONE SECTION AND THEY MARKET IT OUT.
REPORTER: TOMATOES ARE A CASH CROP AND FETCH AN ATTRACTIVE PRICE AT
MARKET.
SO THIS GROUP HAS JOINED TOGETHER AS A COOPERATIVE, PULLING RESOURCES AND
SAVINGS IN ORDER TO SEND THE COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN TO SCHOOL.
THIS IS THE KIND OF WORK OUR FELLOWS TEND TO BE INVOLVED IN, TEACHING NEW
TECHNIQUES, DISEASE CONTROLS, AND MARKETING STRATEGIES.
ROB MCCLEDON: AND JOINING ME NOW IN STUDIO IS THE EMMY NOMINATED JOURNALIST
WHO BRINGS US THESE REPORTS, AUSTIN MOORE.
SO I'VE GOT TO ASK, HOW WAS THAT CASSAVA ROOT I SAW YOU MUNCHING ON?
AUSTIN MOORE: THE CASSAVA WAS WONDERFUL.
AND THAT WAS A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE, THEY REALLY SHARED, A LOT OF
THEIR DIFFERENT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THEY GROW, WITH US VERY GENEROUSLY THAT
DAY.
ROB: YOU KNOW SOMETHING I WAS STRUCK WATCHING YOUR REPORT IS FIRST OF ALL,
YOU KNOW THE COOPERATIVES THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON ARE EXACTLY WHAT THAT COUNTRY
NEEDS, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK DOWN THE ROAD, THERE'S A COUPLE OF
THINGS, ONE THAT THE POPULATION IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD IS
EXPECTED TO INCREASE ACCORDING TO U-N NUMBERS BY TWO BILLION PEOPLE BY
2050, JUST IN 40 YEARS.
AND THEN YOU ALSO FIGURE IN THAT THE U-N PROJECTS THAT FOOD PRICES ARE GOING
TO RISE BY FIFTY PERCENT BY THAT TIME.
THAT'S KIND OF A COLLISION COURSE, IS IT NOT?
AUSTIN: NO, IT IS, AND THERE ARE GREAT CHALLENGES HERE.
THE LONGER WE WERE IN THE COUNTRY THOUGH, THE MORE WE STARTED TO PEEL BACK
THE LAYERS AND SEE JUST HOW COMPLICATED THE PROBLEMS ARE.
YES, POPULATION GROWTH IS ONE OF THE MOST DAUNTING THINGS THEY'RE FACING.
UH, YES, THE LACK OF MONEY IN THE COUNTRY AND THE LACK OF DISTRIBUTION OF
MONEY IN THE COUNTRY IS A BIG ISSUE.
BUT YOU GET INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU GET INTO AGRICULTURAL POLICY,
YOU GET INTO PRACTICES THAT ARE CENTURIES OLD.
THE PROBLEMS REALLY STACK ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND THERE'S NO SIMPLE, SIMPLE
CURE FOR THESE THINGS.
ROB: YEAH, CERTAINLY COMPLEX ISSUES, AND ONE THAT I THINK PROBABLY THE
ANSWERS LIE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION.
DO THEY NOT?
AUSTIN: THEY DO, AND I THINK ONE THING TO POINT OUT, THERE ARE A LOT OF
FOLKS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, CHINA IS DOING A LOT OF INVESTMENT THERE; WE ARE
DOING A LOT OF INVESTMENT.
REALLY THOUGH, AS YOU TALK TO THE PEOPLE, IT NEEDS TO COME FROM THEM.
THERE'S A STRONG FEELING THAT THEY NEED TO GUIDE THEIR OWN FUTURE.
AND I CAN'T DISAGREE WITH THEM ON THAT.
ROB: WELL THAT IS WHAT YOUR NEXT REPORT IS ABOUT, AS AUSTIN TAKES US TO SOME
OF THE SCHOOLS IN UGANDA.