1 min
Food is a universal language that crosses many demographic and geographic borders; everyone wants to have access to adequate quantities and quality food at all times. However, the desire for food could become unrealised either when the purchasing power becomes reduced due to limited resources especially during economic meltdown - jobs losses, inflation, unemployment or when the quantities of food in circulation are too little due to weather and non-weather factors. In developing countries, this issue is more felt in the rural communities due to the small local economy, with little or no existence of social welfare or capital to help stabilize the rural people during the recession or when faced with uncertainties.
Sadly, during a recession, the food system is further broken or disjointed, overturning all previous feats due to the weak structure of the system and inability to thrive during such a crisis.
Presently, we still operate a ‘cut and join’ food system that reacts rather than responds to changing realities. For instance, in most developing countries the majority of production inputs are imported. We are faced with unprecedented inflation and the exchange rate has become unstable and unfavourable to import products, causing increased costs of production. If this situation lingers longer than expected, many farmers would produce at a huge loss. And more often than not, the production capacity of the farmers tends to shrink, discouraging large production, more farmers lose their livelihood and drive more people to hunger. The ripple effects are very alarming -- more crime, more poor people and more hungry and angry people in the society.
A broken system cannot create prosperity, talk less of shared prosperity, until it is fixed and rebuilt to achieve it. We need to consciously and purposefully rebuild our food system, with effective measures in place that make it immune to identified shocks and has the ability to bounce back within a short time in case of shocks. Having the right policy and effective implementation is the first step. Secondly, adequately prepare for emergencies by providing robust subsidy programs to help cushion the effect of food inflation and protect the livelihood of the food producers. Thirdly, we need to establish a working and effective social security programme for farmers and other vulnerable groups. Food producers whose basic needs have not been met cannot mentally be productive or stable to produce food.
In conclusion, every stakeholder has a role to play in ensuring that our food system becomes more effective and unbroken. Without a strong food system, the journey to food security becomes a joke. Let us work hand in hand to build a solid food chain that makes food security a promising reality. The future starts today!
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
Presently, we still operate a ‘cut and join’ food system that reacts rather than responds to changing realities. For instance, in most developing countries the majority of production inputs are imported. We are faced with unprecedented inflation and the exchange rate has become unstable and unfavourable to import products, causing increased costs of production. If this situation lingers longer than expected, many farmers would produce at a huge loss. And more often than not, the production capacity of the farmers tends to shrink, discouraging large production, more farmers lose their livelihood and drive more people to hunger. The ripple effects are very alarming -- more crime, more poor people and more hungry and angry people in the society.
A broken system cannot create prosperity, talk less of shared prosperity, until it is fixed and rebuilt to achieve it. We need to consciously and purposefully rebuild our food system, with effective measures in place that make it immune to identified shocks and has the ability to bounce back within a short time in case of shocks. Having the right policy and effective implementation is the first step. Secondly, adequately prepare for emergencies by providing robust subsidy programs to help cushion the effect of food inflation and protect the livelihood of the food producers. Thirdly, we need to establish a working and effective social security programme for farmers and other vulnerable groups. Food producers whose basic needs have not been met cannot mentally be productive or stable to produce food.
In conclusion, every stakeholder has a role to play in ensuring that our food system becomes more effective and unbroken. Without a strong food system, the journey to food security becomes a joke. Let us work hand in hand to build a solid food chain that makes food security a promising reality. The future starts today!
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
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