1 min
At a time like this when the need for more food is much more important, farmers are encouraged to cultivate more land, increase their productivity and yield, in order to meet the needs of the ever increasing population. In developing countries, the need for increased yield is the new talk of the town. Every intervention focus is to increase quantities produced at the farm level but there is a big challenge, only few interventions have made food safety a priority (beyond the usual good agricultural practices cliché).
Sadly, if it is not safe, it can never be food. So, we have only a few quantities of food actually produced suitable for consumption. Over the last years, there have been cases of mild to severe illnesses linked to the consumption of unsafe food and now, there have been increased in distribution of unsafe food locally (because most of the safe foods have been exported for us to earn foreign exchange at the detriment of local market, where regulations are less stringent or non-existent). This is a big concern and a threat to our food security.
Unfortunately, there are several ways in which farmers could compromise the safety of the food they produce. Through sharp practices to achieve more economic gains through cross contamination. Also, during severe pest infestations where farmers reduce their losses, overuse of synthetic chemicals or use of prohibited substances could compromise the safety of food. In other ways, farmers could indulge in unsafe measures to food production activities and compromise food safety. Thus, there is a need for us to stand up against this menace because of its ripple and long-lasting effects on the people, environment and our food system.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for the Government to put more stringent measures at the farm level for farmers to comply with regards food safety. This is because when food safety is compromised at the farm level, it cannot be reversed throughout the food chain. We need more awareness on the importance of safe food to the food system at various levels. Also, there is a need to criminalize the intentional act of making food unsafe through payment of heavy fines by erring individuals or organizations or jail time (especially when it leads to food terrorism).
Beyond producing to get higher yield as expected by many interventions, we need to produce food that is safe for our consumption. This is because the yield increase we are achieving can only matter when it is safe for consumption. We need more farmers to learn the different strategies of producing safe food and implement them effectively. Our food is our identity and it can only be preserved when we can eat them without fear of complications. Our food safety is as important as our health. We are what we produce and eat.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
Unfortunately, there are several ways in which farmers could compromise the safety of the food they produce. Through sharp practices to achieve more economic gains through cross contamination. Also, during severe pest infestations where farmers reduce their losses, overuse of synthetic chemicals or use of prohibited substances could compromise the safety of food. In other ways, farmers could indulge in unsafe measures to food production activities and compromise food safety. Thus, there is a need for us to stand up against this menace because of its ripple and long-lasting effects on the people, environment and our food system.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for the Government to put more stringent measures at the farm level for farmers to comply with regards food safety. This is because when food safety is compromised at the farm level, it cannot be reversed throughout the food chain. We need more awareness on the importance of safe food to the food system at various levels. Also, there is a need to criminalize the intentional act of making food unsafe through payment of heavy fines by erring individuals or organizations or jail time (especially when it leads to food terrorism).
Beyond producing to get higher yield as expected by many interventions, we need to produce food that is safe for our consumption. This is because the yield increase we are achieving can only matter when it is safe for consumption. We need more farmers to learn the different strategies of producing safe food and implement them effectively. Our food is our identity and it can only be preserved when we can eat them without fear of complications. Our food safety is as important as our health. We are what we produce and eat.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
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