Ensuring food security

When is food security reached? What does future food security look like?

Exists when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. With global pop expected to rise by 1.2mn by 2030 and proportion of middle class to grow, people have higher expectations and increasingly put pressure of food supplies.

What are the different components to be considered in ensuring food security?

Food availability, accessibility, use, stability/resilience.

How many people are chronically hungry?

Around 1 in 10 (830mn).

How does food security vary spatially?

Large spatial variations exist in food security.

North America, Europe, Japan and Australasia are the regions considered most food secure.

The greatest risk of food insecurity is in sub-Saharan Africa(LICs, climate), Afghanistan (conflict) and Haiti (hazards).

Climate change and growing population is increasing the risk to food security in many regions of the world.

How is the number of farmers changing?

Less in HICs; every 20 years the number of people reliant on one farm doubles. In the US for every farmer under 25 there are 7 over 75. Average age of farmers increasing across HICs→ future food insecurity?

How is food wasted?

1/3 of food production is wasted. In LICs food waste due to poor infrastructure for storage. In HICs food is wasted by consumer and demand for better quality.

What are the different agruments for future food security?

Global agriculture and food security program believe that the world will need to produce 50% more food by 2050 to ensure food security globally.

FAO believe rate of global food production has increased faster than food demand, producing x1.5 enough food for everyone. However storage losses, overconsumption and waste→ food insecurity in certain areas.

What is the role of GAFSP?

Est in 2010 to increase efforts to improve agricultural productivity and increase incomes in LICs to ensure food security. Success: by 2014 improved agricultural productivity, increased incomes and improved food security in 31 of the poorest/most malnourished countries globally.

How has the green revolution→ increasing agricultural productivity? Use example of Rwanda.

Higher yields using HYV sees, agrochemicals and mechanisation. Progress into education and research, use of marginal farmland etc have also had positive impacts e.g. Rwanda’s LWH Project working to increase productivity and commercialisation of small farms. Has increased yields of potato by 219% in last 3 years. Worked by improving access to nutrient rich vegetables, training communities and educating small-scale farmers in cooperation and basic post-harvest management.

How has the new green revolution increased agricultural productivity?

Drought-resistant and disease resistant (GM), selective breeding→ progress in HICs e.g. CAP of EU encouraging farmers to increase food production by offering grants/subsidies. Technology such as aquaculture, hydroponics.

How can hydroponics increase food productivity?

Grows plants without soil. Addresses problem of soil erosion and degradation, plants take in nutrients efficiently, beneficial where soil quality is poor, can increase production by 3-10 tonnes and increase rate of growth by double.

What are the positives of the green revolution?

Global rice yields have x3 since the 60s. New seed varieties e.g. IR8 in Philippines has increased rice yields by x6. Ability to control e.g. locust plagues, improved mechanisation and rearranging plots into regular fields→ soil and water conservation. GM = easier to fight pests, more hazard resistant.

What are the negatives of green revolution?

Costs inputs of fertilisers and pesticides and costs of equipment→ farmers in debt and increased unemployment. and rural depopulation. HYV require increased weed control. Mechanisation→ less jobs on form and rural unemployment. GM can transfer genes to pests and make them more resistant. Largely unknown health implications of GM therefore banned in 40 countries. Issues with salinisation caused by increased irrigation.

How have food access been increased?

Trade (however only if prices are low enough for LIC to afford→ undercutting local farmers).

Increasing access to markets and improving transport links to make it easier for farmers to sell produce, however some countries don’t have the money to invest in infrastructure needed.

Aid- short term fix during e.g. famine, conflict etc.

Expand social protection e.g. free school meals, food banks etc. Works best in HICs.

How has the 3N’s initiative helped food security in Niger?

example of improved food access: 20% of population require urgent food support→ addressed problem through transferring milk from North (surplus) to South. GDP, driven by agriculture, increased by 3% between 2013 and 2014.

How can reducing waste help reduce food insecurity?

Production: crop loss due to pests and disease can be reduced by educating farmers on prevention and provide better resources e.g. pesticides.

Distribution: improving storage and packaging, speeding up process to reach consumers, increase shelf life.

Consumption: e.g. think. eat. save. campaign encouraged consumers to be less wasteful e.g. recipes using leftovers.

What are the solutions to reducing waste (pre, during and post harvest)?

Preharvest: instructions on land preparation, JIT harvesting, guidance on crop exposure to soil and pests, educating on drying techniques to reduce fungal growth.

Harvesting: JIT, understanding of weather impacts e.g. rain causing dampening and mould.

Drying and storage: minimise damage by reducing moisture content e.g. use of dry bags, zero-oxygen conditions, never allow crop contact with soils. Hermetic storage units to protect from insects, rodents. Dry bags- a 1% drop in moisture can double the storage lifetime of cereal grain.