By Amin Kef Sesay
In addressing the overarching problem of acute poverty that affects at least 50 percent of the country’s population, especially the vast majority living in the poor rural areas, there is urgent need for the Government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Forestry, FAO and the World Bank, within the context of the threats posed by global change to farming, to prioritize the quest for food security, now than later.
The main threats to food security in the country are population growth, increased demand for food, food prices, disappearance of varieties of traditional high yielding agricultural plant species, increase in scarcity of water, limitation of the availability of arable and cultivable land, the food losses and food waste.
We all know what the consequences of food insecurity for the poor are. These include making the poor more likely to become malnourished, increased hunger related deaths and susceptibility to disease, deeper poverty, declines in agricultural productivity, increase in rural-to-urban migration, decline in school attendance, increase in high-risk activity and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
Growing food insecurity in the country has to be looked at from a combination of factors that include low agricultural productivity, climate change, aging farmers, massive bee die-offs, genetic engineering, soil erosion and poor land development.
We all know that food insecurity has major impacts on people personally and on the ability of a country to lift itself out of poverty. Some of the impacts of food insecurity include famine, under-nutrition, soil erosion, rising prices and social unrest.
Failing to adequately address the all-important existential issue of food insecurity is a dangerous political liability for any Government because it does not exist in isolation. Low-income families could be affected by multiple overlapping issues such as social isolation, acute and chronic health problems, the lack of affordable housing, low wages, and high medical costs, among others.
It takes an inclusive systems approach to tackle these major issues. Looked at from a technical perspective, improving and increasing food security in the country definitely requires huge financial outlay in sustainable agricultural research projects aimed at improving a robust, resilient, climate-smart food and agricultural system.
Critical issues like food insecurity, drought resilience and response, animal disease prevention, and market disruption requires investments to help meet these challenges. This investment which definitely cannot be made by the Government alone must focus on a broad base of needed research solutions from addressing labor challenges and promoting land stewardship to correcting climate change impacts in agriculture and critical needs in food and nutrition.
Investments in research projects likes those awarded will result in long-term improvements in agricultural practices that will benefit consumers, farmers and the environment.
This is the time for agriculture, forestry, and rural communities to act. Together we can lead the way with investments in science and research and climate-smart solutions that feed and nourish families, improve the profitability and resilience of producers, improve forest health, while creating new income opportunities, and building wealth that stays in rural communities.
University researchers and their partners can research on how to alleviate groundwater over-use and sustain irrigated agriculture.
They can develop innovative education programs and novel extension programming to support sustainable groundwater and irrigated agricultural systems, create models (geophysical, hydrology, biophysical, and socioeconomics), develop climate change adaptation management strategies, and produce decision support tools.
Universities and partners can develop a Children’s Healthy Living Food Systems Model and simulations to identify and test drivers of resiliency in food supply chains for decreasing food waste and increasing food and nutrition security, healthful diets and health among children aimed at preventing chronic disease in households and communities.
They can also research ways to increase economic markets and production sustainability for our major crops and animals.
The project can include developing integrated public outreach programs to enhance milk production, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and recover nutrients.
In short, to arrest growing food insecurity,it is imperative that we transform our food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in the rural areas.
