opinion

The insecurity of hunger
and the challenges of food
by Clarence E. Pilgrim

As a "global village" we have reached a critical point in the onward march of our human civilization. Food and food prices are in the world's spotlight. The recent rapid increases in the international prices of many basic food commodities have caused serious concern for governments, decision makers, farmers, special interest groups and consumers alike. The basic questions being asked are --- what's going on? and where is this heading? Uncertainty in the market suggest the continuation of these trends into the rest of 2008, which if the probability of this statistic is accurate, will cause concerns and serious difficulties.

Correspondents battling to give reports and photographs from the recent deadly riots and protests in Haiti, have helped to provide the physical evidence that food insecurity threatens peace and the very stability of some nations. There is the ever-present reality that hunger, malnutrition, the high cost of living and poverty are universal plights, that are found in both the obvious and at times concealed sectors of society. They are all equal opportunity destroyers.

I recently visited a man whom I call a universal farmer. I apply this definition because of his simple but deep understanding of the relationship which exists in the potential that every inch of soil contains within its many textured layers, and the meals it can provide that can make a difference between a person living with dignity, and the undermining of societal integrity. His conventional wisdom is: grow what we need to eat --- make it safe, affordable and enough!

This straightforward logic, if applied on a national scale, would be the first step in the right direction towards achieving food security.

It is said that a human being can survive for several weeks without food (using water only). However, hunger can bring about many consequences long before it causes death, such as poor judgment, weakness, irritability etc. It is therefore not an exaggeration to state that the strength or weakness of a nation depends on the number of "balanced" meals it is able to consume within a biologically acceptable time frame.

Social scientists would arguably agree that "collective stress" and "mood alterations" among citizens in many countries are the results of people who are worried about their access and capability to meet their basic food needs. In this situation there can be no room for error in finding practical solutions. The visible results of desperate people can cause a bad situation to get worse very quickly.

Global economic pointers continues to teach us about the ever present lesson, that the price of oil continues to exert a grip like manacles on the cycle of food production. Whether it's fuel to cook, providing fertilizers or even the tasks of harvesting and transportation, there can be no doubt that major oil producing interests will continue to promote this invasive addiction, thus enabling a continued vicious cycle of dependency, in a new dispensation which calls for environmentally friendlier alternative sources of energy.

But now, with the apparent intensive linking of food and fuel in the global markets, particular farmers, business interests and governments across the world see the prospects of biodiesel as a viable form of alternative energy. But the downside to this rising form of energy is that biofuel is being made from crops that would otherwise be used for food in the world market. Industrialized nations which can meet their domestic food needs see this as a reasonable alternative to the high price of oil. The number of crops affected includes but is not limited to corn, wheat, sugar and cassava.

But a part from the shift of crop emphasis in the oil equation is the fact that the 20th century created the conditions for the new millennium. These include many natural disasters and altered weather patterns which may be caused by the ongoing impact of climate change. Weather-related production shortfalls contributed to global cereal output in 2005 and 2006. The output in eight major exporting countries dropped by four and seven percent in those years.

One of the aims of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to cut in half and ultimately end world hunger. But if there are continued substantial increases in food and fuel prices, the negative impact on households, foreign exchange earnings and vulnerable sectors within countries will be negatively felt.

In an attempt to come to grips with the phenomenon, the United Nations have established a special task force on the Global Food Crisis which will be chaired by the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The task force will bring together the heads of the specialized agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions. Mr. John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, serves as the task force coordinator.

What needs to be done by the global community is for policies, programs, incentives and investment opportunities to be undertaken that includes the participation of ALL stakeholders (both public and private sectors). There should be specific goals, which are practical, easy and can be efficiently implemented.

Each nation must immediately create and implement a national agricultural development plan, where short, middle and long term objectives are clearly defined with an accurate and realistic costing attached. This must include and be consistent with a national policy on energy.

I believe that defeating hunger, malnutrition, the high cost of living and poverty are achievable. It requires the kind of selfless commitment, dedication, and a belief in humanitarian values that would build the foundation on which we can walk to finding solutions.

Most importantly, we must believe that we can do it!

The author is an educator and senior civil servant in Antigua & Barbuda