Our world has changed. Nothing has been the same since the latter part of 2019 when Covid-19 struck and one devastating event followed another, affecting everything and everyone around us.
The World Food Program (WFP) estimates, about 152 million people around the world would face food shortages and as many as 828 million people, that is 10% of our World population, go to bed hungry every night in 2022. These are outrageously staggering numbers.
This year 2022, the Russia-Ukraine war has inflicted economic pain across borders. Supply chain interruptions gave way to exponentially rising cost of production, causing massive hikes in prices of general goods and services globally. Many factors have collectively and adversely affected production and prices of food in major parts of the world. There are 3 major reasons why food insecurity is growing and requires immediate attention and grounded solutions:
1. Extreme weather and drought
Generally, we expect 2 major weather patterns in Ghana and farmers plan in tandem with the seasons to meet the rains for a good harvest. Today however, from June to August, which was known as the rainy months in Ghana, we seldom see rainfall. The rains, however, fall unpredictably outside the rainy season, making it difficult for farmers to plan accordingly. Similar erratic, unpredicted rainfall anomalies are taking place around the globe every day, rains so heavy, flooding homes, farms, and cities. Meanwhile, the dry seasons are now prolonged and intensified to the point where, without adequate irrigation, open field farms which are dependent on rains, are becoming impossible to sustain.
2. War & conflict
Wars and rumors of wars have contributed immensely to the looming worldwide food shortages. Conflicts instantly bring production to a grinding go slow or worse a halt. Farmers on their farmlands struggle to provide; such is the case of Ukraine, South Sudan, Yemen and many more, leaving its people running for their lives. These crippling, ripple effects, take a severe adverse toll on the world’s food supply to countries which depend heavily on these imports for survival.
3. Poor public and economic policies
Leadership failures and lack of proper, strategic planning has been a major factor in the shortage of food around the world. This is not so unusual in underdeveloped countries where little priority is given to improve a nation’s agricultural infrastructure to meet a growing population. Especially in places where there are no deliberate efforts by governments to solve recurring flooding, impending climatic and pest issues which periodically lead to loss of farm crops and capital. Elsewhere in what we call the developed world, politics, and power many times take precedence over common sense solutions.
Overall, what do you think? We are a big globe yes, but would it not make more sense to have greater peace, more dialogue and diplomacy, stronger collaborations towards global solutions and stability?
Climate is behaving pretty much the way it always does. Some good weather; some difficult weather. Political instability and conflict and eco-nut opposition to advancing technology are the greatest hindrances to food production where, in fact, people can correct the problem. Ghana has huge irrigation potential laying latent because it’s not the way traditional farming is done.
Its a reality that is starring straight into our face,a time bomb ready to explode if nothing is done about it,should be a collective and deliberate approach.
We face world shortage of food!
Urban agriculture is another example of food sources particularly relevant in individual legacy cities as it constitutes an opportunity to put vacant lands back into productive use to foster neighbourhood redevelopment. By empowering residents to grow food in urban spaces food insecurity would be addressed to some level. I support the development of sustainable alternative methods of farming where the climate is controlled such as greenhouse to make fresh vegetables all year round. This will need holistic approached and stable economy with support of relevant stakeholders.
Very well written.
This is well indicated..." It make more sense to have greater peace, more dialogue and diplomacy, stronger collaborations towards global solutions and stability"...
This is surely the best way to go.
We cannot still do the same old things and expect different results.
Globally, we must take responsibility and act SMART to ensure rapid and drastic actions are implemented to resolve or reduce the food shortage crisis around the world 🌎.
Most importantly, let's rethink and fully embrace more effective and efficient ways of dealing with our agriculture.
To begin with, counties like Ghana that depends mostly on the unpredictable rains and weather to grow crops must invest heavily in a World class Agricultural Infrastructure and modern Technologies as Automat…