Introduction
It should be noted that food insecurity is one of the most pressing issues faced by the contemporary world. Such organizations as the World Health Organization or United Nations make efforts to address this problem by distributing food to those areas where people have poor access to it. It is crucial to stress that the core of the issue lies not in the amounts of goods available to nations but in the way food is distributed across different regions of the world. The purpose of this whitepaper is to discuss the topic of food insecurity in the world and Kenya in particular and propose potential technological solutions to the problem.
Food Insecurity and Population Growth
Food insecurity is the condition under which people experience physical inaccessibility to food. Food should be made available on the territory of the country in the necessary amount, and its supply should be uninterrupted (Yen, 1, p. 2). The achievement of this condition is ensured by state control over external and internal supplies. Another aspect of food insecurity is the inaccessibility of food.
Every resident of Kenya, regardless of their age and social or economic background, should have an adequate level of income to purchase a minimum set of foods. Meeting this requirement is provided both by maintaining a sufficient level of income of the population and by monitoring the price levels for goods. Another factor is the insecurity of goods and products in which the quality of food does not meet the established requirements. During food intake, a person should receive the entire complex of substances necessary for the adequate development of the body, and they should be offered only those products that are safe.
Population growth plays a major role in increasing food insecurity. The population grows rapidly, which inevitably increases pressure on global food supplies. The government and respective bodies face the challenge of distributing food to people across different regions (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2, p. 73). Moreover, when the population grows fast, its nutritional needs increase dramatically, and the government needs to implement initiatives that would allow distributing food more effectively. Therefore, the core of the issue lies in the fact that population growth and food insecurity are linked directly, and the problem is associated with the need to make food available to people.
The flow of Food in Kenya
Kenya is a country where several important factors interrupt the flow of food. First, poor infrastructure is a fundamental aspect due to which different population groups experience food insecurity (Hoffmann, 3, p. 36). In some parts of the country, the roads are in bad condition, and it is difficult to transport food to people. Some areas of the country are almost unreachable due to potholes. This issue particularly affects goods that have short expiration dates.
Second, political instability is another factor that prevents effective food distribution. The lack of safety results in the setting in which agencies are reluctant to transport relief food to people in need (Sharma, 4, p. 106). Third, the country and its residents are suffering from corruption. As a result, the population experiences chronic food insecurity, in which consumption is constantly interrupted throughout the year due to the inability to acquire or produce the required amount of food.
As applied to Kenya, food insecurity in the country is a consequence of the physical and economic unavailability of food, especially in the least developed regions of the country (Yen, 1, p. 2). Moreover, the growing interest in food safety in Kenya is linked with an increase in the number of diseases associated with food poisoning. Conditions caused by poor-quality food have a negative impact on the state of domestic and foreign trade as well as on the income and employment of certain population groups.
Technology
Food security is achieved by ensuring physical and economic access to safe food in an amount adequate for feeding the population of the country. Information technology can help address food insecurity and combat hunger in Kenya. In particular, it can be used to provide farmers with information such as weather forecasts and prices for agricultural products. Broadcasting is relatively inexpensive and has a large audience in developing countries such as Kenya.
The government may introduce a special food safety channel in which farmers will be given tips on how to increase agricultural productivity (Christy, 5, p. 101). Also, mobile phones may be used to distribute information using short messages. For instance, iffishersreceive timely information, they will be able to quickly respond to market demand and avoid overhead due to excessive catch.
From the point of view of the global community, it is necessary to monitor world food stocks systematically (Christy, 5, p. 101). This type of activity should include the control of agricultural production in various regions and the identification of areas where food shortage is observed. Therefore, efforts at both the country level and the level of the global community are needed to address the issues of hunger and uneven food distribution.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that food insecurity is a major problem that requires immediate attention. Kenya is suffering from inadequate food distribution due to various reasons. Many people have limited access to food and suffer from hunger due to political instability, poorly developed infrastructure, and corruption. The government of this country should utilize the available information technology resources to combat the issue at the local level. Meanwhile, the global community needs to provide adequate support to the country to ensure all people have equal access to food stocks.
Sources
- Eric Yen. 2017. Food Safety in Kenya: Focus on Fruits and Vegetables. p. 2. Web.
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2017. 2017 Africa: Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition: The Food Security and Nutrition–Conflict Nexus: Building Resilience for Food Security, Nutrition and Peace. p. 73. Web.
- Vivian Hoffmann. 2018. Improving Food Safety on the Farm: Experimental Evidence from Kenya on Agricultural Incentives and Subsidies as Public Health Investments. p. 36. Web.
- Sachin Kumar Sharma. 2016. The WTO and Food Security: Implications for Developing Countries. p. 106. Web.
- Ralph D. Christy. 2014. Innovative Institutions, Public Policies and Private Strategies for Agro-enterprise Development. p. 101. Web.