Background of the Problem
Currently, the world faces challenges brought about by water scarcity and climate change. According to Mancosu, Snyder, Kyriakakis, and Spano (2015), the present shortage of water is a major world issue, and it will be more critical in the future. The projected increase in the world population by the United Nations (2013) suggests that there will be a higher demand for food in the future, which will affect the usage of water. The increasing water scarcity due to drought will create a competition for water between agriculture and other industries. As such, it is essential to streamline water consumption efficiency in the agricultural sector in regards to the expected large volumes of water needed for the production of crops. Due to climate change, food production is under threat around the world.
Climate change has adverse effects on food production. Firstly, a warming climate results in less food. It interferes with how farmers plan for the upcoming seasons. Secondly, drought tends to decrease the amount of food produced. The reduction in production drives food prices further higher which disadvantages low-income families. Thirdly, flooding due to climate change reduces the amount of land available for agriculture. Fourthly, frequent extreme weather makes it difficult to maintain a reliable crop yield. For instance, tornadoes and torrential downpours damage soils and crops which make it impossible to have a steady supply of food. As a result, food prices keep on escalating. Lastly, climate change is expected to lower the amount of renewable surface water and groundwater. It will increase evapotranspiration and minimize the amount of water available for agriculture. The decrease in rainfall rates, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas, would considerably reduce river runoff (FAO, 2016). Constraints on the availability of fresh water in the regions which depend on irrigation would cause substantial reductions in the irrigated portion of the entire agricultural production.
The Significance of the Problem
According to Scherrer and Saha (2013), food prices in the recent years have escalated up to prohibitive levels for a majority of the world’s poor. The impoverished city dwellers have had to adjust their diets to include only basic, affordable foods. However, a vast majority of people in the world have remained angry, and over half a billion of them work in the agricultural sector as small-scale landowners or as agricultural workers. Although it appears that the increasing food prices are an opportunity for the agricultural labor, the majority of food producers have not benefited from the rising costs. The problem of increasing food prices reached a peak in 2008 where poor net importing countries were adversely affected (Compton, Wiggins, and Keats, 2013). They had to spend a lot of money on the expensive food imports which negatively impacted their balance of trade.
The poorest households with a relatively large number of dependents were affected more. They had to spend a higher portion of their incomes on food alone which decreased their savings and access to credit facilities. While a majority of the protests about food prices were mainly in urban areas, the majority of the victims were in rural areas. Inequality increased in these countries, pushing the poor further into abject poverty. The effects of 2008 global food crisis are still experienced today. Since then, food prices have remained relatively high and volatile in a majority of the countries. It is unimaginable that in this era of globalization and advancement in technology, some nations are food insecure. The application of the right methods of farming will allow developing countries to increase their production and meet the needs of the citizens. Every human being has a right to proper nutrition because food is a basic need. No one should die of starvation in the 21st century.
Problem Statement
It is undeniable that high and volatile food prices impose hardship on the poorest consumers, include the small-scale farmers who do not produce enough to meet their consumption needs (OECD, 2013). A background factor for the volatility and high prices is the failure of governments to invest in agriculture and insufficient nutrition security issues (Gustafson, 2013). The dramatic price rise of 2007-2008 was a wakeup call that brought the attention of the world to the importance of global food and nutrition security. It was essential to develop a policy issue that addresses the problem of high and volatile prices and food scarcity. Policymakers appreciated the need to meet the immediate needs of the vulnerable individuals like food assistance while at the same time building longer-term resilience like increasing food production among the small-scale farmers.
With the increase in hunger and malnutrition, the risk of premature death is higher among the vulnerable individuals. The impact of high prices is severe among children and women. Additionally, the problem may undermine the efforts to minimize maternal and infant deaths due to food and nutrition deficits in the affected areas. Without sufficient food, the poor are likely to die from nutrition-related diseases. Besides, people who cannot feed themselves are unproductive in other sectors of the economy. The developing countries are the most affected by the high food costs because a significant number of the people are poor. Hence, a solution to higher food prices would be essential in helping the poor to access foodstuffs.
Description of Alternatives
Agricultural expansion has a significant role in creating the returns required to guarantee food security. About two-thirds of the people in the world reside in rural areas, and they depend majorly on agriculture. Most of the farmers are small-scale farmers, who produce food mainly for subsistence. When there are adverse climatic conditions, these farmers have low yields which makes them vulnerable to hunger. There are better alternatives for both large-scale and smallholder farmers to develop more commercially viable options which will allow them to increase production and met the current food needs. Indeed, solving the problem of world hunger is a complex problem that requires a multi-dimensional approach. Several approaches apply to reduce the scarcity of food which has led to the increase in food prices. Firstly, countries should minimize the use of biofuels.
The pressure to attain the set target for carbon emission from fossil fuels has caused developed nations like the United States to shift to maize, sugarcane, and many other food crops to obtain ethanol and biodiesel. It is estimated that biofuels have forced global food prices to increase by more than 70 percent. Grain has been diverted away from food and converted to fuel. Additionally, more vegetable oil goes to the production of biofuel. With governments encouraging farmers to set aside land for the production of biofuel, the financial speculation in grains has escalated the prices. Hence, there is the need to reduce the amount of grain going to the creation of biofuels and use it to feed the growing population.
Secondly, there is a need to curb land grabbing in the developing countries. A few wealthy individuals acquire large tracks of land in developing countries to use as allotments. The affluent individuals pretend to purchase land for investment while in the real sense they want to be in possession of vast tracks of land in these countries. These people end up confiscating land from the poor who would otherwise have used it to grow foods. Eventually, land that is viable for agriculture goes to the hands of a few individuals who have no interest in engaging in agriculture. Additionally, the poor remain with little or no land to carry out farming which exposes them to hunger. Furthermore, it is vital to stop damage to the land. Farmers around the world are confronted with pressures from large-scale projects which require their relocation from the more agricultural feasible lands to areas which yield less production. Large development projects like mega dams, logging, and extractive industries cut off farmers from their primary source of livelihood. Countries need to strengthen customary land tenure systems while at the same time protecting the interests of the land users. Consequently, small-scale farmers will continue with their agricultural practices without the fear of imminent evictions.
Another alternative is encouraging people to eat less meat. The production of beef involves feeding the animals with corn. Hence, increasing demand for meat means that more corn would be utilized. Indeed, meat production leads to the waste of the planet’s limited resources as about 40 percent of the grain crops end up feeding livestock and fish. The situation is severe where farmers practice intensive beef farming since they require to spend a lot of corn feeding the animals. The government and other non-governmental organizations can initiate campaigns aimed at encouraging individuals to take less meat. The campaign can sensitize people regarding the adverse effects of producing meat on the environment. Through the campaigns, people can learn how beef farming leads to the wastage of crops which would otherwise be used to feed individuals. Moreover, the promotion can indicate the adverse effects of consuming excessive meat to encourage people to cut down on meat intake which would make more corn available for human consumption.
The last alternative is embracing the green revolution. The term ‘Green Revolution’ was proposed by William Gaud in 1968 while describing the effect of the United States generous funding for improving seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation (Patel, 2013). The developing nations have witnessed an increase in productivity for the last 50 years, despite the decrease in land size and the rising land costs. Although populations have increased more than two times, the production of cereals has tripled in the same period with only an increase of land by 30 percent. A more substantial part of this success is due to the application of crop research, market development and the enactment of the appropriate policies during the initial stages of the green revolution. The developed nations made massive investments towards the production of genetic crops especially the primary staple foods like rice, wheat, and maize. Henceforth, high-yielding varieties were grown with early successes in both Mexico and India. Farmers around the globe are vulnerable to climatic changes which often lead to the loss of crops and hence a decrease in the amount of yield. There is a need to have crops capable of adapting to the changing climatic factors. The development of crops for the specific climates can allow farmers to have crops which can survive adverse climatic conditions. Moreover, the varieties require pesticides and fertilizers which assist in giving maximum yields.
Analysis of the Alternatives
Implementing some of the proposed alternatives is difficult. For instance, it is difficult to cut down on the production of biofuels. Governments in developed countries have subsidized the industry as an alternative source of energy. The United States has invested in ethanol production since 2001. Formulating a policy to reverse the production of biofuels would create problems with the companies and cut off a vital source of alternative fuel. Moreover, it can lead to the loss of jobs which may adversely affect the economy. It would also lead to over-dependence on the fossil fuels which are environmental hazards. Hence, although this method could assist in solving the problem, it is not a viable option. Regarding curbing land grabbing in developing countries, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between genuine investors from greedy people who want to accumulate more land disguised as investors. It is challenging to control land use in some developing countries which have an inadequate lack of use legislation. Consequently, the governments have little control over what investors choose to do with the acquired land. Additionally, the developing countries lack mechanisms to control the use of land which makes it impossible to prevent the conversion of viable agricultural land to other sectors like housing.
About dealing with developmental projects, it is challenging to avoid the displacement of farmers once a significant project needs to be constructed in an area. For example, building a mega dam will consume agricultural land, but it will also supply water for irrigation and produce electricity. However, the displaced farmers may not access suitable land to continue with their usual farming which makes them prone to hunger. Since it is difficult to prevent developmental projects from taking place; this alternative may not be the most effective in minimizing food scarcity. Moreover, encouraging individuals to consume less meat may not be effective. People are less likely to cut down the intake of meat because of a campaign that requires them to do so. Since it’s not possible to have policies preventing consumers from excessive consumption of meat, it is crucial to look for another alternative to the problem. Additionally, the large-scale farmers who produce meat will be affected negatively by such a move. Hence, instead of asking people to cut down on meat intake, practical methods should be sought.
The green revolution is the most viable solution to the current scarcity and high cost of food. The inadequate production of food has led to the escalating food prices which have left a significant number of people unable to afford decent meals. With the application of modern technologies in food production, farmers will have a higher yield compared to when they apply traditional practices. The green revolution does not require farmers to have vast tracks of land which makes it applicable even to the smallholder farmers. The method is essential in enabling poor farmers to produce enough for themselves and remains with a surplus which they can sell to get income. The problem with green revolution is that it makes farm inputs relatively expensive for the poor farmers, especially in the developing countries. The farmers cannot afford the cost of purchasing modified seeds and fertilizers. Governments should develop policies aimed at assisting the farmers to take advantage of the modern technological advancements. Through subsidies, poor farmers can afford to buy fertilizers and pesticides which are vital during the entire planting season.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The increasing population in the world requires a new approach to agricultural production to meet the rising demand. Farmers all over the world have to use modern methods of farming if they are to feed the expanding population. However, new challenges have emerged which decrease the level of yield. Climate change and water scarcity due to drought have made it impossible for some farmers to harvest the required quantities. Due to the inadequate production and high demand, the price of food has remained relatively high making it difficult for the poor to afford a decent meal. Surprisingly, the most affected individuals are the small-scale farmers and other workers in the agricultural sector. As a result, there is a need for governments to come up with policies which enable both large and small-scale farmers to increase production. Usually, the large-scale farmers employ the modern farming practices because they have access to capital to purchase what they require. However, the poor farmers lack adequate resources which makes it impossible to afford primary farming inputs. As a result, they keep on using the same old methods which yield fewer returns if any.
The issue of climate change and water scarcity requires farmers to employ new methods so that they can increase the amount of production. Among alternatives which apply to address the issue, a policy which requires farmers to incorporate green revolution in agricultural production will assist in increasing production. Green revolution allows farmers to use improved farm inputs including seedlings and fertilizers. The modified crops can withstand the current climatic conditions compared to the traditional crops. Additionally, such crops can withstand most of the diseases and pests which guarantees farmers a harvest. Governments in both developed and developing countries should subsidize the cost of essential farm inputs so that farmers can lower the cost of production, which in turn will reduce the price of the produce. The green revolution is the best alternative in ensuring that farmers can meet the increasing demand for food. By putting in place appropriate policies for Green Revolution, countries will avoid the adverse effects of climate change and water scarcity which is likely to occur in future. The developed nations will spend less on providing food aid to the developing countries. On the other hand, the standards of living in the developing countries will improve because more people will have access to food.
References
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Mancosu, N., Snyder, R. L., Kyriakakis, G., & Spano, D. (2015). Water scarcity and future challenges for food production. Water, 7, 975-992. Web.
OECD. (2013). Solving the food crisis. Web.
Patel, R. (2013). The long green revolution. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 40(1), 1-63.
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