How best might agriculture serve to enhance food security?

It has been said within the next 40 years, by 2050, the world’s population will exceed nine billion people with roughly fifth teen per cent of the world’s population, equating to around one billion people suffering from malnutrition and inadequate access to food. Subsequently this demand for agricultural products will be expected to rise up to at least 70%.  Agriculture has an extensive role in helping to stimulate growth and reduce poverty, addressing the key issue of food insecurity. Investment in agriculture is key to tackling food insecurity and instead of cultivating more land; there must be an onus on how to enhance the productivity per hectare.

Agriculture, at a market-centric view, is a source of capital accumulation as it increases incomes and enhances the ability of markets for third world countries. Food security arises when populations do not have the adequate physical access to either markets or distribution networks. The opening of markets, due to agriculture, advances food security as it allows better access to food locally and externally through networks. This means that in order to have a flowing market; transport links between villages and cities should be established to improve the variety of different nutrition urban areas receive and vice versa. Transport links would also enhance trade and imports between the rural and urban areas. At the same time, open markets boost communications links so farmers can confidently increase their crop production. This would also be more attractive to foreign investors, achieving a quid pro quo, as seen in the improvement of African farming. These gains rely on collaboration among stakeholders, companies, farmers, consumers and entrepreneurs. An expansion in markets and the economy increases food security through providing wider nutrition for the populace, especially the poorest, and the growth of food production in local and global markets. Access to food is also viewed as an economical aspect by having the means to basic dietary needs. Although there is a need for a stable market, products need to be at affordable prices for the population. In 2008, the shortage of yield and poor harvest led to soaring farm product prices, acting as a new cause for food insecurity. The local population needs to have means to a source of sufficient revenue. Agriculture is the leading employer in the world providing income for forty per cent of the global population and the largest source of livelihoods for poor rural households. Agriculture strengthens and expands social protection so that people can afford food through working. We can see for example, in Xai Xai, Mozambique that the income from selling crop production can be used to purchase other necessities and other household essentials, thus helping to prevent food insecurity. Agriculture enhances food security through providing physical and economical access to harvest products.

Instability in the short, medium and long term affects the guarantee access to food and safety from sudden shocks i.e. climate crises or cyclical events (“Food security”, 2009). Climate change is one of the key security issues which affect agriculture, its production and the availability of food. Insecurity is therefore an issue in countries where the government and people are insufficiently prepared for adaptation. Pressures of resource scarcity is caused by the changing water availability affecting agriculture in terms of disasters such as droughts and floods with both these contrasting disasters having a catastrophic effect on agriculture. 57 countries, 29 in Africa, have been hit with floods. Alternatively in south Asia, Europe, China, Sudan, Mozambique and Uruguay, harvest has been affected by droughts and heat-waves. The shrinking lake in Mali has forced more than 20,000 people to abandon their traditional livelihood, which revolves around agriculture, demonstrating that climate change affects production of agriculture. It is predicated that most African countries, within the next decade, will suffer from harvest drops up to a staggering fifty per cent due to water scarcity (International Atomic Energy Agency. In order to enhance food security, research in climate change needs to be linked with agricultural science and its effect on adaptation and food systems.

However, in order for agriculture to enhance food security, advancement in agriculture and the production itself must be addressed, aiming to increase productivity between 1.8% and 3% per year. The key issue to food security is having food availability and the potential to feed the growing population. Availability in the sense of offering enough food stuffs to meet every one’s needs. Nuclear technology, knowledge and adequate financial serves should be provided to stimulate local production. The investment within pest management should aim to sustain the natural balance alongside reducing the reliance on chemical products such as pesticides. Productivity will decline since the use of pesticides reduces the active beneficial micro flora found within soil, creating a loss in soil health and fertility. Over 20% of cultivated land in the U.S. has suffered from severe land degradation. In order to have a good harvest productivity, improvement with water use must also be taken into consideration. 40% of the world’s food is grown through the use of irrigation, which allows large amounts of water lost to leakages. China is an abundant example demonstrating that agriculture investment can do in tackling food insecurity. Having 250 million farm families, China has limited land and water resources but still manages to feed its people through two decades of working programmes, concentrating mainly on land restoration. Investment in agriculture should not only come from organizations and businesses but also from the government to help with the management of finances and policies. Greater productivity of harvest allows sustainable food availability and thus secures food security. Farmers need to also return to the centre of policy decisions to secure a sustainable development as they essentially are the source of our food security.

The production of agriculture is severely under invested and needs more funding if there is a desire to supress food insecurity. Between the year of 1919 and 2002, the national budget assigned to the developing system has declined from 10% to 4% and this needs to change. Agriculture will serve to enhance food security through providing sufficient access to food stuffs through markets and having the means. Agriculture will also allow the access to better and diverse types of micronutrients. The investment in agriculture will ensure stability in harvest production from weather disasters, water scarcity and soil infertility, thus increasing food availability. However, investment in agriculture can only happen when government – people relations is significant. The management of agricultural development will reflect on harvest productivity. Agriculture and the investment in agriculture is thus the key aspect in enhancing food security.