Agriculture and Food Security

The challenges of food security were previously discussed and this article will focus on the problems preventing food security in agriculture. Food availability and the role of agriculture for an increasing population is a subject of much debate. Most people understand the importance of agriculture in food availability and hunger but the connection is not always direct. In alleviating hunger the solution is not in the production of more food as there is sufficient food worldwide. Two aspects undermining food production are land use conflicts and agricultural practices that are environmentally unsustainable. As a result the productive capacity in agriculture is in decline.

As we anticipate population projections, demands and a growing urban footprint, arable land area will diminish. The rush for biofuels has created a situation where crop production is causing millions to go hungry in developing nations leading some nations to rethink their renewable path. Known as land grabbing, increasing ownership of arable land by transnational companies displace and dispossess locals of their land and livelihood. Acquisitions in places of weak governance and/or conflict uproots food security, employment and environmental sustainability for local communities as there is less monitoring and control. The impact of commercial production can in fact lead to increased food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty as much of the produce is exported rather than sold at local markets. Some nations that rely on imports are trying to secure supplies by controlling the whole food supply chain. This lessens self sufficiency for those nations in building future resilience and causes geopolitical tensions.

Degradation of land as a resource base translates into decreased production yields and lower income. Declining soil fertility demands higher nutrient application to grow food, yet the world wastes around 80% of its applied nutrients via leaching or is lost in the food chain. Groundwater level depletion and contamination by pollution and/or salt means less available water for irrigation and access as well as the rights to water resources may disproportionately favour investors over locals. Salt accumulation in the soil profile causes crop death and can cause damage to land beyond economic repair. Large-scale loss of ecosystem services will directly limit the ability to control pests and diseases, a monumental cause of crop loss in developing countries. These are factors that can account for significant loss of yield in a given year and long term impairment may render land unusable.

Agriculture has a critical role for food security but is hindered by biophysical constraints and capacity constraints such as insufficient infrastructure, knowledge and/or investment in research and development. Future food availability depends on the extent to which the world can maintain yields under changing consumption levels, undertake policy reforms that support farmers as well as adapting to climate change and environmental issues such as eroding soils and water peak. This means reliance on emission-intensive production and conventional farming practices must end. Moreover, the struggle for food security threatens political stability and promotes conflict so we must recognise the necessity of agriculture for local food security and its global system interconnections.