Lessons in Food Security (original) (raw)
Food security has been a central focus of governance throughout recorded history, and even before. Without a feeling of security that such a basic of life is assured, no progress seems possible. As humans gained influence over aspects of nature to assure agricultural surpluses and so liberate parts of society to pursue other aspects of human development, understanding of human nature became codified in such forms as religion, which included lore on food security. Today in the Western cultures than so influence other parts of the world, religion no longer seems central and hence hardly features in mainstream considerations about the psychological aspect of food security. In fact, food security itself has been marginalized by the inclusion of miscellaneous fads in development such as biofuels, free food trade, narrowly defined environmental preservation and social engineering. This is possible since Western nations have surplus food from their own production or their superior purchasing power, yet they influence development agency agendas that affect less fortunate countries. A precarious imbalance in the world has thus occurred, as it has on occasional through history, often before a major trauma and shifts in power. Today development agencies treat food security as a component of trade and average levels of demand. However, the real food security issue is increasingly the risk of major shortages of food for megacities leading to riots, anarchy and migration. And migration will affect all countries. This paper argues that food security is fundamental to good governance and refers to essential food for survival in each country that is not considered under any free trade arrangements. India's 2007-8 export ban on non-luxury rice, while criticized by international agencies, is seen as a responsible action of good governance. The paper suggests that in terms of real food security international agencies may have more to learn from the world's major food producers -India and China -than from Western agriculture.
Related papers
Food security has been a central focus of governance throughout recorded history, and even before. Without a feeling of security that such a basic of life is assured, no progress seems possible. As humans gained influence over aspects of nature to assure agricultural surpluses and so liberate parts of society to pursue other aspects of human development, understanding of human nature became codified in such forms as religion, which included lore on food security. Today in the Western cultures than so influence other parts of the world, religion no longer seems central and hence hardly features in mainstream considerations about the psychological aspect of food security. In fact, food security itself has been marginalized by the inclusion of miscellaneous fads in development such as biofuels, free food trade, narrowly defined environmental preservation and social engineering. This is possible since Western nations have surplus food from their own production or their superior purchasing power, yet they influence development agency agendas that affect less fortunate countries. A precarious imbalance in the world has thus occurred, as it has on occasional through history, often before a major trauma and shifts in power. Today development agencies treat food security as a component of trade and average levels of demand. However, the real food security issue is increasingly the risk of major shortages of food for megacities leading to riots, anarchy and migration. And migration will affect all countries. This paper argues that food security is fundamental to good governance and refers to essential food for survival in each country that is not considered under any free trade arrangements. India's 2007-8 export ban on non-luxury rice, while criticized by international agencies, is seen as a responsible action of good governance. The paper suggests that in terms of real food security international agencies may have more to learn from the world's major food producers -India and China -than from Western agriculture.
Food security: different systems, different notions
Perspectives on Federalism, 2019
Food security is a hugely important and complex issue. Such complexity is demonstrated, inter alia, by the lack of a consistent definition of food security under the international policy framework. Of the various elements that can affect food security, trade in agriculture plays a significant role both in positive and negative terms. This article considers the concept of food security as emerging from the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and discusses it in the light of the most commonly accepted definition of food security (i.e. the FAO’s definition). The analysis highlights a bifurcation in the concept at stake, depending on the forum considered. According to the AoA, food security is conceived as an exception. It does not consider the individual condition, but focuses either on a country’s agricultural self-sufficiency or on the suitability of food self-reliance at national and global levels. While within the UN agencies, a multifaceted and multidimensional concept emerges
Globally Securing Food in an Insecure World – Opportunities and Challenges
Alternate Horizons, 2021
This paper looks into the necessity of a global governance system for food security from a "humane" side, with a focus on countries and MNCs. It also explores potential mechanisms to drive MNCs involvement in the global governance of food security into a more inclusive path. Furthermore, the paper explores a more sustainable side to globally governing food security. All in all, this paper calls for the reshaping of a global governance system that better matches the root causes of food insecurity, rather than tries to solve hunger with food aid and provision. The solution starts with asking the right questions. The global governance system should adopt a sole human rights framework while addressing food insecurity. It should acknowledge that questions such as “for whose benefit?” is just as important as “how to produce more?”. Although effective, International Governmental Organizations should further consider how global rules affect different people, who will bear the risk...
Indian and American Perspectives on Food Security
This essay examines how the definition of food security has evolved over the years and the causes of food insecurity. It looks at the state of food security in India and the US. It analyzes the food assistance programmes or short-term responses (other than the long-term goals of increasing agricultural productivity, controlling population growth, etc.) of the Indian and American governments to the problem of food insecurity and the challenges they face in implementing these responses. It identifies the target groups for these schemes and the eligibility requirements. Further, the essay analyzes the steps the US and India have taken to attain and maintain food security at the domestic level and makes an assessment of how far they have succeeded. Finally, it compares the programmes and policies of the two governments and concludes that the US has been more effective in dealing with food insecurity than India mainly because its mechanisms target the groups better and deliver the benefits more efficiently.
Loading Preview
Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.