Is there a smart way towards feeding world at a reasonable price?

The overall situation on the food front - in the recent past especially – remains far from being satisfactory, with food prices ruling high all over the globe. Food prices are going up on a continuous basis – demonstrations as well as social unrests have badly affected a number of capital cities – think of South Sudan. Time is ripe for dealing firmly with the agricultural disarray. Climatic change has already been telling upon farm growth!

Clearly, if the current trends are of any indication, the food and agricultural policy system itself is in disarray. The symptoms of such a disarray are not difficult to locate – incoherent / inadequate response to exploding food prices; slowdown in agricultural productivity growth; water problems; a disorderly response to continuously disturbing energy prices; rapid concentration in multinational agri-business corporations without adequate institutional innovation aiming at properly guiding them; lack of progress in addressing scarcity; widespread nutritional problems [hunger / obesity / chronic diseases] plus agriculture related health hazards [avian influenza, etc] and adverse impacts on climatic fluctuations.

Reflecting the Reality

Underinvestment in areas related to food, nutrition / agriculture [research / infrastructure / rural institutions] invite spillover effect / global impacts, among others. It is high time sincere collaborative programmes were resumed among the countries in order to adequately address opportunities and challenges.

The ongoing situation calls for giving a big push to farm investment especially keeping in view the plight of the entire developing nations. Though 60 per cent of South Asian countries are still dependent on this sector, yet the growth rate of this sector in particular leaves much to be desired. In the entire developing block, this is the reality emanating mainly from inadequate investment, rural infrastructure, research and development and inadequate diversification to high value crops. Side by side: non-availability of quality and cost-effective inputs, low efficiency of inputs use and fast-deteriorating soil health and water resources remain as the critical concerns. Agriculture requires a big push to realize the much coveted high growth rate vis-à-vis food security.

Actually, we are really entering into a difficult stage globally and nationally in agriculture. In Sri Lanka 32 per cent of country’s food requirements is met simply by imports for which the annual expenditure is around 100 billion Sri Lankan rupees. Dwindling food stocks and rising prices reflect the reality – the very concern, which, in turn, must be given top priority. Tackling the threat of climate change and reducing yield gap are the crying needs, among others.

Side by side, in many of the current analyses it is being pointed out that Thailand, for example, becomes one of the gainers out of these upward trends in food prices as this country produces surplus food grains. But what is the gain emerging from this trend so far as the farmers are concerned? Their plight remains more or less same and it is the middlemen chain who are gaining most of the prices that is obtained.

No denial obvious enough

So far, fast emerging economies like India are concerned with the fact remains that the ongoing trend is steadily moving in terms of registering quicker growth in agricultural productivity. Good going - growth and modern farm practices and inclusive technologies are being implemented in order to foster the rural growth process. It is also a fact that cellular technologies, wireless communication networks as well as GIS-based agro-software technologies are reaching rural India to disseminate vital information and updates on weather, farming technologies, fertilizers, livestock, commodity prices as well as stock markets.

Still, can we deny the stern realities? A huge number of villages still do not have access to advanced farming technologies and interactive communication networks, not to speak of the pace of rural electrification and clean drinking water availability. Is it not the appropriate time to broaden the sight and look at vital aspects – reidentifying policy dimensions and initiatives; capacity building through PPP, individual initiatives and joint ventures; boosting agri-business and agri-marketing; GIS mapping and harvesting trends; mitigating climatic change hazards; precision farming – optimum utilization of resources; leaning heavily on most modern agri-practises; micro-finance and micro credit and attaching top importance to food security?

Clearly: the real challenge that come in the way of making agriculture an instrument of development stay outside agriculture – managing the political risks (political economy of agricultural policies and simultaneously strengthening governance for implementation of these policies). The crucial need is to share the ideas, experience and expertise, setting up of a common seed bank, joint research centre, surveillance and early warning system between the nations. Investment and regional cooperation in research and development must be at the top of regional meets be it north or south. Building up partnership with the scientists and research bodies have now become more essential than ever before. Rapid technological innovation [innovation plus invention] is calling!!

Needless to say, the responsibilities are to be shouldered not only by banks, but also Government Departments; NGOs, Commodity Exchanges; agri-marketing and State Marketing Boards and of course the Extension Departments of various States. Time is ripe for a more well-knitted coordinated actions so as to : initiate inter-sectoral-linkages; progressive decision making, information sharing and performance improvement; capacity building; creating more opportunities for partnership building, development reorganization and capacity enhancement for the rural stakeholders.

In lieu of conclusion

FAO clearly opined – ‘The rate of growth in the world demand for agricultural products has slowed, because population growth has declined and fairly high levels of food consumption have been reached in many countries. Growth in demand will slow still further in the future. The world as a whole has the production potential to cope with the demands. However, developing countries will become more dependent on agricultural imports, and food security in many poor areas will not improve without substantial increases in local production.’

What is more: current estimates warn : farmers would in fact require 25 per cent more water by 2025 as compared to today’s level for producing food grains to feed domestic population! The water availability for agricultural purposes would go down by 10 to 12 per cent of what is available now if remedial measures are not taken at the earliest. Rightly, the Bangkok Conference referred to boosting renewable energy, combating wide-scale deforestation and improving the drives for energy efficiency so that the very issue of climate change could be tackled to the extent practicable.

Whatever it is: the entire position offers big challenges and the escape route is global cooperation in the agri-field – biggies and minnows have to join hands together for brighter days!!