Role of Agriculture in Food Security

Role of Agriculture in Food Security

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Role of Agriculture in Food Security

Robbin Johnson in his article Food Security: the Role of Agricultural Trade gives an accurate depiction on the need to streamline food production and trade for purposes of ascertaining food security. The author has served in various public offices such as the Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs accrediting his status for the article. In addition, the author has been a member of the Doha Agricultural Negotiations since 1992. According to the author, food security is essentially about attaining reliable access to sufficient and nutritious food stores for purposes of halting chronic hunger, crisis, and stunted socioeconomic development (Johnson, 2009). Given that the nutritious value of food is met, the second factor vital to development is safety and healthy production. Present agricultural trade has failed to capture the two concepts effectively resulting in developmental niches in different parts of the globe. In order for elevated agricultural production, the agriculture trade system requires reassessment for stable and consistent global development.

Food security occurs when all individuals have sufficient access safe and nutritious meals at affordable prices in order to meet their daily physiological requirements and food preferences (Johnson, 2009). This principle on the population and the economic cost of food security is one that has not been captured mostly in third world countries. Nearly three billion of people in the globe live under two dollars per day limiting their access to nutritious food (Johnson, 2009). The resultant effect is more than half of the world’s disease constraint. The poverty rate is facilitated by the population growth rate that supersedes the growth rate of economies. The population growth since 1960 has increased by two percent each year while the economic growth has been unstable both rising and falling in the past three decades (Johnson, 2009). The cost variability, supply consistency, and capacity to purchase foodstuffs remain a great concern for many people.

Food security is a problematic issue for all governments because of its economic significance in assuring political stability. In order to ascertain food security, several limitations in closed markets need to be overcome. In general, the constraints are in high cost approaches that range from unfavorable climatic conditions, access to tolerant grains and seeds and insufficient sizes of arable land (Johnson, 2009). Many developing countries counter the resource-based problems through formulation of policies such as agricultural system taxations and overvalued trade rates. This policies further stress agricultural production. Sustainability necessitates an elevation of subsidies, protection of trade routes, and a cognitive transformation from marginal to absolute trade patterns. In practicality, these are import quotas, fixed price guarantees, and surplus dumping to domestic producers (Johnson, 2009).

The article is accurate in its narration on agricultural trade. The content follows the internationalization process in the modern market. Given that third world countries have the greatest potential for food production, it is vital to eradicate poverty in order to improve production from domestic to global scales (Mehra & Rojas, 2008). Countries that can afford agricultural guarantees should invest heavily in export subsidies and credits for farmers. For countries that cannot afford the guarantees, the international market should equally elevate foreign aid and production streamlining. Efforts to unite and negotiate food production result in improved performance. Traditional trade patterns normally follow colonial ties benefiting countries that do not require economic assistance. Shifts in the agricultural trade patterns will benefit less performing countries elevating their food producing capacities that in turn will ensure food security.

References

Johnson, Robbin. (2009). Food Security: The Role of Agricultural Trade. IPC Discussion Paper. 1. 1. 1-23.

Mehra, Rehka & Rojas, Mary Hill. (2008). Women, Food Security and Agriculture in a Global Market Place. International Centre on Report on Women Report. 1.2. 2-20.