Everlasting Pandemic:Food Insecurity Crisis

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Food security is a big concern when looking at overall statistics. According to WFP statistics, hunger affected 783 million people in 2023

A poster showing World Food Day. Photo/Edugraph.

By Robert Mutasi

On 16th October 2024, the world celebrates World Food Day, which highlights one of the most crucial problems worldwide: food security.

This year’s theme will drive home that food is not a commodity but an inalienable human right. With this year also marking the 20th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food, the international community is called upon to take stock of global food security issues, particularly in the context of rising hunger and inequality.

Global Food Security Crisis

Food security is a big concern when looking at overall statistics. According to WFP statistics, hunger affected 783 million people in 2023, and 345 million people faced acute food insecurity.

This is exacerbated by the mixture of armed conflict, economic instability, and an increased manifestation of climate change. Such factors have caused massive displacement, disruption of food systems, and inflated food prices, especially in those areas that were already the most precarious.

In his speech to mark World Food Day, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO of the United Nations, underlined the fact that “the right to food is about dignity, not charity.” Still, the world is very far from turning that right into a tangible reality for all.

COVID-19, war actions in Ukraine, extreme weather-all this overburdens global food systems even more.

The war has seriously affected Ukraine, one of the largest global suppliers of grain, therefore seriously disturbing food availability in many developing countries.

This, in turn, has translated into more frequent and severe droughts, floods, and heatwaves due to climate change.

These events have direct implications for food production, particularly in the low-income world where rain-fed agriculture supports most poor people.

Thus, the ambition of Zero Hunger by 2030-a goal under SDGs-appears to be an unachievable feat.

Food Insecurity Challenge in Africa

Africa remains one of the most prone regions to food insecurity. Indeed, the continent is home to almost a third of the world’s population that experience hunger.

The other casualties include Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Nigeria. According to the reports by the WFP, such millions have been advanced into severe food insecurity due to factors such as conflict, climate-related shock, and economic downturns.

Food insecurity in Africa reached an estimated 278 million people in 2023-a high number indicative of the deeply entrenched challenges many countries on this continent are facing.

At least a few million people are staring at near-imminent starvation in the Sahel region because of recurring droughts and poor harvests.

This largely becomes a disaster for pastoralist communities that depend on their livestock for livelihood.

Many have had to resort to selling their animals at very low prices or leave their homes in search of food, continuing the ever-growing cycle of displacement and hunger.

It is no different in East Africa. The region is among the worst hit by drought in decades, characterized by mass food shortages.

Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia experience consecutive seasons of failed rains, cutting down crops and wasting livestock.

According to the FAO, this has resulted in the displacement of over one million people because of family migrations in search of food and water in Somalia alone.

Food Security: The National Challenge for Kenya

Food insecurity in Kenya has been a persisting issue, usually worsened by natural and artificial factors. The country that was once dependent on agriculture as the backbone of its economy is currently unable to feed its people.

According to the WFP, over 4 million Kenyans are presently suffering from hunger, although the burden of the crisis falls more heavily on children and women.

Drought, along with high food prices, has plunged many households into extreme poverty.

The most regrettable reality is in areas like Turkana and Marsabit, where rainfall is too little to even imagine.

Most families wake up every morning with the gnawing fear that they may not have anything to eat that day. Livestock, which is a very important source of livelihood, is rapidly dwindling due to lack of pasture and water.

Scarcity of food and resources has made many migrate in search of better living, thus creating conflicts due to the limited resources such as land and water.

On the national level, Kenyan food systems have been affected by the vicious circle of climate shocks and poor agricultural practices.

Small farmers have dominated Kenya’s agricultural producers, but small-scale farmers barely access the modern methods of farming, quality seeds, and fertilizers, which incapacitates them to increase productivity.

Secondly, post-harvest losses, due to poor storage and transport infrastructure, lead to food waste, which reduces the amount of food available in that country.

While the government has started some initiatives, with the help of international organizations like FAO and WFP, to counter the food insecurity challenges, the scale at which the problem is unfolding requires sustained responses across multiple dimensions. Food security transcends mere augmented production and focuses more on access and affordability.

There is a need for improved social safety nets, investment in climate-resilient agriculture, and, primarily, poverty reduction.

A Call to Action

On this World Food Day, millions out there don’t come close to celebrating. Hunger remains a killer, and proper food is still a fight each day for so many of its victims.

This occasion’s call by the FAO to “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future” must raise governments, organizations, and individuals into action as regards food insecurity.

This struggle against hunger requires cooperation at many levels, from changes in worldwide policy to local answers.

It mandates that governments invest in ecologically friendly agricultural practices, enhance food distribution systems, and build up social safety nets for the most vulnerable.

The international community, through agencies such as WFP and FAO, will be expected to keep on providing funding and other necessary resources to crisis regions.

Meanwhile, individuals can raise awareness and support initiatives fighting hunger.

In the words of QU Dongyu, “Our actions are our future,” and the time to act is now.

Food security is not only a question of supplies but also one of justice, dignity, and the right to life itself.

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