It’s the world food day.
The theme of the year is grow, nourish and sustain together.
Covid took from us the false food security that we all had. Suddenly there was lack not of food but of distribution so that made it so.
After that came the locust attack the worst one in the past 27yrs causing damage to agriculture.
Its time probably that we took a step back and looked at what is. World food day this marks the 75th anniversary of food and agriculture organization of United Nations.
India has a food security bill since 2013 it converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes of govt. Of India. This includes things like mid day meals, child development service and public food distribution system. It is to ensure that food reaches people who need it.
India’s #zerohungerchallenge has earmarked 2030, this does not mean just an increasing in food production it also means identifying appropriate diet, it also means appropriate food distribution. This is India’s greatest challenge… Puttur is a small village near Udupi, where midday meals was is given till about 5yrs ago villagers donated locally grown red rice and locally grown vegetables and coconuts. So rice and vegetable used to serve to the children with a glass of milk. Suddenly the government took over the supply so this rice that was delivered dropped in quality; there were worms, and stones. The rice was white rice again healthy for coastal terrain. Vegetables were supposedly more nutritious so carrots and cauliflowers came in from the vegetable market and they were usually sack full of almost rotting vegetables. This defeats the goal of food security.
Food security exists when all people at all times have the physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active life.
The next challenge is the drop in agriculture sector all in the name of development. Soil erosion, water table reduction, sand mining have all played havoc with the agriculture sector. In India the newest economic fast road that is being built between Delhi and Bombay has consumed large chunks of agriculture land all in the name of development. With these factors in mind USA has adopted what they call as regenerative agriculture.
Regenerative agriculture allows players across the current food system to use their skills, assents and drive to bring about the transformation which as of today focuses of efficiency and profit maximisation for a few to one that is more driven to maximizing access to nutrition for all, it is also about giving back to both the environment and society more than what it takes out.
The cartography of this has 7 signposts to transformation
- Create financial mechanisms and market structures that support regenerative outcome.
- Empower farmers to build coalitions at grassroots level
- Shape policy to build a resilient agricultural economy
- Build and demonstrate the business case for regenerative practise.
- Engage with consumer to increase demand for regenerative practise.
- Prioritize nutritional benefits to establish healthy diets.
- Mobile land owners to enable regenerative practises.
Like I mentioned before we are now a society that deals with excesses on one end, that is obesity and obesity related disease and hunger on the other. The ultimate effect on both ends is malnutrition. This is a huge space to bring awareness about.
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