By Grace Samuel
The issue of global food consumption and its political implications remains controversial, especially in light of increasing food deficits in the Global South.
Aid agencies are concerned about the wastage of food by wealthier countries, which have some of the largest food production systems. Calls are growing to invest in rural agriculture, build resilience, and address climate change in poorer nations.
While Africa still struggles with food security, global food production is more than enough to address the crisis. However, there is a need for investment in rural agriculture to achieve these goals, particularly in attracting investment in the agriculture sector in African and other countries in the Global South.
Climate calamities disproportionately affect poorer nations, highlighting the urgency of building resilience in vulnerable communities. There is also a need to invest in rural women and men to combat hunger, reduce poverty, promote sustainable food production, and address climate change.
For every dollar invested in resilience, up to ten dollars can be saved in future humanitarian assistance. Smallholder farmers, who produce the majority of the world’s food, often go hungry, and there is a disconnect between food production and consumption habits in wealthier countries, leading to significant food waste.
The bulk of food waste occurs in Western countries, where eating for pleasure rather than hunger is prevalent. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that over 1.6 billion tonnes of food are lost from the field to the table, highlighting the challenges in addressing global hunger.
Building resilience to counter climate change-induced food insecurity is seen as crucial to addressing persistent global hunger. Despite commitments from several African countries to invest in agriculture, the slow release of climate finance by wealthier nations has hindered these efforts.
Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events contribute to lower crop yields, reduced livestock productivity, and increased food prices. Investment in climate solutions, such as resilient crops, livestock breeds, irrigation systems, and storage facilities, is vital to protect against extreme weather events.
Climate shocks and stresses impact global food systems at all levels, undermining development efforts. However, concerns remain that efforts to achieve zero hunger by 2030 could be jeopardized by other global crises, such as conflicts and wars.
To address these challenges, a New Global Financial Pact and institutional reforms are needed to ensure the benefits of globalization are distributed to all and provide safety nets for all countries in times of trouble.