Potential worsening of food insecurity: what to do?

There is no doubt that this severe health crisis is also a much more severe economic crisis, and therefore a very severe crisis of all the production sectors, including the food production and food supply chain sectors. 

It is very obvious, and it does not require too much efforts or scientific data to practically see and feel the severe expectations, and the situation will not be easy at all for all countries, especially the less developed and poor.

 

Unfortunately, the most important security system for humanity (food security) will for sure worsen very severely, unfortunately very soon. The more than 800 hungry and over 2000 million food insecure people will unfortunately increase drastically, very soon. Food availability will decrease tremendously very soon due to many obvious causes (very slow and most probably negative economic growth, laid off of many workers in all types of economic activities and sectors of life, decreased production, slow down and may even cut off of many services such as transport, distribution, logistics, and many others, and thus decreased distribution and decreased availability of foods, over buying, deterioration and wasting due to unavailable techniques and labor, etc, etc). 

It has only been very few weeks since this problem started, and most world population are not observing daily life, but it is obvious that most economic activities are in halt, in a way never before not even during times of global wars, and it looks like that we are in this for long, and the expectations are severe. Examples are too many and overwhelming. Only very few weeks ago Mexico was worried that its economy will grow only about 1% this year, when it is supposed to grow at least 4%. Well, it looks like it will be 4%, negative. Very sad pictures are circulating such as the Dutch flower auction workers throwing away and demolishing 80% of the beautiful tulip and flowers of the Netherlands, one of its main economic industry and something that has never been seen in more than 100 years of the establishment of the famous Amsterdam flower auction. Sad examples of negative growth and halting of industries are seen all over the globe, and these will affect all and everything, and most importantly will most negatively affect the most important world security; the food security. 

I see absolutely no strategy been even discussed to face this severe food insecurity crisis, not by the United Nations, not by governments and nor by NGOs, for very obvious reasons: everyone is isolated, asked and in fact forced to be isolated, and everyone is under fear, even the heads of powerful states. Everyone on earth will be severely negatively affected by the crisis of food insecurity, developed and less developed, rich and poor, but as always, the ones that will be hit hardest will be the poor and the displaced, which are too many already and will be much more by the day. This sounds pessimistic, and many will take it as so. For example, I see some press releases from some organizations such as FAO indicating that sufficient food is available globally. I understand that this might be a good thing to say and to do to calm the population and especially to try to curb the hysteria of over buying, but next few days will show a different story, and it is very important to start doing something about it.     

What to do? 

Securing food for humanity has never been easy, and it is safe to say that it has never been accomplished. Until few weeks ago, with optimum economic activities, and with food production at its historic highest, more than 800 million people worldwide go to bed every night with an empty stomach. Although hundreds of millions suffer from diseases related to excess of food (such as obesity, and all the health disasters related to it such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems and cancer), at least 2000 millions are food insecure, and worst, people are dying daily in every single country on earth due to hunger. Official statistics in Mexico, one of the best food production country on earth, indicate 2 deaths every 24 hours, strictly due to hunger. This gloomy fact exists in every single country including the richest and most powerful, but I assume that many countries has never and will never report it because it is shameful. Therefore, and although we were not doing well when our food production was at its historic high, we should worry very much now that food production (just like other production industries) is practically on hold.   

The United Nations organization responsible for global food security if FAO, and I sincerely hope that they are very worried, and working even hardest that few weeks ago on actions to fight the crisis of food insecurity, harder. FAO efforts have never been enough to solve the problem, and therefore, all sectors (academics, scientists, NGOs, private sector, etc) must direct all their efforts to this pressing crisis, and most importantly do it in a collaborative teamwork. 

However, immediate public actions are of pressing need. 

Some of the things that the public can do to help:

Do not over consume. I am convinced, not at this time, but for the last few decades, that the very obvious over consumption has caused major harm all over the world, including the terrible increase in obesity and health related problems. Maybe this crisis can teach us to naturally solve this terrible problem, so consume less: it is healthy for you and much healthier for the whole planet. There is absolutely no need for over consumption. I am sure that this is easier said than done, because it requires enormous educational campaigns. It is urgent in many countries and communities, especially the affluent ones. 

Do not over buy. Over buying only results in problems and no benefits at all: it results in over consumption and its health consequences, over wasting and much worst consequences including contamination, let alone taking food away from people who needs it.

Grow your own food, as much as you can. Most food items (grains, vegetables, and even of animal form)  can be grown practically everywhere, and at any space, obviously varying on what to grow depending on availability of resources, different spaces, and different weather conditions. Everyone can grow something even inside small apartments, in balconies, in small gardens, etc. Seeds or vegetative pieces of consumed food items can be reproduced, some of them very easily.  Internet is full of programs and information showing how to be easily done. From one hand one can produce healthy own food, and from the other stay away from the sedentary life, the poisonous social networks and news media. 

Process and preserve your food. Many food preserving processes are available and easily done at home to maintain food for longer of times and to reduce wasting. Fresh food items scan be kept better and longer at lower temperature (refrigerated) and under higher humidity (depending of the food type). All types of food items can keep for years after freezing or drying (depending on type of food). Drying can be dying in several forms at home: sun (natural) drying, oven drying, using sugar or salts. Internet is full of programs and information showing how it is done.   

And, most importantly: STOP wasting food. We have to go back to the very old days, 5-6 decades ago, where food has been much more appreciated, much more taken care of, consumed less, processed for protection, and practically never wasted. Wasting food, has been the worst results of the affluence of the last few decades and the worst cause of food insecurity in the last decades, the terrible deterioration of many of earth’s natural resources, and to blame for most environmental contamination. So, one of the very important immediate solutions to reduce the crisis of global food insecurity is to severely reduce food losses and food waste, especially in affluent countries and communities. Tremendous amount of work is needed here, especially developing educational campaigns.

It is time where not only very hard work, but in fact activism in a collaborative manner, are most needed so that this severe crisis will not result in a global devastation. 

Please keep safe, but work harder.