THE FOOD CRISIS

10 years ago | Posted in: Articles | 1180 Views

Every 3.6 seconds, the time it takes you to a bite of food, a person dies of hunger or malnourishment. Hunger is a problem that has been around since the beginning of time, but it is everything but yesterday’s issue. It is very real today and starving people are still growing. Food is the basic need and right of all the human beings. It is the responsibility of a state to provide the masses with food and other basic needs. Agricultural sector, being the second biggest sector and employing almost 45% labor force, is an asset for our country. This sector has been instrumental not only in feeding the local people but also exporting the food commodities to the other countries. When the basic necessities and needs are met people divert all their energies towards the betterment of the country. But, the people entangled in the crises of basic commodities of life are indifferent of the progress of the country.

A leader or a man of action in a crisis almost always acts subconsciously and then thinks of the reasons for his action

Food crisis can be defined as “When all the people at all times do not have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet the dietary needs and food for performance of an active and healthy life.” The dramatic rise and volatility of food prices over the last year have shaken the global food system. Governments and the international development community generally have responded to various aspects of the food crisis, but questions remain about whether the right actions are being pursued, how best to respond, and what the future holds. Increased demand on the food supply has caused the price of food to rise.  The numerous contributors to the rise in cost and the reduction in supply include biofuels, bad weather, the historically high cost of oil and transportation, increased demand for meat and dairy, and population growth. According to Vidal (2007), “There is no one cause but a lot of things are coming together to lead to this. It’s hard to separate out the factors.” Global population is continuing growing nowadays; Eating habits are changed in many regions all over the world, especially in China and India. Population growth is one of the most important causes of food shortage. According to Gritzner and Charles (2010, 60), “By mid-century there will be some 9 billion people—an increase of 2 billion more people than today—eating at the global dining table.”   This means that demand for food will continue to increase over the coming decade.
By: Ammara Siddique

 

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