Food Security: Fad or

Transcription

1 Food Security: Fad or Trend? Dunstan Campbell July 2009 Food Security and Agricultural Development in the Americas University of the West Indies

2 Overview of Presentation Food security has undergone considerable metamorphosis Presentation will examine: World Perspectives and interventions fad - punctual actions that do not add up trend cumulative actions within a specific time frame or over a period of time that would have long term effect on food security

3 Food Crisis: Yesterday and Today History of man rife with famines and localized food crises The Great Famine in Ireland: 1852 Bengal: China: Numerous examples in Africa 1973: First Global Food Crisis in peace time

4 1973 Global Food Crisis caused by: Supply issues: Poor weather Substantial fertilizer price increase Increase in oil prices Partial failure of green revolution Important signals that were NOT taken into account: Population growth Relative neglect of rural development Emphasis on organization and industrialization Shift in consumption patterns to meat-rich diets

5 2007 World Food Crisis 1973 Supply issues: 2007 Supply issues: Poor weather Poor weather Substantial fertilizer price increase Increase in oil prices Increased cost of inputs Increase in oil prices And: Partial failure of green revolution And: Trade restrictions Cost of transportation

6 1973 and 2007 World Food Crisis (cont d) 1973 Demand issues: 2007 Demand issues: Urbanization Urbanization Shift in consumption patterns towards meat rich diets And: Population growth Shift in consumption patterns And: Increase in demand for biofuel feedstock Speculation in financial markets

7 The coalescing of the demand and supply factors in a relatively short period of time led food scientists and developmentalists to describe the 2007 world food crisis as a perfect storm

8 Response to both Crises 1973: 2007 : UN World Food Conference in Rome (1974) UN High Level Meeting of Chief Executive Board in Geneva Pledges made but not honoured Pledges made but not honoured And: food used as weapon of Cold War And: FAO proposal for USD 17B to address crisis FAD OR TREND?

9 FAO s response to 2007 food crisis USD 75M of core funds to Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP) 2009 World Food Summit in November For FAO trend will always be to advocate for the peoples of the world especially those that are afflicted by hunger.

10 Food Security as a Concept Emerged out of world s first food crisis ( ): focus was on supply side issues (availability and volume/price stability) Issuing out of FAO s world food summit in 1974, first attempt to define food security: availability at all times of adequate food supplies of basic foodstuffs to sustain a steady expansion of food consumption and to offset fluctuations in production and prices Since then, considerable reconstruction of the official thinking on food security

11 Evolution of Food Security concept (cont d) Amartya Sen: problem of food unavailability was that the poorest could not have afforded it and thus did not have access to the available food Therefore, connection was made between food security, poverty and markets Shift also made from food security at the national level food security at the household level or vulnerable group level. For the first time, food affordability and vulnerable groups became KEY components in food security debate

12 Evolution of Food Security concept (cont d) 2 approaches emerged to address food security at the household level: FAO Livelihood Assessment approach: Capability Approach: Transformation of individual or community assets to produce a livelihood outcome Examines power relationships and substantive freedoms that facilitate or impede access to food

13 Evolving Concept of Food Security 1974 Global concerns over availability and stability in supplies 1983 Concept expanded to include access by vulnerable groups to available supplies 1986 Introduction of temporal dynamics of food security: Chronic vs. transient food insecurity Mid 1990s Expanded to include food safety, nutritional balance and food preference

14 Food Security: 1996 definition The definition which emerged out of the 1996 world food summit reflected the evolution and shortcomings of previous definitions: Food Security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

15 Emerging Trends from Food Crises At the international level: Land Grab Increased commitment to agricultural investment E.g. Maputo Declaration

16 African Commitment to Agriculture Development in % of countries at <5% expenditure 28% progressing with commitment at 5 10% (e.g. Benin, Chad, Nigeria, Sudan) 22% of countries above 10% (8 countries incl. Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Zimbabwe) Source: CAADP, 2009 Compliance with 2003 AU/Maputo Declaration on 10% in African countries

17 Trends emerging from Food Crises Regional level: Consumption of domestic production import Decline in agriculture production Continued lack of institutional support to domestic food production Continued lack of investment in agriculture

18 Important issues that shaped food security in the Caribbean Food crop production a by-product of the plantation system Most fertile land devoted to export crops Development of Agriculture Research: International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (ICTA, 1946) Regional Research Centre (1955) UWI Faculty of Agriculture (1962) CARDI (1975)

19 The watershed period for Caribbean Agricultural Development came in the 1970 s: region underwent rapid social, political and economic changes general increase in living standards due to increase in real income population growth rise of the tourist industry

20 Agriculture export performance declined between Agricultural Exports as a % of Total Exports (Goods and Services) Change in %age contribution Barbados 22% (1970) 6% (1998) Dominica 70% (1976) 24% (1999) Jamaica 14.6% (1976) 7.4% (1999) Belize 40.8% (1984) 29.2% (1999) Guyana 40% (1970) 25.9% (1999) Haiti 41.3% (1971) 8.7% (1998) Surianme 4% (1978) 8% (1997)

21 The region was ill prepared to grasp the opportunities that changing socio-economic transformation offered for domestic food crop sector. Lack of research, extension and financial support, choice of lands and the low education level of the domestic food crop farmers were factors that all acted prevented the building of a robust domestic food crop sector.

22 Attempts to reverse the situation 1975: Oil and Food programme initiated by Dr Eric Williams in Trinidad and Tobago 1980: Caribbean Food Corporation as part of a regional food production and marketing plan 2001: Nassau Declaration: the health of a nation is the wealth of a nation 2002: Jagdeo Initiative to create an enabling environment for regional investment in agriculture 2009: Port of Spain Declaration: 80% of people with NCDs to receive quality care and access to preventive education based on regional guidelines by 2012

23 The declarations made by our leaders have not resulted in any significant changes in the regional food security to date The Region s food import bill stands at USD 3.5 Billion and counting

24 Impact in changing consumption patterns Imported foods high in sugars, salts and fats and the reduced physical activities have contributed to the increasing prevalence of NCDs in the region 1997: cost of treating diabetes and hypertension due to obesity was USD 336M (CFNI)

25 Cost of treating NCDs due to Obesity Source: CFNI Caribbean Countries Cost of Diabetes (AVER) Due to Obesity (US $ M) Cost of Hypertension (AVER) Due to Obesity (US$ M) Total Cost (DM & HTA) Due to Obesity (US$ M) Total Cost (DM & HTA) Due to Obesity (% PHEx) Anguilla Antigua/Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Dominica Grenada Guyana Jamaica Montserrat St. Kitts/Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent/Grenadines Trinidad/Tobago Total/Aver. Caribbean % GDP

26 Prevalence of food deprivation and hunger in the Caribbean Trinidad/ Tobago Suriname St. Vincent/ Grenadines Generally trending downwards in the Caribbean Saint Lucia St. Kitts/ Nevis Jamaica Haiti Guyana Greneda Dom. Rep Dominica Belize Barbados Bahamas Source: CFNI Source: CFNI

27 % budget allocation for agriculture in the Caribbean Budgetary contribution to agriculture is generally under 2% and trend is stable or decreasing % budget allocation for agriculture Jamaica 1.4% (2008/09) Belize 1.4% (2007/08) Barbados 1.3% (2008) Trinidad and Tobago 1.4% (2008) St. Kitts 4% (2001) 1.5% (2008) St. Lucia 3.6% (2005) 4.74% (2009) Various sources

28 Conclusion The trend in food security in the Caribbean is an accumulation of faddish initiatives that just do not add up. Expenditure in the health sector due to NCDs (linked to obesity) is trending upwards. Food insecurity among the most vulnerable is now being linked to increasing incidence of crime and violence because of the lack of opportunities or substantive freedoms

29 Recommendations The creation of land banks with the institutional arrangements to support investors with adequate Research, Extension, marketing and finance, and farmer organization small farmers as investors, are an important part of the Region s investment landscape and are the most resilient and important asset for regional food security

30 Recommendations (cont d) Orientation of agriculture to achieve competitive import replacement Like the Maputo Declaration, Like the Maputo Declaration, governments in the region should consider setting a target of 5% of GDP towards agriculture over the next 10 years

31 Healthy, environmentally friendly and sustainable food supply at the cheapest price possible should be the trend to be embraced for sustainable food security in the region together with a comprehensive health education to reorient consumers of the importance of eating local foods.

32 Thank you