WITH a growing global population and the effects of climate change looming, the issue of food production and food security is becoming increasingly critical.
Therefore national agricultural policies and programmes have to be tailored to meet the forthcoming challenges and difficulties that will inevitably arise in the process of ensuring food security. During the Food and Agricultural Organisation’s (FAO) High Level Expert Panel on ‘How to Feed the World in 2050?’, the organisation’s Director-General Jacques Diouf said that in order to keep up with a population that is expected to increase from 6.7 billion currently to more than 9 billion by 2050, investment in agriculture, particularly in developing countries, will need to be increased by more than five times the current investment level.
“The challenge is not only to increase global future production but to increase it where it is mostly needed and by those who need it most,” he said. “There should be a special focus on smallholder farmers, women and rural households and their access to land, water and high quality seeds … and other modern inputs.”
For the 300 delegates in attendance, identifying future food needs were one part of the forum’s goal; identifying potential solutions to these needs were another. These policy discussions set the table for the World Summit on Food Security held for world leaders in November 2009.
Guyana’s economy, which is agriculture-driven with a vast potential to dramatically increase food production, has a golden opportunity to capitalise on the anticipated massive global demand for food in the near future. However, in order to do so, it will have to develop the appropriate policies and strategy and equip farmers and other stakeholders with the requisite knowledge and skills.
In this regard, it is most encouraging to see that the Agriculture Ministry has begun a series of community consultations as part of the process of mapping out a food and nutrition strategy. This certainly provides an opportunity for people to make meaningful inputs into the strategy, which is in accordance with democratic principles.
It was also pleasing to note the first consultations began in Region Nine, where there are virtually limitless opportunities to increase agricultural output and food production.
It was only last year that this region made history when rice was reaped there for the first time in the country’s history. Some 10,000 acres of rice were reaped at Moco Moco.
The potential of Region Nine was acknowledged by Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud when he met the community of Aishalton.
“We recognise what your area can offer us in terms of opportunities in dealing with the food security situation, although you are sometimes vulnerable to bad weather, accessibility, and the topography of your landscape when it comes to climate change and your production,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of the strategy’s implementation, the minister said that it is always important to plan ahead, since there are constraints that can affect Guyana’s food quota.
Hinterland communities are oftentimes the most vulnerable to food insecurity, according to Minister Persaud, who noted that if a community does not have enough to eat, production and the community’s development would be hampered.
On the issue of planning ahead, the minister made a sound observation, because it is indeed a key issue with respect to the success of any policy, programme or strategy.
It is also good to see that the policy is one which focuses on both coastal and hinterland agriculture. For too long the emphasis on agricultural production has been along the coastland.
By spreading agriculture to the hinterlands it will not only enhance production but it will also serve as a mechanism to help reduce poverty which is at higher levels among the indigenous communities.
“We wanted to ensure that we do not leave hinterland communities behind, since the strategy not only focuses on coastal agriculture; and as part of government’s outlook, it is important that we allow communities, notwithstanding their location, to benefit from the developments that are being implemented,” the Agriculture Minister assured.