Providing an alternative means of farming is a practical way to curb food insufficiency that could lead to better outcomes and solutions for the long-term supply chain in the continent.
A press brief by Oxfam in Nigeria on September 8, 2022, reviewed that the unequal global food system is unsustainable for people and the planet, hence calling for urgency on how the world feeds its people.
According to the statement, the combination of extreme inequality and poverty, human rights violations, conflict, climate change, and sharp food and energy price inflation, accelerated by the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic, has caused the server impact of hunger in the homes of millions
It said this situation has profits the world’s main food traders making them billionaires in the food and agribusiness sector as their collective wealth increased by S382bn (45%) over the past two years.
Oxfam laments that there are adequate tools needed to respond to this worsening hunger, yet countries are unserious to implore the strategy the crisis demands.
Noting that the “Current debates on food and hunger need to be reframed to work towards a real, fundamental change to a just food system – shifting from an industrial, exploitative and extractive model to a local and sustainable one, which contributes to climate resilience and the realization of the right to food while reducing inequality and poverty.
“To tackle the immediate food price inflation and to ensure all people can access affordable food, governments should urgently implement progressive taxation measures and use them to invest in powerful and proven measures that reduce inequality, such as universal social protection schemes. Social protection mechanisms and food access must be reinforced in all countries.
“Governments, donors, and food companies must rebalance the power in food supply chains, and ensure that the rights of the farmers and workers producing our food are respected. More support should be directed to farmers and agricultural workers to expand sustainable domestic and local food production. This would reduce dependence on international markets, which exposes countries to supply disruptions and price fluctuations. It is essential that small-scale farmers in low-income countries are supported in having more access to funding, infrastructure, inputs, and markets, and that their land rights are protected.
“As there is no shortage of food in the world but a problem of unequal distribution of affordable food, increasing agricultural production is not the solution. Instead, we must address the unstainable use of farmland, for example for biofuel production. Rich countries must revise their unsustainable biofuel policies. Subsidies and tax exemptions that incentivize the diversion of agricultural production to fuel production should be dismantled.
“International trade rules often negotiated to benefit and protect farmers in rich countries – must be reshaped, with greater space for low-income food-deficit countries to adjust their levels of food imports and exports, and invest in domestic food production. There should be tighter regulation of food commodity markets and their transparency must be increased, including by improving data on food stock levels. The development of strategic food reserves should be supported, given the role that stocks can play in buffering the impacts of food crises. New rules should also be implemented to prevent excessive financial speculation from fuelling food price volatility. These are all essential structural reforms in the interest of a sustainable and resilient food system.
“Finally, there will be no sustainable end to hunger without gender justice. Real and radical action must be taken on women’s rights if we are to end hunger and the inequality that underlies it. There is still too little concrete action to ensure that the rights and interests of women are prioritized. Public policies must be enacted that facilitate women’s access to inputs, resources, and services, and guarantee their land rights. The statement ended.
