One of the most significant problems in our world today affects about one third of the global population. The issue concerns basic factors of human survival, and it must be addressed in order to tackle other issues plaguing the human race. The issue in question, and this month’s Featured Theme, is Agriculture and Food Security.
Nearly 2 billion people worldwide are, on a regular basis, unable to grow or get enough food to eat- and a staggering 75% of those most lacking food security live in the most rural areas in the least developed countries of the world. Whether due to conflict, drought, flooding or disease, food security and sustainable agriculture are unstable realities for most of the world’s poor. A number of facts help to make it very clear just how critical... (more)
One of the most significant problems in our world today affects about one third of the global population. The issue concerns basic factors of human survival, and it must be addressed in order to tackle other issues plaguing the human race. The issue in question, and this month’s Featured Theme, is Agriculture and Food Security.
Nearly 2 billion people worldwide are, on a regular basis, unable to grow or get enough food to eat- and a staggering 75% of those most lacking food security live in the most rural areas in the least developed countries of the world. Whether due to conflict, drought, flooding or disease, food security and sustainable agriculture are unstable realities for most of the world’s poor. A number of facts help to make it very clear just how critical this issue is in our supposedly modern, technologically and
culturally advanced society: up to 6 million children a year die of hunger and malnutrition-related diseases, and what’s more shocking is the majority of these illnesses are entirely treatable. These unnecessary victims of malnutrition contract pneumonia, measles, malaria, and other infectious but potentially non-fatal diseases- all because they are so weakened by the lack of a regular and nutritious diet that their bodies’ immune systems cannot fight off suffered illnesses. Moreover, the absence of cheap and accessible antibiotics and medicines to prevent and treat illness is readily felt in rural areas of third world countries, where infant mortality rates are highest.
Food Security is an important concern especially in the third world nations with the increasing rate of population growth. With globalization and the increased ease of mobility, the need for food security is also strongly felt by the developed part of the world.
In order for other critical issues to be addressed- such as the eradication of poverty and disease, and the improvement of literacy and mortality rates worldwide- acute hunger and malnutrition must be focused on collectively by governments (of Western countries, but also- perhaps more importantly- of the developing nations where these issues are most significant), politicians, policy makers as well as citizens
from all countries. The issue of food security and agriculture must be focused on as it is one of the root causes of most epidemics threatening humanity. Being that the elimination of poverty and hunger is the first Millennium Development Goal, it follows that achieving or at least striving towards this possibility is necessary for accomplishing subsequent MDGs, and ensuring a viable future- one in which the majority of the world’s children do not go to bed hungry at night.
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