Food Security: More than Food Production! Brian Lim Researcher – Canadian Baptist Ministries

 Over 850 million people hungry, undernourished (source: FAO, 2006) “Give us this day our Daily Bread…” (from “the Lord’s Prayer” )  The Issue: Can hunger be eliminated and food security established by increasing food production?

= Food Production? Techniques/Technology: Green Revolution, chemical inputs, hybrid crops and GE foods Global economic policy: debt, trade, cash crops Water: access, climate change, pollution Sustainability: soil fertility, biodiversity Food Security HIV/AIDS, conflict, governance Energy: fertilizers, pesticides, transportation, mechanization

Food Security and Food Production Gains in Food Production (Source: FAO, 2006) % Increase  Global Crop Production*124  Cultivated land11  Irrigated land74  Use of phosphorous fertilizers265  Use of nitrogen fertilizers730 * Cereals, coarse grains, root crops Gains in production due to (1) intensive irrigation, (2) use of chemical fertilizer, (3) high yield crop varieties

Food Security and Food Production Increased demand for meat has led to factory farming of livestock Gains in Meat Production (Source: FAO, 2006) Cattle 41% Pigs 123% Chicken 267% (14.3 billion in 2000)

 Production is not the problem!  38% of grain harvested in world is used for livestock feed  >70% of antibiotics used in the USA is for livestock – antibiotic resistance Grain: Animal Weight conversion rate:  Feedlot cattle: 7:1, Pork: 4:1, Chicken: ≥2:1 Food Security and Sustainability

Loss of productive land: ~10,000,000 hectares/year due to: urbanization, industrialization, erosion, desertification, salinization, farming methods Overfishing: 75% of fisheries are being harvested beyond their sustainable capacity, compounded by water pollution, destruction of spawning areas and habitat (e.g. wetlands) Falling Grain Harvests: Grain production per person in kilograms: Food Security and Sustainability

Energy Issues with Industrial Farming Practices:  Farm equipment, mechanization  Heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides  Intensive irrigation (pumping and diversion of water)  Transport to market (Is the 100 mile diet possible?)  Food processing and preparation (Western diet heavy in processed foods)  Biofuels: corn, sugar, wheat – diverted to production of ethanol rather than human consumption  The cost of energy and food will rise!! Food Security and Energy

Canada: 7% world’s renewable freshwater, 0.5% world’s population Food Security and Water China: 9% world’s renewable freshwater, 20% world’s population Water, essential for life, is NOT evenly distributed around the world.

Growth in irrigated land area:  million hectares  million hectares Countries with serious issues of groundwater depletion:  India  China  USA  Pakistan Water requirement to produce 1 kilogram of: Beef: 15 cubic meters Cereals: 3 cubic meters

Food Security and Other Factors Global and Local Economy:  Crushing Third World debt  Cash crops (e.g. growing coffee for export vs. food for eating)  Agricultural subsidies and market access (food from West competes in African markets with food from local farmers)  Corrupt governance AND exploitative trade relationships War/Conflict, HIV/AIDS  Cause social and labour force disruption;  People are unable to engage in agriculture, so food production is disrupted;  People are unable to find other forms of employment, and are unable to buy or obtain food;

Good News: Changes are coming! Source: World Vision Canada, 2007  In 1970, 1 in 3 people living in developing countries was undernourished  In 1998, 1 in 5 people was undernourished  Improvement due not only to increased production, but multi- faceted approach

Summary: “Just Us” or “Justice”? Food security is more than food production! Food security is connected to sustainability, water and energy issues, as well as climate change, conflict, trade policies and HIV/AIDS We need to become more aware of our connections with others: Where does our food and water comes from? Who are the local and global farmers who produce our food? We need to work for peacemaking, fair and just economic relationships, and to stop climate change

References:  A Green Revolution for Africa: Hope for Hungry Farmers? Kenton Lobe, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, 2007  World Hunger, World Vision Canada, available online Justice/Educational- Resources/Pages/InternationalReliefandDevelopment.aspx, May 2007  “Food for Life”, Canadian Baptist Ministries, available online ppeal_backgrounder.pdf, June 2007  Putting Food on the Global Table, Oxfam Canada, 2000  The State of Food Insecurity in the World, FAO, 2006