The Borlaug Blog

Dr. Maria Andrade

Global food security implies that all people throughout the world, including vulnerable groups such as the rural and urban poor, at all times have access to adequate quantities of safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. Food security is a right that should be embraced by all countries, irrespective of their level of technical, economic and social development. Food security is essential to a country but it is challenged by factors such as: lack of education and political instability; inadequate planning and policies; lack of transparency and improper governance, financing; slow paces in technology development and other governance issues. Improving these factors should contribute to improved food intake and less hunger. I believe that technology can contribute to the achievement of global food security.

The term technology is broad and is defined as the collection of techniques, skills, methods and processes in the production of goods. The technology required to be food secure is country-specific. It depends on physical environment, infrastructure, climate, culture, literacy, economic conditions and governance. Developing countries typically develop food security strategies following paths and processes that are different from those adopted by developed countries. In developing countries, technologies to achieve food security span a wide range of subject areas, including land preparation, soil and water management, seed production, weed management, pest and disease control, farm management, harvesting and such post-harvest practices like storage, processing, packaging, marketing and distribution. Efficient irrigation technologies, water harvesting and conservation techniques can address water constraints in sub-Saharan Africa. Poor soils, water scarcity, crop pests/diseases/weeds, and unsuitable temperatures are well-known to reduce the productivity of food crops, leading to low efficiency of input use, suppressed crop output and ultimately reduced food security. Post-harvest losses of crops carry the burden of all resources consumed in producing the harvest that is lost. Storage and processing technologies in root and tuber crops, such as cassava and sweet potato, minimizes rates of post-harvest spoilage. Pests and diseases are frequent constraints and can significantly reduce crop productivity. Some of the technologies hasten completion of a task and at a lower cost. Moreover, food diversity is very important to meet required nutrition levels.

Food security in developing countries is further complicated by social equality and political stability. People lacking food security will search for a better life elsewhere. Food insecurity and hunger have led to the displacement of millions, and migration brought about by food insecurity has destabilized several countries. Complicating the situation even more, even when people may have enough to eat, they still may be unhealthy due to poor diets that lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other malign conditions. Technology can help provide basic and extra food choices to vulnerable populations. This can come from improved crop varieties, for example orange-fleshed sweet potato added into a basket of purple- or white-fleshed sweet potato or iron rich beans. It can help restore political stability by ensuring that the production of food is based on: efficient agricultural activities; sustainable practices; high productivity from well adapted, improved crop varieties; dynamic employment and revenue generation for large numbers of people. Technology can support improved economic growth and social well-being; effective harvest and post-harvest practices to minimize food loss; effective storage and conservation practices to increase the value of harvested products; identification of high value added products to improve economic gains for processors and ensure long shelf-life and enhanced marketing of available foodstuffs at competitive prices, based on effective government policies.

Food security can be achieved by using knowledge of the best practices based on science. Technological packages have to be well chosen and be appropriate for local contexts so that they are used by a range of actors along the production to consumption chain. The effectiveness of the whole process will depend on location, farm sizes, farmer literacy, access to information and government policies and their enforcement. For example, some countries may use genetically modified seed whereas others will not. The choice will therefore depend on a deliberate, pragmatic and systematic analysis of the needs of each country.

Technologies used in achieving food security should ensure high quality food products. Low food quality exposes the population to poor nutrition and food safety issues, which in turn create a burden on the society, affecting overall socio-economic well-being. This issue of quality should be taken into account when making choices about types of staple crops, post-harvest practices and processing and packaging of finished products that are safe for consumption.

To ensure that food security is indeed global, the availability and use of technology should include a large number of trained professionals with the expertise needed in the different areas mentioned earlier. Training will be required, but without this there will be very little research and innovation, and adequately sized and dynamic businesses will not be developed to provide the needed sustained output of knowledge, skills and products.