Showing posts with label Publications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Publications. Show all posts

Monday, 20 April 2020

Global lock-down threatens food and nutrition security


The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed brought about major economic, social and political changes across the globe and life as we know has greatly changed. Markets, offices, schools and religious houses have been closed; major streets are now deserted while busy cities have been locked down in different countries. Amidst the imposition of curfews and restrictions of movement by various countries, one of the major concerns is how the pandemic impacts the food system. This is considering the frequent calls on citizens to stock up for a long haul thus increasing demand for food as well as affected food businesses that have had to close in the wake of the pandemic. It is now obvious that we require more than just technology to survive.

A post on the Bloomberg Opinion Instagram handle aptly read, the Corona Virus reminds us that were in our essence… creatures that cannot bite into bytes, eat algorithms or disinfect with bandwidth, as someone has to grow, harvest and deliver our food…” This emphasizes that the entire agricultural value chain is dependent on humans who must move from one place to another, thus, begging the question, how do we survive when availability due to inactivity becomes a problem?

An interaction with role-players in the agricultural sector across different countries revealed that current issues and fears in agriculture at this time include scarcity of agricultural commodities; inefficient supply chains; food-price volatility arising from the aforementioned as well as rising demands amidst a shortage of supplies; wastage/loss of agricultural commodities; shortage of agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and other agro-chemicals, considering individuals have since closed down businesses and are remaining at home; rejected exports due to border closure; slow imports for countries that depend mainly on imported food items; halted extension services; poor coordination of agricultural activities; fears of delayed/lost 2020 farming season; paused research efforts and so much more.

In Nigeria, as soon as the government announced its intention to lock down the three main States affected by the pandemic viz-a-viz Lagos – the commercial hub of the country, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – the country’s administrative capital and Ogun State due to its proximity to Lagos State to stem the spread of the virus, food prices doubled as many traders took advantage of the opportunity to exploit desperate consumers. Rural farmers on the other hand have gone ahead with activities in preparation for the 2020 farming season with an uninformed notion that the Corona Virus is an infection that affects only the rich. In addition, certain projects like the PIATA funded Fertilizer Systems Strengthening Project that seeks to promote the use of crop/site-specific fertilizers across four commodity value chains in the country has since been brought to an abrupt halt.

In a joint press briefing by the Presidential Task Force (PTF), the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), a journalist posed a question at the Federal Government’s representative as to what its plan was to deal with the Food and Agriculture Organizations predictions on looming food crises; while various responses were given, there was none that addressed this particular question. The FG does have plans beyond opening up grain reserves to meet the current food demands of the country’s population.

Reports from other parts of Africa show that the virus has not been spread to rural areas where a bulk of the continents farming population reside and operate from. In Ethiopia, similar to the case of Nigerian farmers, plans for the forthcoming farming season is ongoing as the government makes frantic efforts to get agricultural inputs across to farmers at subsidized rates, while in Zimbabwe reports of fatality arising from the virus has forced farmers to shun farming activities. In Kenya, there were reports of destroyed fresh roses as the pandemic had crashed the commodity’s demand in Europe although the government has made efforts to provide grains to its population amidst the lock-down.  It is reported that in Sierra Leone, on the other hand, farmers continue to encounter difficulties in accessing agricultural inputs.

While it is comprehensible that at the top of our minds is the urgent need to flatten the COVID-19 curve, also of great importance is the need to strengthen our food distribution systems. It is therefore imperative for stakeholders as a matter of urgency, to strategize on ways to ensure steady food production and supply within and after this period. This we must achieve bearing in mind the strong words of the Ghanaian President – Nana Akufo-Addo – that “although we know how to recover our economies after the pandemic, what we do not know how to do is bring the dead back to life” thus emphasizing the need to stay at home and strategize on ways to co-exist even as we physically stay apart in the interim.

Thank you for reading. Please remember to avoid being emotionally isolated from family and friends. Let’s focus on strengthening bonds even with the physical distance to maintain sound mental health amid anxiety, fear, confusion and uncertainty.

The Author

''As an agricultural enthusiast, I have long had a passion for contributing my quota to the growth and development of the Nigeria agricultural sector and this birthed an interest in research to see what and how precisely agricultural strategies are implemented in developed economies of the world and how they can be adapted to suit the Nigerian scenario''.



Wednesday, 12 February 2020

CURBING FOOD WASTAGE FOR ZERO HUNGER


How can we achieve food security if one-third of the food produced globally is wasted?
The first part of this article (here) gave a brief overview of the global status of food waste and proffered smart individual waste reduction practices such as to avoid overfeeding; making a shopping list before heading to the supermarket; checking the refrigerator before shopping to avoid buying what you already have and so on. These simple yet effective practices are important as it is often said that the best means to curb waste would be to not produce it at all.
Notwithstanding, other approaches can be adopted to manage food waste. These include: reuse or recycle (or up-cycle as it is sometimes called) the waste produced.

Reuse: This involves the use of food in its original form for other purposes such as redistribution to regions of inadequacy; as animal feed and as a good source of compost for home gardening. Basically, reusing food waste involves re-purposing without technological transformation to serve as raw material for other industries as is the case with recycling.

Image source: Google
Recycle: Despite being one of the most advocated approaches in food waste management, it has been stated previously that recycling is less sustainable in comparison with reuse of food waste, seeing as recycling can also produce waste and cause pollution in the treatment process. In spite of this line of thought, recycling of food waste is a fast-rising, profitable aspect of the agricultural value chain and is known to be an effective means of food waste management. This involves the transformation of avoidable (bread, rice, vegetables) and unavoidable (yam peels, eggshells, snail shells, orange peels) food waste into reusable forms like animal feed, organic fertilizers high in Calcium such as fertilizers produced from snail and eggshells, generation of sustainable and renewable energy as is in the case of biogas plant and so much more.

The environmental, social and economic impacts of food waste as stated in the last article cannot be overemphasized, thus, in aligning with the thoughts of Jasmine Crowe in a TedTalk on “what we’re getting wrong in the fight to end hunger” that we need to waste less to feed more and reduce the number of persons who are food insecure across the globe. It is imperative for governments and private individuals to intensify efforts especially in developing regions of the world like the sub-Saharan Africa where food is not only wasted as a result of poor infrastructural development but as a result of little-to-no awareness on waste management as well.

Farmers within this region are most affected as they painstakingly produce surplus with the hope of making huge profits but are often left disappointed as large quantities of these produces are left to waste owing to the inability to store, process or access existing markets outside their communities. Therefore, a good place to start would be to intensify sensitization of rural farmers who bear the most grunt of food waste. In the absence of immediate government infrastructural intervention programmes, they can be taught local recycling methods that would not only benefit the environment but also serve as another source of income thus, improving their livelihoods and contributing to the achievement of food and nutrition security.

Need I say that the gateway to achieving food security might just be to adopt effective means of redistributing food currently produced across the globe from regions of surplus to regions of the deficit, rather than focus on intensifying food production; but we just might never know if we fail to collectively combat food waste.




Author:

Ogbole Esther.
''As an agricultural enthusiast, I have long had a passion for contributing my quota to the growth and development of the Nigeria agricultural sector and this birthed an interest in research to see what and how precisely agricultural strategies are implemented in developed economies of the world and how they can be adapted to suit the Nigerian scenario''.

Wednesday, 8 January 2020

CURBING FOOD WASTE FOR ZERO HUNGER – How you can help.

By Ogbole Esther

Food waste in sub-Saharan Africa for me is personal because each day I live the experiences of massive waste in times of surplus (harvest months) and severe lack and hunger during the 'off' season. Over the years, I have come across very interesting quotes on food waste which has motivated me to take action, such as;
·        Dont bite off more than you can chew! – Anonymous
·        Someone is dying for the food youre throwing away! – Anonymous
·        You paid good money for that, why throw it away? – Anonymous
Of the many quotes I have come across, one that constantly comes to mind; reminding me of the effect of food wastage on the future generation is, Todays wastage is Tomorrows shortage”.

The state of Food Waste in sub-Saharan Africa


''A report published in 2013 estimated that up to 50 percent of the world’s food production ended up in the trash bin. In wealthy countries this food is often thrown away at the consumer and retail level due to excessive purchases and portions or ridiculous standards for food appearance and shape. In poor countries food ends up being lost before it even reaches the table due to lack of infrastructure, poor refrigeration, or unreliable transportation''. In fact, the FAO estimates that Africa as a whole loses enough food annually to feed 300 million, or nearly a third of all of Sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, over 200 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are today undernourished''.


Food waste along the value-chain

Although Paffit, Barthel and MacNaughton (2010)  suggested  that food waste may occur along different stages of the food supply chain, vis-a-vis harvesting, threshing, drying, storage, processing, product elevation, packaging, marketing and distribution, post-consumer and end of life; food wastage at post-consumer stage cuts across different individuals in the society irrespective of whether you are a producer, processor, distributor or consumer. Thus, Alexander, Gregson & Gille (2013) stated that food waste at this stage – post-consumer – has received the most attention over the years.
According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation – food waste not only has social and economic effects but environmental effects as well; referring to food wastage as a missed opportunity to improve global food security. This is because it reduces food availability, depletes or wastes resources used in production, processing and distribution, negatively affects the efforts of farmers, whilst silently depleting the income of consumers and polluting the environment simultaneously. Summarily, food waste weakens the food system.
Beyond the numerous implications food waste has on a society, an important one is the deprivation of essential nutrients we may need tomorrow, which is why it is important to adopt simple measures in addition to structural changes such as recycling wastes, public sensitization, providing electricity for improved storage and formulating policies to checkmate food waste as well as support organizations that promote sustainable food systems.

Wondering how you can reduce your food waste and help achieve food security?

·     shopping smart (buy only what you can consume per time)
·    make a shopping list before each shopping, buy ugly fruits – whether they are crooked or have a protruding back – because they contain as much nutrients as the good-looking fruits
·      avoid over-feeding (eat just as much as you need)
·     check your fridge before shopping (this saves you buying what you already have) 
·        buy loose fruits and vegetables as against pre-packaged ones just to ensure you buy the exact quantity you need,
·   encourage the establishment of urban and school gardens to inspire kids to get involved in the production of the fruits and veg they love.

Engaging in these little habits in addition to government efforts will ensure we fulfill a moral obligation that involves ensuring that food is available for all by avoiding food wastage because to throw food away means to throw people away” – Pope Francis.

My name is Ogbole Esther Ojonugwa, a graduate of General Agriculture with a major in Agricultural Economics from the Federal University of Technology, Minna – Niger State, Nigeriacurrently undergoing a Masters Degree Programme in Agricultural Economics at the University of Abuja. 


References

FAO (2018): Food Loss and Waste and the Right to Adequate Food. Right to Food Discussion Paper
Alexander, C., Gregson, N. & Gille, Z. (2013). Food Waste. 10.13140/2.1.2239.2964.
Paffit J., Barthel M., and MacNaughton S.(2010): Food Waste Within Supply Chains: Quantification and Potential for Change to 2050. The Royal Society. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0126

Tuesday, 17 December 2019

Apply for the 2020 HG4RR Exchange Programme.

Image result for seeds
Deadline: 15 January 2020.
The main objective of the Home Gardens for Recovery and Resilience (HG4RR) Network is to establish an international network of experts (researchers and practitioners) to advance our knowledge on topics related to home gardens, resilience, food security, emergencies and interventions. In facilitating research exchange and building capacity, the HG4RR network aims to study how informal small-scale home gardening acts as a coping strategy tool to strengthen the food security and resilience of vulnerable households living under extreme uncertainty and susceptible to negative shocks. In addition, we aim to better understand the effects home gardens might have beyond material outcomes (access to food), such as on improved livelihoods or women’s empowerment.
The research stays can last up to two months, and you do not need to have published to apply for funding. 

Saturday, 16 November 2019

Apply: The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation to improve the production and distribution of food.

Deadline: 1 January 2020
Image result for The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation to improve the production and distribution of food.
The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation is seeking applications to protect natural resources, improve the production and distribution of food, and promote public health in AsiaAfricaLatin America, and the Middle East. The foundation supports projects that demonstrate local leadership and promote professional development in the conservation, agricultural, and health sciences; develop the capacity of local organizations; and address a particular problem or question in the field. It prefers to support projects that address under-funded issues and geographic areas. 


Fields of Interest
The foundation supports special projects and programs of non-governmental organizations in three areas: conservation, food, and health. Examples of areas of interest within these fields follow, but are not meant to be exclusive.
Conservation
Conservation grants help improve ecological and environmental conditions in low- and middle-income countries.  The foundation supports field research and related research activities, training, and technical assistance efforts that:
  • help conserve ecosystems and protect biodiversity
  • train local leaders in conservation and protection of resources, with an emphasis on technical and scientific training
Food
Food grants help research-based efforts to improve food and nutrition security and improve natural resources and ecosystems.  Areas of interest include projects that:
  • promote or develop specific sustainable agriculture practices with potential to advance science and practice in other countries;
  • test and refine innovative education and training interventions for small scale farmers; and
  • advance new approaches to control pests and diseases affecting important food crops in low-income countries.
Health
The foundation supports public health programs that focus on populations rather than individuals.  It funds programs that emphasize disease prevention and health promotion over those that emphasize disease diagnosis, treatment, and care.  It supports research, technical assistance, and training projects that:
  • improve public health through community-based efforts that address health promotion, disease prevention, family planning, and reproductive health; and
  • increase the understanding and treatment of neglected tropical diseases

Click to apply.