Global Food Crisis

President George W. Bush of the United States of America has said that newly rich Indians are eating more hence the food crisis all over the world. It will be of interest to go back some decades in time and recollect the words of Winston Churchill the then Prime Minister of United kingdom who said…

Written by

DR. M.S. QURAISHY

Published on

June 19, 2022

President George W. Bush of the United States of America has said that newly rich Indians are eating more hence the food crisis all over the world. It will be of interest to go back some decades in time and recollect the words of Winston Churchill the then Prime Minister of United kingdom who said that Indians were eating more because of their increased income during the war time hence the famine in India. This reflects a particular mindset of western leaders who tend to blame others for their faults or out of their ignorance of realities.

The present food crisis is because of various reasons. Expert analysts seldom look into the fact that there has been a major change in food habits of the people in many parts of the world. In Africa people who were used to eating locally produced yam and plantain have switched over to sliced wheat bread and butter. Arabian desert inhabitants who were happy and healthy eating fresh delicious dates and drinking camel milk now eat burgers and KFC and drink junk colas. All these are Western gifts to simple people. So the shortage is in theses Western implanted foods and not in the original indigenous foods. Bad habits and wastage are responsible for much of the crisis.

As far India is concern change in food habits is no doubt a cause for food shortage but the major cause has been complacency. We remember that there was a time when India was short of food grains and imported food to feed its people but the discovery of high yielding seeds brought about the green revolution and India became a surplus country exporting food grains to other countries. But since then there has been no improvement in the quality of seeds and India has lost the advantage. Indian scientists and technologists have to work hard to develop high yielding seeds to increase the food production to feed our own people and help other people as well.

It is for the agricultural scientists to decide if genetically modified crops which will reduce the use of fertilizers and chemicals and also conserve water can help ease the global food problem by bringing another green revolution. It may conserve soil fertility by avoiding salinity which is caused by over use of chemicals and fertilizers. The country must invent technology and modern scientific methods to advance forward.

There have been violent demonstrations in many parts of the world against rising food prices which have increased many folds. The individual countries and governments will have to tighten their belts and look to their own resources and find means and ways to feed their populations because prices in world market may be higher than these countries. How much the United Nations World Food Programme can help is anybody’s guess.

It is said that an important reason for the crisis has been the drought in Australia which is a major wheat exporting country. But that is a natural calamity for which only bad luck can be blamed. Perhaps defective food policies by different governments could be the major cause for the present Global Food Crisis.

Every country has to tighten its belt and prevent wastage of food in whatever form it may be. There is enough visible wastage all around us. Every citizen has to be conscious enough to see that there is no wastage. Indian scientists and technologists have to strive hard to keep improving the quality of high yielding seeds not only to feed our nation but to help the neighbouring countries and if need be the entire world. We should prove that we are a benevolent people and we care for all humanity.

What about the ever rising crude oil prices which no doubt have caused a major upheaval in world economy? This has affected world food supply also in a major way. Who benefits from these rising oil prices? The producer in part and the major profit goes to the Western Oil companies. The devastation in Afghanistan and Iraq has caused more harm to world economy and wasted human resources in a big way.

Many analysts and experts say that not only in India but the world over some sort of population regulatory mechanism is needed because they think the uncontrolled growth of population will negate the scientific efforts to feed the growing population. But this argument does not carry much weight. With the same growing population we in India brought about the famous Green Revolution. Why we cannot do it with political will and right scientific efforts including genetically modified crops?

Dr. M. S. Quraishy
5A Suharwardy Avenue
Kolkata 700017
INDIA
Phone: 033-22 897517