The world is grappling with food insecurity, with approximately 780 – 800 million people suffering from hunger globally. However, experts believe that the world produces enough food to feed the global population. The issue lies in distribution, logistics and making nutritious food consistently available and affordable.
Addressing this critical issue, a panel convened at the ET NOW GBS 2024 to deliberate on strategies aimed at ensuring food security. Bringing together perspectives from government officials, research institutions, and private sector representatives hailing from India, Indonesia, The UAE and Nigeria, the discussion sought to devise actionable solutions.
Moderating the session was Sudhakar Tomar, President of the India Middle East Agri Trade Alliance, who set the stage by emphasizing, “The crux of the matter lies in ensuring the right quantity of food, priced appropriately, offering optimal nutritional value, and reaching the right individuals.”
Temina Lalani-Shariff, Regional Director, South Asia, CGIAR explained how agriculture contributes significantly to climate change while also being deeply impacted by it. She emphasised investing in innovations like climate-smart crops and digital agriculture to build resilient food systems. Greater public-private partnerships are key for scaling new solutions.
Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India highlighted India’s journey from food deficiency in the 1950s to being a supporter of $50 billion worth of food annually. However, he pointed to the need for focused research on improving yields and climate resilience, especially for pulse crops.
Rajesh Srivastava, Chairman of Rabo/Ferns Equity Advisors/Prowess Advisors, emphasised the importance of finance in agriculture, describing it as a crucial element alongside others. He emphasises the agriculture sector’s complexity, arguing that it demands equally smart and structured financial solutions.
Temi Adegoroye, Managing Partner, Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Ltd. sharing his views on food insecurity said, “ It’s really about the issues around affordability and availability. And I would have one there, which is accessibility, you know, and I think those three key things are really very very critical when you talk about food systems.”
Insan Syafaat, Executive Director, Partnership for Indonesia’s Sustainable Agriculture (PISAgro) discussed his organisation’s commitment to augmenting the government’s endeavours toward achieving food security. He stated, “We’ve been here since 2011- 2012, with the aim to support the government to realise food security. But of course, realising food security is a big thing. Our focus is to help the supply chain, help the smallholder, how to engage with them, and provide them with the many accesses and the, so access to market, access to capacity building, access to complete materials.”
The panel agreed that apart from production, aspects like food processing, storage, transportation and access remain big challenges in developing countries. Building transmission infrastructure and tailoring finance for agriculture through instruments like crop insurance and impact funds can drive food security. The good news is, that while there are problems, there are also solutions. The path to global food security requires coordinated efforts across production, distribution and access. With technology, infrastructure and collaborative frameworks in place, experts are optimistic that hunger can be eliminated in our lifetimes.
There will be challenges along the way, but the world already produces enough food to feed everyone. Now is the time to come together and make nutritious, affordable food consistently available in every corner through strategic investments and partnerships.