Hey, have you eaten yet today, whether it is a proper meal or even a snack? You probably said yes, right? Gaining access to food at present is a privilege to some. Various campaigns are running across the media platforms calling upon the “abled” Kenyans to share a little that they have. “Abled” in the sense of whatever you can spare, you should send to help those in need.
The food security crisis is not unique to us or the African continent. A joint report released by, the Heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Food Programme, and World Trade Organization on the Global Food Security Crisis last week the 15th of July 2022 showed the importance of an immediate call to action.
“By June 2022 the number of acute food insecure people – whose access to food in the short term has been restricted to the point that their lives and livelihoods are at risk – increased to 345 million in 82 countries according to WFP. Making matters worse, around 25 countries have reacted to higher food prices by adopting export restrictions affecting over 8 percent of the global food trade. In addition, complicating the food supply response is the doubling of fertilizer prices over the last twelve months, reflecting record-high costs of inputs such as natural gas,” read part of the joint statement.
The statement gave the background of the problem tracing part of its history to the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the Ukraine-Russia war. Resulting in a spike hike in agriculture products and food in return. They have addressed critical areas that need immediate action; providing immediate support to the vulnerable, facilitating trade and international supply of food, boosting production, and finally investing in climate-resilient agriculture.
“Previous experience demonstrates that it is important to support developing countries hurt by price increases and shortages to meet their urgent needs without derailing longer-term development goals. Assuring that the most vulnerable countries facing significant balance of payments problems can cover the cost of the increase in their food import bill to minimize any risk of social unrest is essential,” the statement further read.
The Global Alliance for Food Security, jointly convened by the G7 Presidency and the WBG, urged countries to strengthen their safety nets, facilitate trade, boost production and invest in resilient agriculture. They further emphasized that they are willing to assist to achieve the set goals.
