How to Improve Food Security

Over 820 million people worldwide are struggling with food insecurity, and no location on the planet is immune to this problem.

Because it is a problem that affects the entire world, governments and international organizations have used every tool at their disposal to combat food insecurity.

The United Nations, for example, proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which have to be accomplished by 2030.

The key goals are providing food security and increased nutrition, reducing hunger, and encouraging sustainable agriculture.

This article highlights six ways to improve food security.

What Are the 6 Ways to Improve Food Security?

Reduction of food wastage

Primarily, food is wasted due to ineffective processing, rough or poor roads, picky clients, and insufficient storage. If storage facilities are upgraded and sufficient plans for how the food will be utilized, there will be reduced food waste, and society will be more secure. FAO indicates that over 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted annually globally.

Decrease the likelihood of commercializing .

The risk of people not having enough food to eat will decrease if more crops are cultivated to supply a community or an entire nation. When there is an adequate supply of food crops on the market, farmers can shift their focus to producing cash crops in addition to the increased production of food crops.
If there is already an adequate supply of food on the market, there will be less chance of selling it for profit. In addition, governments should initiate programs that allow farmers to determine when there is enough food supply for everyone.

Improving infrastructure programs

Several farmers cannot sell their produce due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, including roads, warehouses, and equipment for food processing. It is more likely to be left to rot on the farmland than transported to those who could benefit from it or processed. If the infrastructure is enhanced, there will be more food available on the market, and the levels of food insecurity will likely decrease as a result.

Enhancing trade policies

Due to unjust trade policies, some farmers cannot provide food for the community. Given that large corporations have already begun commercializing food, it is now significantly more difficult for smaller-scale farmers to sell their wares on the market.

Therefore, governments should work to enhance such rules and make it so that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate.

Promotion of diversification

Concentrating on a specific food crop or staple can have disastrous consequences for reducing food insecurity. Therefore, instruction on the necessity of diverse and nutritious diets for better nutrition is required to promote food security.
There will be a sufficient supply of staple foods in the marketplaces if there are a greater variety of foods and a greater awareness of the importance of a diverse diet.

Solving climate change

Climate change’s effects on our daily life and the ability to produce food are significant. We can assure that there will be enough food for future generations as well as ourselves if we fight climate change and farm sustainably. It is an extra step in fighting against the lack of access to food.

Conclusion

Knowing that food security is a major factor in ensuring everyone gets enough food supply, the next step should be finding ways to improve food security. Consider the six key ways that have been discussed above to ensure there is food security globally.