Overview of Interventions to Increase Food Security

Food security is when individuals have physical, social and financial access to adequate, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food inclinations for a functioning and healthy life. In 2014, around 805 million individuals in the world needed more food to lead a sound, dynamic life, which is one of every nine individuals on Earth. However, whilst this has been a major issue, there is overpowering proof that in the course of recent decades, agricultural profitability around the globe has been extraordinarily improved by rural innovative work (International Food Policy Research Institute, 2013). This has assisted with improving the occupations of a large number of the world's most unfortunate individuals. Moreover, as indicated by FAO, the predominance of undernourished individuals in the developing world declined from 23.3% to 12.9% in the range of 1990 and 2015 (UN, 2015). Hence, this displays the effectiveness of legal responses in dealing with food insecurity. The dramatic rise of worldwide food costs and the emergency drove the United Nations (UN), Chief Executives Board, in April 2008 to build up a High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis. The essential point of the Task Force was to advance a complete and bound together reaction of the worldwide network to the test of accomplishing worldwide food and nutrition security.

UN Agencies Working for Food Security

There are a number of UN agencies working for food security such as The World Food Programme (WFP), which aims to carry food assistance in excess of 80 million individuals in 80 nations and is persistently reacting to emergencies. In addition, WFP attempts to help prevent hunger in the future through programmes that utilize food to assemble resources, spread information and sustain more grounded, progressively unique communities.

An additional UN agency is the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which their main purpose is to ensure individuals have ordinary access to enough high-quality food to lead dynamic, healthy lives. FAO likewise issues the food price index which is a proportion of the monthly change in worldwide costs of a basket of food products.

Furthermore, when examining food security in Southern Africa, a media article by Africa Renewal (2011) also displays the poor harvests experienced by farmers over the region. This will negatively impact the capacity of unprotected farmers to purchase seeds, compost and different necessities for the contemporary planting season. To combat this, the WFP plans to implement social assurance plans, for example, food assistance with money transfers and have just helped about one million individuals who have been affected by floods. FAO has likewise supported the Government of Malawi in setting up the agricultural area of the national food insecurity response plan. This would incorporate the arrangement of contributions, with an emphasis on dry season lenient harvests so as to adapt to potentially delayed droughts. The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is a moderately effective intergovernmental body, which provides a forum in the United Nations system for using a multi-stakeholder, to create and support policy proposals on a wide scope of food security subjects. As stated by the CFS document (2015), these are developed beginning from proof-based reports delivered by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and delegates of the CFS Advisory Group. However, even with the Committee to a great extent successful and obscure at the national level, it may not be applicable to definitive recipients of its work, hence, it does not achieve environmental protection on a global level. Moreover, the Committee ensures the implementation of intergenerational equity through their Global Strategic Framework that captures all their significant choices and strategy proposals and is planned as an apparatus for directing activities on food security. Hence, this is effective, as it assures that future generations have access to food. Nevertheless, according to the CFS Reform Document (2009), the system has shortcomings and isn't notable. It is also experiencing its first periodic audit since its adoption in 2012, thus, the Committee is successful to an extent.

World Bank

The World Bank is effective to an extent in working with accomplices to improve food security and manufacture food frameworks that can feed all individuals globally. Activities incorporate improving supply chains for reducing food losses and strengthening safety nets to ensure vulnerable families have access to food. On the other hand, some claimed the Bank’s efforts are squandered due to poor governance in developing countries. Additionally, the Bank’s ‘country strategy’ reflects that of the administration, which may not serve extensive long-term development goals. However, when examining Cambodia, after an increase in the prevalence of undernourishment from 1992 to 1997, the country managed to reduce it by 2006. Moreover, in the map of Cambodia, the Bank improved food security for 5,000 families between 2008 and 2015, providing land, framework and farming administrations. Nevertheless, state sovereignty both grants and limits power, as although it gives states complete authority over their own region, treaties are still not permanently binding upon the signatory parties. Therefore, it does not ensure countries follow the Bank, as at any moment they have the ability to not comply with its terms and thus disrupts international cooperation. Action Against Hunger's food security and livelihoods programs are effective to an extent in aiming to enable vulnerable communities to improve their access to income, food and markets. The organisation provides money transfers to assist families in emergency purchase food and support neighbourhood markets while additionally empowering them to settle on their own decisions about their most earnest needs. Although the organisation has been moderately successful, the absolute number of undernourished individuals has expanded in recent years, from 784 million in 2015 to 820 million in 2018, hence, highlighting its further need for improvement. Moreover, it can not legislate change and its lack of funding is an issue as proven in a media report stating that “Greater investments are needed in the treatment and prevention of undernutrition” (Action Against Hunger, 2018). However, the organisation’s sustenance and health programs give lifesaving treatment to children experiencing the deadliest form of hunger. This is due to the fact that they partner with guardians and communities to instruct and change practices, thus, being successful to an extent in helping to prevent malnutrition.

Food First

Food First is an established non-profit organisation that is successful to an extent in working to end the injustices that cause hunger and helping communities take back responsibility for their food systems. In addition, they advance their mission through three interrelated work regions—research, education, and action, which are intended to encourage informed resident commitment with the establishments and policies that control their food. However, whilst Food First has long promoted genuine resolutions, the NGO can not legislate change and ensure compliance from other states with International law, as it's not legally binding. Moreover, it does not have the capability to administer and enforce laws that can potentially limit the increasing number of hunger in the world and as a result, 9.2% of the world population were exposed to severe levels of food insecurity in 2018 (SOFI, 2019). Nonetheless, according to The Conversation (2013), Food First is effective in raising awareness and applying pressure to governments in order to advance agroecology and sustainable food systems. Therefore, demonstrates the moderate effectiveness of non-legal responses in combating food insecurity.

Conclusion

To address food security, a number of interventions can be conducted to ensure a safe and healthy future for the next generations to come. Interventions incorporate policies, programs or actions expected to bring about recognizable results. For instance, giving income backing or lessening the expense of food can directly affect individuals or family unit food security. In addition, building up a food policy coalition will take more time to influence people, however, may prompt progressively sustainable action to improve the local food supply and individual's access to food. To further achieve food security, a number of measures should be conducted such as emergency food assistance, social safety nets, and nutrition interventions, including the provision of micronutrient supplements. Nevertheless, to undertake these strategies, food security should be fundamentally established in mainstream media through statements by the administration, social media platforms, and articles published by proficient associations.