Farmer Security is not Food Security!
Food Security and Trade? A complex subject, agreed. Sadly, this debate shows that most opinions are already made. But the good news, from an academic vantage point, is that while the spectrum of opinions still varies widely, the subject is by now well-researched. A still increasing number of publications address the political, economic and regulatory dimensions at the national and the international levels of the Right to Food and of agricultural production and trade. Unlike, for instance, food security vs (foreign) investment (including, respectively, home and host state responsibilities. Somewhat surprisingly, another under-researched topic is the food security dimension of agricultural production and of border protection policies. Both free traders and “food sovereignty” advocates are quick in their (opposite) assessment of the impact of trade liberalisation on food security. Both, however, seem to overlook the fact that these policies in every country rely on domestic farm promotion and protection tools. Never mind consumer security. Or the collateral damage which such policies might have on efficient farmers in other countries – arguably even those public goods support policies notified under the WTO Green Box with little or no distortions on trade and production. My other regret is that FAO and other intergovernmental organisations have defined food secuerity but are unable to agree on Best Farming Practices to reach that goal.
Farmer security agreed to by taxpayers and domestic consumers is fine as long as it does not come at the expense of other countries – but it does not guarantee global food security and feed a world population of 10 billion people, including those who only earn a few dollars a day.
Dr. Christian Häberli