Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

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    • Buenos dias,
       
      The issues surrounding trade policies in the context of food security are indeed very topical, and their linkages so controversial. Here is a summary of what I see: 
       
      Q1) The degree to which TP influences the elements of FS depends greatly on various geopolitical parameters. And why not within a given country,
      what was said about compartmentalization of interest.
      TP can have significant impacts on national level FS for examples in the case of the Gulf countries where the degree of dependence on international market is relatively too high. This scenario can be different in countries with some degree of self-sufficiency. However, in countries, especially in the poverty ridden neighbourhoods, food-trade saw no to little success in its fight against hunger.  
       
      Q2) The concept of trade to reduce hunger itself is an oxymoron, as it in many cases, if not most, runs counter to basic human values like right to access to 
      healthy food and environment. A right-based approach to food and health is therefore what it appears to be most crucial and appropriate. 
      Better TP indeed hold promises to magnify the potential for availability, but what about accessibility, and quality. Cheap foreign dumping is a double-edged sword, it destroys local farming communities and makes way for convenience foods, ruining both peoples health and livelihood. In my view, food trade laws must be 
      brought under scrutiny, firstly, to make sure that food is bound for a place where is needed, and the transaction not merely serves the masters of trade, but 
      peoples' right to food; and secondly, to regulate the type of food being traded, boats should load REAL foods, not just sacks of calories.     
       
      Q3) Again, an oxymoron, achieving food security in a market-based economy is an unprofitable uncapitalistic projekt. It certainly sounds pessimistic to the prophets of free-trade, lets advance by 2 simplest questions instead: why patenting paddy seeds if feeding people rice is really the goal? Instead/beside food, why not ease policies for technology transfer/trade? 
      There are no straight answers to these questions, perhaps they shoudnt be asked at all! This situation has already become so complex, there is no going back from here, what is needed here is but a fundamental change in the very concept of trade, and a rather human version of trade, little more word-ly and little less capital-ly.
      A mammoth task as it is, leading suprastate bodies like UN, Worldbank must take the lead, and at the same time take firm stance against the lethal patents for life forms, or at least the agri-related ones. 
      A food sovereignty approach can be instrumental to fix these sort of anomalies including the land and resource rights of small-scale farmers. This idea is no longer an infant, and is rapidly expanding, what it needs is growing support by mainstream agripolicy makers e.g. FAO, IFPRI. 
       
      Hope my answers could be of help.
       
      Cheers)))

    • Vietman will require to understand the growing resource and economic realities of the SEA region and in Asia as well. Water and land are already becoming elements of dispute in South Asia and China. More strategic land and water resources admisintration policies is certain a vital necessity. Strenthening regional cooperation  and maintaining good neighbourly attitude contributes greatly to economic development. Food security and healthcare related issues remain top priority in the overall development agenda.

      As an agribased economy and major producer and exporter of rice, Vietnam also faces the imperatives to develop more sustainable agribusiness models to better cooperate with international business partners.  

      Since a large number of population is living below poverty line, both government and private sector need to work together to mainstream them more effectively into the national economy. Community-based capacity building programs can have promising outcomes in this respect.