Debate

Food crisis and an attitude change

Varatha Shanmuganathan

The web connects us all. The looming hunger is going to connect us all. The climate change definitely will connect us all whether we are in the North South or near the Equator.

Climate change is going to trigger droughts and floods in unexpected places at unexpected times. This in turn will affect food production. Hence there will be food shortage for the poor, the down-trodden, those who are affected by wars. So what is the solution?

We, as a global community, should survive. Share the new methods to grow more food. Immediately what all the nations of the world should do is to forge economic links on a regional basis, assess the demand and supply of essential food products in those regions and start moving towards producing more and more essential foods by encouraging youngsters to get interested in agriculture and food production rather than in computer studies.

There is an overwhelming imbalance between the specialisation of technology based education and the agro-industry based education.

What the love of the land brings for food produce has been erased off with the large scale, extensive, mechanised farming methods. Together with this, small scale farming and the bond between the land and man should be forged for the better performance in food production.

The world view of unseen production of food and shipping from one end of the world to the other should stop.

The food that is produced in countries that have food shortages should be distributed within the country before the produce is exported elsewhere. There are instances and experiences of farmers going without enough rice and fishermen going without enough fish for their families because these are exported for the consumption of unknown people in unknown countries.

Finally, the fondness for wars internally and internationally should stop. Humaneness, human kindness and the love of the earth for the sake of all should be encouraged.

Nations should stop arms production and start food production. A world without wars is definitely a possibility. Let us not wait until it is too late. Sri Lanka can prove it to the world by forging peace in the country and concentrating on food production.

Seeds of hope for a disoriented nation

Jayantha Senevirathna

Without second thoughts, my friend erected the discarded banana sprout by the garbage pit behind. So curious, his two little sons jumped up on each others' backs to get a glimpse. "Banana stems are annual, and they die after perfecting the fruit at the end of year," an adult made things clear, but a barrage of queries followed putting it in plain words.

So interested and probing, the toddlers rarely spared a day missing the progress for next ten months or so. Inside a big world just over 30 perches, they had been logging the gradual formation in an imaginary book during their customary field trips. First, it was the crown of large green oval leafs, and then, the flowers springing out in great spikes through the cluster of large oval leaves.

What a wonder by the garbage pit! Plants inherently possess the ability to take care of themselves, and they could be left on their own. Apart from occasional weeding, cleaning and the use of home-made composts, lavish use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers are totally unnecessary when we grow purely on domestic demands.

Agriculture

Agriculture runs in our blood, and it's not only in the typical Sri Lankan farmer. My friend, an airline pilot by profession, is an instinctive cultivator. Lush green vegetable patches that look far too pretty to crop have been familiar experiences for him since his childhood.

It's a commonplace to see many a city beast dabbling with gardening during weekends. Still, apart from ritual morning walks or car washing, nature and its wonderful gifts seem a desirable subject for them. However, for better or worse, the turning point may be the exotic and expensive tastes they eagerly emulate with conviction.

In a democratic world where freedom of choice is highly respected and protected, it seems odd to question your neighbour's tastes and fancies. But in the same world where liberal attitudes are also tolerated and welcomed, citizens usually lend an ear even to self-appointed critics. And, in gardening, many feel that Sri Lankans are not conventional lawn mowers.

Great patriot

Just flip through the first few pages of "Brief sketches of Sri Lankan History" by Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, and we may awaken from a trance. The great patriot of pre-independence era logically questions of our awareness of our own history. "We memorise important events in European history with remarkable precision, but we lack the same confidence in our own," he laments.

In fact, generational succession must be a process of change. And, being sensitive to its immense importance, we value education of the young above all. It's true that English, technology, and powerful communication networks play a pivotal role in the new social order. But, does this appetite for change, or the willingness to live with it make them more culturally and socially richer?

In a way, it makes us richer, and on another, it makes us poor. Ideas, technologies, and communication modes are indispensable. By being in the slave status, once upon a time, we emulated the achievements of a technologically superior nation. But, thoughtlessly, we still have been struggling to act out some adverse and inferior roles even our colonial masters strive to shed.

And, local cuisine has also been almost colonised by now. Recently, when I have been dining in a suburban restaurant frequented by the local middle-class, a foreigner has also been waiting for lunch next to me. "Will it be Chinese, French or English," the waiter offered. The foreigner said that he wish Sri Lankan. Astonished, the poor waiter showed him an Indian restaurant over the street.

Slowly, but steadily, we are in a process of trapping in an identity crisis between our nationalism and slavish compliancies in the past. In a world where many feel reluctant to say that he or she used public transport to attend school, office or the function, it may seem crazy to suggest small vegetable plots in suburban homes. But there must be a way out.

Sri Lankan climate, strictly seasonal, is ideal for a sumptuous garden full of flowers and tropical fruits. And, in the suburbs where we still have the good fortune to live in big gardens; it's easy to create something more productive in a big margin. Home and garden should not be vanities in an empty world full of fashion.

In a world of dwindling resources, it will be a great blessing if we start with common vegetables that are easy to grow. In the developed world, the local cuisine is familiar and in demand. They order exotic dishes just for a change in another weekend.

Rice

It is a sad mistake. We failed to conserve our own important crops. Rice, estimated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation as the world's second most consumed food, is our staple diet. But wheat and many other imported food items are also in demand now. The colonised local cuisine has been making things really difficult for the masses.

It's time to sit and think of our obsessions with perfect lawns or turfs. Is it necessary to fritter away countless hours on pruning and grooming exotic plants and hedges? Should we have to embrace adverse eating habits even our former colonial masters hate to mention even? It's high time to think afresh, and re-establish occupations that we did part-time on our own leisure.

Royal College, Colombo, emerged second in a recent competition held at school level to select the best garden in Sri Lanka.

The first was from a remote district. As students, they proved the fact that gardening may become your favourite occupation relatively earlier in your life. And, above all, as true Sri Lankans, they showed that agriculture runs in our blood.

Towards a silent revolution in agriculture

N.U. Abdul Razzak

The debate column of the Daily News has aptly touched upon a decisive topic the "Global Food Crisis: Causes and solution" as its heading of discussion for this time.

In deed such a sensitive and timely topic can help the officials concerned in no small way as useful and worthy points of suggestions of the readers can seriously be taken in to consideration by them for the effective implementation when policies are drawn up for the development of this nation.

The two essential food items that have drawn the attention of the whole world today are, milk and rice. In fact, the unprecedented, demand for them has created the present global food crisis placing a large number of nations at the edge of danger of poverty.

Sri Lanka is not an exception as milk and rice that form the part and parcel of the diet of every Sri Lankan. Incidentally and interestingly the combination of these two, the milk rice happens to be the traditional morning meal of a large slice of the population of Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, since of late, the prices of these two necessities have rapidly gone up giving a time of real test to the consumers.

Milk

Milk either given by the cow, buffalo, goat, or for that matter derived from the coconut and rice are not foreign to us. They all are the products that are provided to us with the untiring efforts of our farmers.

Strangely they have become rare commodities as we simply failed to focus our active and whole attention on agriculture. Neglect and carelessness have compelled milk and rice to be imported to the country since our production has a short fall.

Can any of us skip these essential foods particularly milk? It is no secret that milk is the most ideal balanced food according to doctors and scientists. No infant or child can get a healthy growth without this beverage and milk products such as cheese curd and so on.

Therefore avoiding milk is out of the question. Even cutting down this essential drink will adversely affect children and adults alike. Therefore the only option we have got today is to make it available at a reasonable rate throughout the island. So methodical farming has to be planned for immediate implementation to get our requirement of milk from this country itself.

Private sector

Private sector can share the big burden of the government by investing in this field. Banks can give loans for setting up farms every nook and corner of this country.

NGOs which always work hard for the displaced can also concentrate on this aspect which can be a great relief to the affected in terms of employment which can help them stand on their on feet.

Coconut which is an indispensable item in the kitchen of a Sri Lankan home should also need a boost in production. We proudly say that we have got a coconut triangle. How come that coconut fetches the price of Rs. 40/- All our costal areas and many other areas are blessed with these palm trees.

Then what is wrong with this sector? In fact they need fertiliser and proper care. Our farmers and others should look after them as their apple of eyes. More devotion will definitely bring a better yielding. Therefore coconut industry needs the urgent attention to get a boost in Sri Lanka.

Asian countries

Rice is the staple of Sri Lanka and many Asian countries.Today a kilo of rice is priced at Rs. 60 to 70/- why can't our peasants get a huge income as a big demand is there for rice in Sri Lanka? So immediate measures should be taken to give the pride of place to agriculture which helped Sri Lanka become the granary of the East when our kings such Parakkrambahu the Great ruled over this beautiful isle.

Though foreign employment, garments and tourism have become major sectors that contribute enormously for the economy of Sri Lanka, the fact that agriculture was the back bone of our economy should not be forgotten or ignored.

There are many reasons why agriculture should get back its due place in Sri Lanka. First and foremost, Sri Lanka is ideally suitable for cultivation in terms of geography.

The country has got many places where different climatic conditions help crops such as paddy to grow luxuriantly. Secondly we Sri Lankans have got the habit of consuming rice for many centuries. So the sudden changing of this habit can cause many problems including unemployment as farmers will be left high dry.

"A hungry man is an angry man" this adage clearly points out that it is futile to talk about anything when a person is famished. Development and prosperity are compelled to be kept on the back burner when a nation faces a crisis.

The whole world in general and the Asia in particular are inching towards the edge of a famine. Therefore it is high time meaningful steps were taken to make this country self sufficient in the field of food which is one of the basic needs of the of human beings. The Government has got an agenda to boost the food production in this country.

The programme "Let us grow crops to develop this nation" should get the full support of every one. Competitions in the field of cultivation at village, district and island level could be organised to encourage more participation of the general public. This will indeed help increase the food production in the country.

It is pertinent to know the real causes of this food crisis which has affected not only Sri Lanka but also many nations in the world. Some of them are beyond our control while others can be controlled if all of us work collectively.

One of the biggest barrier that makes a massive contribution for this crisis is fuel. The Price of petroleum keeps on increasing. No country can challenge this threat which retards the development of the world. Therefore only things that can be done by us are cutting wastage and using cheaper types of energy.

Factors

There are many factors such as apathy towards agriculture, neglect of farming, illiteracy, tendency of getting easy money, laziness, irresponsibility and selfishness which have let down many countries achieving the higher status of development.

Schools can play a leading role to prepare the younger generation to make their contribution for the development of the nation. Children should be taught the skills of agriculture, farming and the like.

Teachers can be role models by taking the leading role to start cultivation in the gardens of schools during the periods allotted for vocational studies and so on. Tree planting campaign and horticulture can also be actively encouraged at school level to increase the production.

Agriculture Societies of schools can take students on field trips so as to give a first hand experience to the children. It is sad to note that exhibitions on agriculture are rarely seen in Sri Lanka.

Plantations

Sri Lanka should also take measures to develop the plantations of cash crops such as tea, rubber, coconut and coffee to earn our foreign exchange. Our tea is famous all over the world. But, have we made use of this fame to increase our production into many folds? Similarly, rubber, coconut and coffee should also reach the zenith of the popularity of the world.

Then Sri Lanka can certainly get a good income through these exports. This can definitely help ease the present crisis to a very large extent. The word self sufficiency should be made meaningful if Sri Lanka has to survive this severe food crisis. Fortunately, this nation is blessed with fertile soil and pure water. So all of us should show a keen interest to promote agriculture in this beautiful country.

Before the economy was opened in Sri Lanka it marched towards self sufficiency. The grapes and mangoes of Jaffna that were used to be exhibited in the markets in Colombo and other cities made the people's mouths watering.

Our jaggery, yams, vegetables and spices helped us enrich this nation as a leading agricultural country. So time has come to get ourselves diligently engaged in cultivation not to feed the others but to feed ourselves. So, everybody should get ready to make a silent revolution in agriculture. Otherwise, famine will devour us.

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Global food crisis: Causes and solutions

We have embarked on another topic which has filled our TV screens during the past few weeks: The global food crisis. Food prices have been going up around the world. Asia has been particularly affected because of the rise in the prices of rice, the region's staple.

Several reasons have been cited for the unprecedented rise in global food prices: The use of crops for biofuel, which has robbed the hungry of various food items. The rise in oil prices has also driven up food transport costs, which are reflected in the customers' bill. The changing climate patterns have adversely affected agriculture, as droughts and floods continue to destroy crops.

But what are the answers ? The Government has initiated the Api Wawamu Rata Nagamu (let us grow more food to develop the Nation) programme. Likewise, Governments around the world are proposing or implementing solutions to the food crisis. Many world leaders are also calling for a moratorium on biolfuels.

Do write in (less than 1,000 words) with your views on the subject and any solutions you espouse on 'Global Food Crisis: Causes and Solutions' on or before May 15, 2008 to Daily News Debate, Daily News, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, PO Box 1217, Colombo, or via e-mail to [email protected].