Here are a few potential solutions to food insecurity.
- Minimize Food Waste
Food is wasted mostly as a result of improper preparation, bumpy or lousy routes, picky clients, and insufficient storage facilities. If storage facilities are upgraded and sufficient preparations for how the food will be used are made, less food will be wasted, and the community will be more food secure. According to FAO, around 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted globally each year.
- Lower the Risk of Commercialization
Food insecurity will decrease if food is raised with the aim of feeding the community or nation. Farmers can grow more food crops and cash crops when there are enough food crops on the market. If there is enough food on the market, there will be less risk of commercialization. Governments could also create initiatives that inform farmers when there is enough food for everyone.
- Enhance Current Infrastructure Programs
Some farmers are unable to sell their produce due of inadequate infrastructure, such as roads, storage facilities, and food processing equipment. It rots on farms rather than being distributed to those in need or processed. More food will be available in the market if infrastructure is improved, and food insecurity levels may decrease.
- Enhance Trade Policies
Because of unfair trade rules, some farmers are unable to feed the community. Corporate behemoths have already stepped in and commercialized food, making it more difficult for small-scale farmers to sell their wares. As a result, governments should reform such policies and make it more equitable for everyone to participate.
- Encourage Diversification
Concentrating on a single food crop or staple can have disastrous consequences for reducing food insecurity. As a result, in order to promote food security, teaching on the necessity of diverse and balanced diets for better nutrition is required.
There will be enough staple foods in the markets with more food varieties and a more educated populace on the advantages of a diverse diet.
- Bridge the Yield Gap
Most of our farming fields have lost their natural fertility and cannot produce as much as they once did. To bridge the gap, governments and agricultural institutions in charge have devised strategies and programs for increasing crop yields, particularly location-specific methods of sustainable agricultural intensification including soil management and land improvement.
How might food insecurity in South Africa be reduced?
Overall, for SA to sustainably maintain and increase food security, science and technology should be key to planning and assuring agricultural innovation. This can be accomplished through hydroponics, conservation agriculture, biological farming, and safer agrochemical use and disposal.
