Food security in emerging nations: issues and remedies

Food security in emerging nations: issues and remedies

The largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty, hosted over 20 ministerial-level delegations earlier this month from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

The event’s goal was to talk about the growing issue of food security, how it affects developing countries, and what immediate action is needed. Here are the main conclusions:

The International Food Security Forum: What is it?

On June 8 and 9, 2022, the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) and the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU), one of the nation’s oldest and most esteemed national research universities, jointly organised the International Forum on Food Security, which brought together ministers, policymakers, and scientists.

Policymakers, particularly those from Middle Eastern and African nations, had the chance to engage with renowned scientists and specialists from Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at the Food Security Forum. The presenters discussed strategies for mitigating the threat of food scarcity and ensuring millions of people in areas susceptible to heat waves, droughts, and water shortages due to climate change have access to food security.

It was interesting that Kazakhstan was chosen to host this high-level conference on the world food issue. Although only home to roughly 19 million people, Kazakhstan’s geographical area is larger than the combined areas of France and Germany. The nation supplied the Soviet Union with a substantial amount of food in the 20th century. In terms of food and agriculture, Kazakhstan has led Central Asia and the former Soviet states as a whole since the USSR broke up in December 1991. With exports to 70 countries, it ranks among the top 10 wheat exporting nations in the world.

Dairy products, wool, and other commodities derived from agriculture are also produced and exported by Kazakhstan. Although it uses 80% of the land, just 5% of Kazakhstan’s GDP is derived from agriculture.

Kazakhstan as a leader in culinary innovation

Strong research and education facilities, as well as the academic and scientific accomplishments of Kazakhstan’s scientists in creating novel technologies and production methods, are some of the factors contributing to the country’s impressive success in the food and agriculture sectors.

One such university is KazNARU, which has emerged as a key player in Kazakhstan’s agricultural revolution. More than 3,000 farms in Kazakhstan are part of the institution, and its scientists and professionals work in nine regions and 88 districts of the nation, conducting extension projects and sharing information and skills. The institution boasts 50 state-of-the-art research labs, 18 international research labs, nine international innovation centres, and 790 faculty members.

By organising the International Food Security Forum, KazNARU gave more than a thousand participants—representing 38 nations—a forum to exchange experiences and have in-depth conversations about the problem of food security, which is a major concern for many African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian nations.

Politicians and intellectuals from Africa in particular emphasised how serious

Africa’s food security

Muhammad Sani Zorro, the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria, informed the audience during his speech that several nations in Western, Eastern, and Central Africa were experiencing droughts, land degradation, desertification, and a lack of rain. These weather patterns lead to both internal and international migration, which is one of the primary causes of food shortages and conflicts in Africa.

The President of the Republic of Niger’s special advisor, Khadijah Diallo, also mentioned that 80 percent of Niger’s population is employed in agriculture. Despite its immense potential, the nation faces a food crisis.

Niger’s population has increased from eight million to 22 million over the past three decades, making it the region with the worst effects on food security. In Niger, at than 4.4 million people urgently require food aid. To solve the food crisis in Niger and its bordering countries, Diallo’s speech asked the IOFS to develop long-term sustainable policies.

In response to requests from Africa, the IOFS and KazNARU decided to establish climate-smart agricultural and water resources in the Sahel Region of Africa over the next ten years in order to guarantee food security. The Sahel region includes parts of ten African nations: central Mali, northern Burkina Faso, northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, southern Algeria, southwestern Niger, northern Nigeria, central Chad, central Sudan, and northern

aiming to make the continent more food-secure

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the Forum by Diallo, IOFS Director-General Yerlan A. Baidaulet, and Tlektes Yespolov, Rector Professor of KazNARU. The purpose of the MoU is to provide for the sustainable supply of water resources to the Sahel region’s countries by 2030. As per the proposal, the specialists from KazNARU will aid in the establishment of Climate-Smart Agricultural and Food Systems inside the Region.

According to IOFS Director-General Yerlan A. Baidaulet, the organisation is working to implement its 10-year Strategic Vision 2031, which was endorsed by all OIC member states. This vision aims to support small farmers through extension, develop human capital, enhance the role of universities, and increase early awareness of food and nutrition security principles among OIC member nations.

Additionally, the IOFS established 10 COMSTECH-IOFS Fellowships for “Research and Training in Food Security” in order to teach farmers and workers in the food sector in handling food crises and helping to ensure food security in developing nations.

Professor Yespolov states that the training of IOFS nominees from Pakistan, Egypt, Chad, Nigeria, Mauritania, Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will begin at KazNARU Rector in October 2022. As part of the university’s fellowship plan, the trainees from eight OIC member nations will go to KazNARU in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to enrol in classes and receive comprehensive training.