Tackling the food crisis

The food situation in the world is bad...and getting worse. UN officials have said that the fight against poverty has been thrown back seven years. Targets have now gone haywire.

The reasons put forward for this situation are many. Draught in some countries lowered the production of cereals and consequently their price has increased. The standard of living in India and China has risen, so people are eating more meat. This implies more fodder for animals and extra pressure on resources.

The pro-environment consciousness is now as strong as ever and getting stronger. This is something positive. It led to the increased use of biofuels as a substitute to fossil fuels. Biofuel is environment-friendly, but its use carries a downside. The crops from which biofuel is made takes up land that can be used to feed people instead.

This all points to the world's interconnectivity. We are becoming increasingly conscious of how the life we lead on this planet is weaved together. We really are our brothers' and sisters' keepers. What happens in China or India affects us Europeans and vice versa. The suffering of one people should be considered to be the suffering of all.

We are also becoming more conscious of our spendthrift lifestyles. Mother Earth's resources are limited. We have a duty to other people and future generations not to consume more than we need and not to waste.

During a meeting of the UN's Commission on Sustainable Development, the Vatican's permanent observer Archbishop Celestino Migliore said greater support of the world's small farmers would enable them to produce more food in a sustainable manner and help address chronic hunger and malnutrition around the globe. In addition to investing in small farmers, he urged the commission to undertake greater efforts to ease the impact of environmental change and financial realities that impact food production.

"Indeed, this food crisis should not be measured merely by the rise in costs throughout international food markets, but also by the physical, mental and spiritual cost of those who are unable to provide for themselves and their families," he said.

Noting that 70 per cent of the world's poor live in the same rural areas where widespread chronic malnourishment persists, Mgr Migliore said the food produced by small farmers in local communities would ease hunger and malnutrition. At the same time, he added, it is vital that the world continues to address challenges such as climate change, harmful agricultural subsidies, fair trade, environmental degradation and land reform.

The rise in food prices due to this international crisis will also hit several Maltese hard. They need and have a right for our help. We can address these immediate challenges while still working to ensure that progress becomes the cornerstone for a more just and secure tomorrow. We should all do our bit to promote solidarity and concern for the most vulnerable within society.