The issue of global food security in the future

The issue of global food security in the future Introduction Food is a necessity for life, yet millions of people every day go without it, due to a lack of global food security. Food has been used for millenniums to bring people together, yet there are people in poverty every day that don’t know where their next meal is coming from. With the population steadily growing, now is a more important time than ever to eradicate hunger around the world. Description of the issue With the population set to have increased by more than 35% (Foley, 2014) in 2050, we will be faced with the reality of having to feed nine billion people. For this to be achievable, crop production would need to double, as it would have to significantly outpace population growth. With millions currently starving around the world, global food security doesn’t seem achievable. However, if we work together and are guided by the principles of human flourishing, the agriculture industry should be able to grow alongside our population, eventually resulting in food security for all. Reasons why this issue is one associated with social justice The United Nations (un.org, n.d.) defines social justice as â€Å"an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of social justice when we promote gender equality or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability†. Food stability is an issue associated with social justice due to the millions of people starving around the world every day because of a lack of access to food, or an inability to purchase it. Food is a necessity to live, and therefore should be available to all, regardless of geographic location, economic status, or any other disability. Stakeholders involved in this issue and analysis of their perspectives Scientific research and development bodies play a vital role in the issue of food security going forward. Global partnerships such as CGIAR work towards research for agricultural production in the developing world. Their aim is to â€Å"identify significant global development problems that science can help solve; collect and organize knowledge related to these development problems; develop research programs to fill the knowledge gaps to solve these development problems; catalyze and lead putting research into practice, and policies and institutions into place, to solve these development problems; lead monitoring and evaluation, share the lessons we learn and best practices we discover; conserve, evaluate and share genetic diversity; and strengthen skills and knowledge in agricultural research for development around the world† (CGIAR, n.d.). Through their aims, they hope to achieve four main goals: reduce rural poverty, improve food security, improve nutrition and health, and have sustainably managed natural resources. CGIAR believe that science can make radical changes to the current issue of food security, and it has been cited that â€Å"one dollar invested in CGIAR research results in about nine dollars in increased productivity in developing nations† (CGIAR, n.d.). Partnerships and bodies such as CGIAR want the current situation in regards to food security to change, as they realized that the present condition is neither sustainable, nor fair, and while it may not be easily fixed, scientific breakthroughs make the issue of food security appear to be one that can be solved. Farmers make up for 60% of the worlds population (apcentral.collegeboard.com, n.d.), yet they are constantly under threat from large corporations buying up their land. Many countries also face the issue of how to ensure increased efficiency in farming the land we already have, as Foley (2014) states â€Å"most of the land cleared for agriculture in the tropics does not contribute much to the world’s food security but is instead used to produce cattle, soybeans for livestock, timber, and palm oil. Avoiding further deforestation must be a top priority.† There are currently â€Å"yield gaps† between existing production levels and those possible in areas such as Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. â€Å"Using high-tech, precision farming systems, as well as approaches borrowed from organic farming, we could boost yields in these places several times over† (Foley, 2014), which is important in providing more food to the world, while not increasing the size of the agricultural footprint. If farmers were able to invest in these technologies, such as subsurface drip irrigation, cover crops, and mulches, there may be a high upfront cost, but they would be producing more, which would lead to them increasing their profit once the produce is sold. With a higher profit, these small farmers may be able to better stand their ground against large corporations. These methods of organic farming are also more environmentally friendly, which is important as issues such as climate change have a large impact on agriculture. While it is often believed that small farmers are better, putting more heart and soul into what they do, there is still a role for multinational agribusinesses in the road towards food security. Many of these businesses, such as Monsanto, have been working to develop products, and methods to help farmers grow more on the land they have. Agribusinesses work closely with the scientific research and development bodies, as they are often the largest investors. Companies, like Monsanto, have spent millions on developing agricultural innovations in key areas, such as breeding, where they select the more desirable traits from existing plants; biotechnology, where they add these beneficial traits into the DNA of another plant; integrated farming systems (IFS), which helps farmers utilise the resources they have for maximum yield, while reducing the amount of wasted resources; and chemistry, where studies are done to minimise environmental impact of herbicides, while still protecting crops from pests (Monsanto.com, n.d.). Companies like Monsanto recognise that they need to invest further in agriculture, as the lack of food security means that they are being badly perceived, and largely blamed, due to their for-profit nature, and their use of terminator genes in their seeds, leaving a heavy financial burden on farmers, as they are unable to use the seeds again for next year. Many foods are already genetically modified, but Monsanto’s lack of ethical boundaries in doing so (such as the terminator gene to boost their profits, and crops that will only work in conjunction with their other products to gain and to capture a captive market), has resulted in public outcry against the corporation worldwide. Protest against the company has come from all corners of the globe, not just the United States, and Australia, as it is the farmers in the developing world that are most effected. These sort of issues need to be addressed if we are to produce enough food for the growing population, as all farmland ne eds to be utilised efficiently, not just those farmers who can afford it. Analysis of the issue in relation to the common good and the principles of human flourishing The common good can be defined as benefiting everybody in the world. Human flourishing comes from the Greek word eudemonia, which is a core idea to Aristotelian philosophy. It promotes the idea that by working together, and finding meaning in our lives, we will flourish as a whole. The principles of human flourishing guide us in ways we can work together and find the meaning we need to achieve this. Global food security is an issue affecting the word, where the current injustice of the many people left malnourished needs to be responded to at a global level. The common good urges us to work together in collaboration to take responsibility for those around us, and pursue conditions in which we can achieve a life that is good for all, not just a majority. In order to achieve this, we must fight against injustices, such as Monsanto’s mistreatment of small farmers, at both local and global levels. Charity organizations can only do so much to help, and promoting the common good often challenges many current social values, and social structures that allow these injustices to take place without government interference. The main principles of human flourishing relating to the issue of food security is: the dignity of the human person, preferential option for the poor, stewardship of creation, and solidarity. The dignity of the human person is an important principle in food security, as it promotes the rights of those who may not be able to bring attention to their needs themselves. Avocation is important, as it is often those who need the most help that are unable to ask for it. Many small farmers in Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe are struggling to produce enough food, not just for global consumption, but also for themselves. Due to their nature as small farmers and not multination businesses, their voice isn’t often heard when speaking out against the problems in the agriculture industry worldwide, such as Monsanto’s use of terminator genes in their seeds, which further disadvantages the poor. The poor cannot afford to keep buying new seeds every season, often relying on the seeds gathered from last season to replant. This keeps costs low for small farmers, and allows them to increase their profit margin. Monsanto’s use of the terminator gene means that the seeds can only be used once, and often only used when combined with other Monsanto products. Monsanto has been suffering public backlash over these issues for years as a result. A preferential option for the poor would see governments and not-for-profit organizations providing resources, such as non-genetically modified seed, or fertilizer, to these smaller farmers, allowing them to kick start their production. This would utilize the land already cleared for farming, and reduce environmental impact as well. Stewardship of creation is the principle of looking after the planet. Agriculture has already lead to â€Å"an area roughly the size of South America† (Foley, 2014) being cleared for crops, and even more land â€Å"roughly the size of Africa† (Foley, 2014) has been cleared as pastureland for livestock. This has resulted in the loss of whole ecosystems, and is not sustainable. Particularly with the rise of global warming, deforestation is not an option. In order for us to maintain the planet for future generations, we must use the land we have available more efficiently so we can still produce enough to provide food security. It is our responsibility to care for the planet, so it can care for us in return. Solidarity is the principle that it is our responsibility to care for each other across racial, economic, cultural, national, and ideological differences, while promoting rights for every person. In order to accommodate their needs, we must first recognize that everybody is different; while there are people starving in developing nations around the world, there are also many homeless and hungry people right here in Sydney that require our help. Their needs may differ greatly, despite their common problem of a shortage of food. Solidarity is recognizing those abroad, as well as those at home, and working towards global food security together. A proposed resolution for realising the common good In order to reach global food security by 2050, we must take steps now to be able to achieve the common good. With scientific developments, we are able to better develop the land we already have available, allowing us to produce more without further damaging the environment. By utilising high-tech farming systems, we can work towards reducing the yield gaps we currently have, boosting the output from these areas, as well as providing a much more reliable source of income to these small farmers. With the scientific research and developments that have taken, and are currently taking place, small farmers are able to better understand the best ways to work their land, not only to create a higher yield, but also to save and use resources more efficiently. This helps the environment, as up to 70% of water is used in agriculture, and also saves the small farmers money. A big part of realising the common good is understanding our part in it on an individual scale as well. We may not be scientists or farmers, but by participating in actively changing our diet, we, too, can help global food security be achievable by 2050. As Foley (2014) states, â€Å"for every 100 calories of grain we feed animals, we get only about 40 new calories of milk, 22 calories of eggs, 12 of chicken, 10 of pork, or 3 of beef. Finding more efficient ways to grow meat and shifting to less meat-intensive diets—even just switching from grain-fed beef to meats like chicken, pork, or pasture-raised beef—could free up substantial amounts of food across the world†. Conclusion Global food security is an issue that affects us all. Agriculture is one of the oldest and largest industries in the world, but it still has a long way to go before it is able to cater for the growing population. However, the issue has been recognised, and together, we are working towards eliminating hunger, and providing food security by 2050.

Brief History Essay

Iran, or what is formally called as the Islamic Republic of Iran, has a rich culture starting out since 8000 B.C. (Ladjevardian par. 2). The historic trends that transpired since then up to the present has had a lot to do with the political turmoil which the country has experienced. The economy and the culture of Iran were greatly influenced by these changes; wars within and outside the country were also great factors to the country’s history. The beginning of the 20th century had positive changes for Iran after centuries of different dynasties. The Pahlavi Dynasty during the 1920s, which was also the last dynasty to rule Iran, constructed road infrastructures and initiated land reforms; education was also opened for women during this time. In 1946, Iran had a taste of freedom from the Soviet Union and in 1951, passed a law to take the Oil industry from the British control (Ladjevardian par. 73). The country experienced a sudden economic growth in 1963-1973 and during this time that public and educational institutions were further improved. By 1973, Iran was earning about $20 billion a year (Ladjevardian par. 76) from its Oil revenues. The Supreme Leader’s determination to modernize Iran instantly, backed up by the rapid economic growth, created pressure on the administration which eventually led to economic turmoil such as inflation, corruption, and increase authoritarianism by the Supreme Leader. Moreover, numerous social and political problems continued to emerge that needed to be dealt with. In 1978, the economic growth of Iran slowed down; the Supreme Leader was overthrown and since then, the government of Iran became a theocratic republic; from 1980-1988, Iran fought against Iraq. The economic loss due to the war caused a lot of problems to Iran. Furthermore, the population of the country increased tremendously and has resulted to increase in unemployment. Communication and transportation and education and public institutions were also needed to be recovered. Iran’s Economy and Resources Iran remained to be a country dependent on its oil industry; its earnings comprise the 70% of its government revenues (Economy of Iran par. 1). Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 34M Iranian rial in 1990 to 1.7B in 2005, partly due to said industry’s earnings. The oil industry’s role to the economy of Iran proves to be of utmost importance since this is the main export of the country. It includes petroleum, chemical and petrochemical products; other exports of Iran are from their agricultural and service sectors products such as fruits and nuts, cars, carpet and technical services. Though Iran’s GDP increased tremendously over the years, the country’s economic problems such as inflation and unemployment remain to be the two most impediments to the country’s growth. Economic Issues Khalaji (par. 3) reports that inflation in Iran reached 19% in 2008. This figure was reportedly to have been due, in part, to the increasing corruption in the country. This puts the country in a difficult situation as inflation translates to increase in goods’ prices and corruption leads to more political and social chaos. The increase in the goods’ prices lead to more importation as goods from other countries appear relatively cheaper. Inasmuch as the said problem makes the country’s situation appalling, the unemployment problem further worsens it. This was due to the increasing population which has not been backed up with increase in job offerings. Iranians pursue to work outside the country instead leading to the reportedly brain drain. It has been said that the historic trends in Iran was greatly affected by the political turmoil in the country, and that economic and cultural changes were also affected by it. The economic issues in Iran have then put the country in a social dilemma. The oil industry is not enough to sustain the country’s needs. Iran’s lack of resources to provide for its citizens sustenance require importing from other countries. This is where the importance of trade comes in. Gross Domestic Product GDP of a country is an indicator of the economic growth. The national currency of Iran is Iranian Real (IRR). Since 1990 it has increased, with an average annual growth rate between 1990 and 2005 of 2.5% as seen in the figure 1. (Economy of Iran par. 1) It means that as time has passed, the economic growth of Iran improved. There were several factors that affected the growth of the Iranian economy. The paper will dwell more on the economic indicators on how the economy of Iran rose. The highest GDP growth rate was recorded into 2002, when there was a 7.1% growth rate. Its oil abundance is considered to be the main source of its growth. Being one of OPEC’s cartel members, it has the privilege to gain higher returns for its oil products. A big contributer to Iran’s GDP growth would be its strong domestic demand benefited the non-oil and manufacturing countries.

Cook Essay

For many years, I have been interested in studying baking and pastry arts. I want to pursue a career in culinary arts and attend a college that will allow me to be creative and collaborate with people that share the same passion. To me education is the most important asset that you can have or achieve. By attending college I want to gain my associates degree, by using the knowledge I learned and hope to begin a career as a pastry chef in a well-known restaurant, and to eventually own my own bakery. Since I was a child my dad told me to go to college, earn a degree and get a good job. Lakes region provides me with an opportunity to accomplish my goal. I want to learn the history and techniques used for baking and take that knowledge and turn it into master piece. I want people to fall in love with cakes, candy, chocolate, and every other dessert under the sun the way that I have. To gain this degree it would prove to everyone including myself that I can go back to school and achieve w hat I set out to do. To earn my associates degree is very important to me because without continuing my education I wouldn’t be able to accomplish my future priorities. I feel so much pride when a cake rises into perfection, when chocolate unmolds successfully without breakage, or when the fondant goes on smoothly without any rips. My dream is to work at an upscale restaurant and be the lead pastry chef. LRCC it would make my dream into reality and prepare me for what the future lies ahead. â€Å"Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.† This quote by Jim Fox is a hundred percent true, whenever I’m in the kitchen baking I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing and I enjoy every bit. Having the ability to create multiple varieties of deserts and to decorate them would fulfill my dreams of becoming a pastry chef. The importance of your college having an impact on my life is major because without the help of the chefs teaching, guiding and handing down there knowledge is more than I could ever ask for. Without the experience and education your college could give me, I wouldn’t have the chance to work along great pastry chefs and learn and grow. A wise man once said â€Å"that our lives are defined by what we do.† Enrolling in culinary school is defining my life in a major way. I know what I want and it is to accomplish all my goals so that I have a more desirable future. I’ve never been so passionate about anything in my life. It’s important that I stay on track and give it my all so I can get my associates and then one day own a bakery. My  education is highly important to me because I want to be able to have a successful life. When I earn my associates degree it will help me achieve my dream job working as a chef. Lakes region community college is going to prepare me for everything I need to know to succeed. By attending the Lakes region community college I will gain my associates degree, begin a career as a chef, and one day own a bakery.

The Representation Of Muslim Women - 2033 Words

This research will demonstrate the concept of Quebec majority versus the ones that are considered other or minority, specifically Muslim women. The methodologies and surrounding utilized by the print media along with the specific scope of specific issues created polarization amongst minority and greater part gathers. This research will summon an Orientalist focal point to show how racializing talks are portrayed in a monitored subtext over and the news print to support the protection of Quebec character. The strategy that is utilized is the basic analysis of two newspaper articles that are reflected from Gazette and Lap Presse. This examination aims to identify the importance of the representations of Muslim women in the specific recorded understanding of Quebecois in their particular dialect and culture. This essay will reveal that portion of the media procedures within the Quebec context. This will exhibit that Muslim women are minimized and victimized on the premise of their race, sexual orientation and social character. Revealing that the news print media makes harming depictions of Muslim women. The end goal is to counter these negative depictions. Individuals must be instructed how to think fundamentally about the media and build up the fitting media education ways so that they can comprehend what social value are implied. The media has intensely affected society, an effect so immense that people don’t notice its presence sometimes. 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In the novel, Do Muslim Women Need Saving?, Lila Abu-Lughod explores how this type of sympathetic aid from these seemingly superior, progressive, Western countries can reinforce negative stereotypes about women in the place she calls IslamLand (an overarchingRead More Hughes Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate1170 Words   |  5 PagesHughes Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate In the Hughes’ text, Women in World History: Volume 1, the chapter on Middle Eastern women focuses on how Islam affected their lives. Almost immediately, the authors wisely observe that â€Å"Muslim women’s rights have varied significantly with time, by region, and by class† (152). They continue with the warning that â€Å"there is far too much diversity to be adequately described in a few pages.† However, I argue that there