Exploring Solutions to Global Hunger and Food Insecurity

As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, there's another silent crisis that plagues communities globally- hunger and food insecurity. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), over 821 million people are starving worldwide. Sadly, it's a problem that continues to worsen each year. Nonetheless, several innovative solutions are coming to light that could eradicate this plight.

The first approach that's currently underway is empowering local farmers. Governments, non-profits, and companies worldwide are embracing the fact that the solution to food insecurity isn't solely importing food from abroad but instead boosting the local production of food. Several local farmers are unproductive, often lacking education and resources, and resulting in poor yields. By offering these farmers incentives and providing education and necessary resources, we could foster increased yields and ultimately solve hunger locally. The method isn't rocket science, but it's a matter of providing the much-needed resources to farmers, encouraging investment, and embracing their willingness to cultivate new crops and adopting modern practices.

Another approach is taking the fight to food waste. Currently, one-third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste. It's shocking and quite disturbing, considering how many people around the world suffer from food insecurity. However, numerous efforts are underway to curb food wastage. They include innovations such as selling soon-to-be expired foods at discounted prices, food redistribution efforts to food banks, and investing in packaging technology that keeps food fresh longer.

Additionally, we must start embracing agroecology as a solution to food insecurity. Agroecology encompasses natural farming practices such as crop rotation and intercropping, among others, which is the perfect example of a solution that's geared towards the long term. By investing in agroecology, farmers and local communities will not only have access to food but also better health and well-being, a more robust ecosystem, and most importantly, more sustainable methods of agriculture.

The problem of global hunger and food insecurity is enormous, and there's no magic pill to cure it. Nonetheless, if we start by empowering local farmers, curbing food wastage, and embracing agroecology as a long term solution, then we can begin our quest to provide access to quality and nutritious food for all people, and in the process, eliminate global hunger once and for all.