The Economics of Sustainability Policy
Abstract
This article presents reviews on selected key aspects regarding the economics of sustainability policy relating to the topic of food security. The ideas here-in are both from a policy-oriented angle as well as from an academic perspective. In the analysis of the economic framework relating to issues sustainability of food security, a clear distinction gets given on the environmental, ecological, social, and economic contexts. In the case of policies relating to sustainability policies bordering food security, several well-established policies and programs also get considered and detailed. In later sections of the article, some emphasis gets directed towards addressing many opportunities and barriers arising from the policies involved in the sustainable development of food security. This paper’s primary objective revolves around having an intricate understanding of the concept of sustainability policy relating to the aspect of food policy.
Keywords: sustainability policy, economic frameworks, environment, economy, ecology, food security
The Economics of Sustainability Policy
Introduction
A Sustainability policy refers to a blueprint that outlays procedures that ensure that while meeting the needs of the current population, the future generations are equally not compromised. This type of policy exists in almost all serious investments. National economies, businesses, and corporate organizations are among the entities where sustainable policies are paramount. Essentially, having a sustainability policy guarantees the stakeholders of preparedness for future eventualities. A sustainable policy is part of the art of sustainable development where today’s activities get done while bearing in mind future potentialities.
Food and food security are an integral part of any population. The United Nation’s Committee of World Food Security describes food security as a circumstance where, at any given point in time, all humans can unrestrictedly access healthy, nutritious, and adequate food for a healthy lifestyle. Also, the situation whereby people lack adequate social, physical, or economic access to food defines food insecurity. These two issues, food security, and its sustainability policy have significant effects on both the environment and the economy in equal measure. In this paper, however, we focus on food security and the resultant sustainability policies and development.
Economic frameworks for the sustainable development of food security
The economic framework for the sustainability of food security refers to the different aspects that contribute to ensuring that this sustainable development gets achieved in the most financially sane manner possible. A Food System FS is an assortment belt encompassing several processing activities. The food system capsules, production, processing, food, beverage, and fish processing, among other second degree activities. The SFS is a food system that generates food production while offering nourishment to populations and ensuring that the same, or better, production capacity is available for future generations.
Components of food security sustainability
The intricate nature of food security requires massive planning on measures to ensure its unlimited continuity. Researchers advise that sustainability should get considered a deep-rooted and essential variable during a food security evaluation. Some of these economic frameworks include environmental, ecological, social, and economic aspects. However, food security sustainability is often a trade-off between the economic, social, and environmental aspects as the three major components.
The economic component
A country that has guaranteed food security experiences almost an assured economic flourishment. Sustainable food security in a country means that generation after generation is well fed and nourished. A strong population is capable of engaging in income-generating activities, hence, significantly contributing to economic development. The food market, involving the buying and selling of food products, is equally a major contributor to a country’s GDP. Similarly, activities relating to the production and processing of food products heighten the infrastructural development of a country; hence, positive growth within the given economy. In light of this, value addition activities conducted within each belt of the FS is economically viable. A positive impact of the said sustainability needs to be felt by workers, the government, and the enterprise through wages, taxes, and profits.
The social component
The social component refers to a society or population in a given area. Sustainability of food security for any population is advantageous. Sustainable food security implies that the given population will receive proper nourishment for generations to come. This social component is achievable only where there is equity in the processes of value addition. Also, the vulnerable groups in societies such as children, the aged, and the disabled are crucial. Therefore, this type of sustainability eradicates the fear of being hungry or under-nourished. The presence of a constant flow of food is vital to the advancement of crucial socio-cultural events such as traditions and general health.
The environmental component
For the sustainable development of food security, the processes of fs must have only neutral or positive impacts on the environment. Activities involved in the value-addition of food products should get conducted while being mindful of the surrounding environment. The use of naturally occurring raw materials such as water should get done in moderation and mindfulness of future generations. Similarly, waste disposal procedures need to get done according to set regulations. Additionally, apart from the use of naturally-occurring raw materials to the release of waste products, FS can have other significant impacts on the environment. If not controlled, water, soil, animals, and plants can get negatively impacted due to uncontrolled FS processes. In the same light, carbon waste from food processing industries is highly toxic and can be detrimental to the idea of sustainable food security. Following such legal production and disposal protocols ensure that SFS is not only a term but one which relevant to stakeholders and that such entities are working towards upholding.
The ecological component
Ecology and sustainable policies blend perfectly. These two factors are equally multi-faceted and highly inter-dependent. While sustainability refers to a prolonged existence, ecology defines the interdependence among various components of a biological system. For instance, how plants, animals, and soil, all depend, and benefit from each other defines ecology. Therefore, if the soil is damaged, polluted, or absent, plants will be unable to grow, and hence, animals will lack their feed. Eventually, this vicious circle affects food availability and, hence denting the sustainability policy of food security. Therefore, stability for both ecology and sustainability of food security is of critical importance.
Policies relating to the sustainability of food security
Despite several attempts to eradicate malnutrition, hunger remains one of the biggest human pandemics in certain parts of the world. The world health organization reports that up to 815 million people suffer from a lack of proper and adequate food. Today, numerous policies championing food security exist across the globe. Most of such humanitarian organizations that have developed such policies have the sole and uniform aim to achieving zero hunger rates across the globe by the year 2050. Due to higher populations and lower financial capabilities, these policies are spread more towards the developing countries than the first world economies. Such policies encourage FS by contributing to economic development and stability if the nation. Among the policies championing the sustainability of food security include the Common Agricultural Policy CAP, the Red Cross Food Security and Policy, the APHA Policy Statement 201810, and many others.
The Common Agricultural Policy CAP
Interests and objectives of CAP
The CAP is a European Union food security policy that got launched in early 1962. Its primary interest was to create a cordial coexistence between Europe and its farmers and a friendly relationship between the society and whatever agricultural practices they practised. The concept of sustainability of food security is openly evident in the theme of the cap policy, which states that when the planet gets fed, then we create a lifetime of energy supply. Cap had an interest in ensuring that farmers with the EU were able to make decent financial gains from farming. The policy invested in training and supporting farmers with equipment that would ensure their levels of productivity got significantly upscaled. With such investments, farmers within the EU could reap massive benefits from agricultural activities while still practising proper farming techniques that are mindful of future generations.
In the attempt to ascertain a stable food supply, and therefore, food security, CAP takes the initiative of creating awareness on long-term overseeing of ecological elements as a means of tackling climatic changes. Today, the effects of climate change are easily evident, and the subsequent consequences get even more felt in the agricultural sector. For this reason, the phenomenon of climate change is a massive threat to the sustainability of climate change. For this reason, this policy invests in researches and studies to figure out alternative methods of food production that can work in the world’s climate, as it is today, and as it will potentially be in future decades. During such studies, the most vital interest of the cap policy is to come up with farming and food production practices that work in a sustainable, and environmentally friendly manner.
Benefits of CAP
The extensive existence of CAp resulted in several benefits due to the application of some of the policies objectives. A consistent flow in the production of food is one among the major success of CAP. Statistics indicate that almost 10 million farms, engaging up to 22 million people within the EU involve themselves in agricultural practices for food production. This massive engagement in large scale agriculture has continually provided an impressive quantity of food production. Additionally, due to the thoughtful nature of practices applied in such farms, the quality of produce is topnotch, and food security is highly sustainable.
The CAP is largely responsible for the development and improvement of rural communities within the EU. Any income-generating activity, in this case, agriculture serves to empower and develop the jurisdiction of the activity. Essentially, this type of development stems from various income-generating jobs linked to farming. Also, downstream operations relating to farming and agricultural produce serve to empower economies and contribute toward infrastructural and structural development. Another benefit of CAP is that the policy has been successful in promoting the practice of environmentally sustainable farming. Sustainability of food security is essential for any economy that is interested in securing the availability of food for their future generations. CAP encourages prudent utilization of natural resources for proper food production and improvement in the quality of life today and later generations.
The American Public Health Association APHA Policy Statement 201810
Various organizations under the APHA have come up with different policies aimed towards improving international food security for nations across the globe. Most APHA policies have the primary goal of engaging in activities that promote the existence of equitable and healthy sustainability within the food system. While attempting to ensure the sustainability of food security, APHA policies ensure that whatever benefits the policy promises the current population does not compromise the sustainability of food production for future generations. Specifically. The APHA policy statement 201810 is international food security and public health policy that has replaced the prior 6522 and 20093 APHA policies. Essentially, this policy champions health, and the well-being of individuals, and subsequently, that of entire populations. While conducting and working towards such objectives, APHA policy 201810 gets forever geared towards curving a prosperous future in terms of food security for the next generations.
Food assistance programs
Vulnerable populations and underdeveloped economies are severely dependent on food substances and resultant nourishment provided for through policies that champion for food assistance programs. The Healthy People 2020 issue proposes such policies to reach and assure vulnerable groups of food security. Vulnerable populations often get comprised of children, women, and elderly individuals. Some of the common food assistance programs include Women, Infants, And Children WIC, National School Lunch Programs NSLP, and the Supplement Nutritional Assistance Program SNAP, among numerous other related programs.
The National School Lunch Programs NSLP
The NSLP is a common program in developing countries, especially in the African region. Ensuring that children of school-going ages get an opportunity to feed while in school is a major achievement in the bid of achieving food security. Proper support and continued funding from organizations such as the World Health Organization WHO, USAID, among others, guarantee continuity in the supply of food for such programs. The NSLP promotes proper nourishment for children ensuring that they get the most basic nutrients needed for proper development of the human body. As a result, such a society got ensured as a strong well-nourished young generation for today and future generations. This feeding program has benefits that trickle down to ensure the economy has a population that is able-bodied and can carry out developmental activities. In this case, however, the sustainability of food security is secondary as it gets provided by a secondary party.
The Women, Infants, And Children WIC policy
This policy got built on the objective of providing sustainable food security for the most vulnerable populations in any given society. Various surveys and studies show that this group of people are often considered less fairly and therefore, easily susceptible to poor living conditions. For instance, in most countries, events such as family disputes, famine, and political instability, often leave this group of people in hopeless and miserable situations. The worst and most common eventuality during such pandemics is hunger. The inability to access food for basic survival is a common pandemic , especially in developing nations. The WIC policy, therefore, has taken the initiative to locate and offer sustainable solutions to such populations, especially relating to the basics of provision of food for food security. This policy is equally involved in offering empowerment opportunities to women so as to create the possibility of having income streams to support their children and subsequent dependents.
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program SWAP
Sustainability of food security is not only ensuring the continual availability of food, but making sure that whatever food is produced is of high quality and meets the nutritional requirements for a healthy nutritional sustenance. This program, in collaboration with many other humanitarian organizations have come up with services that advice and provide alternative means of ensuring a given population is achieving the best quality of nutrition from whatever food material that they consume. Supplemental nutritional assistance can get provided through administration of medical supplements or dietary scheduling. Also, creating awareness on the importance of having an adequately balance nutritional life is necessary for people to appreciate the resultant benefits. Engaging in value-addition that improves the nutritional supplements of food is essential for sustainability of food security. A society that understands the importance of a wholesome nutrition will continually involve themselves production of similar high-level activities, thus, ensuring sustainability of food security for even future generations.
Red Cross Food Security and Policy
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent is a humanitarian organization built upon the foundation of providing better and sustainable quality of life for societies through the provision of a sustainable policy for food security. The federation of Red Cross involves itself with activities such as risk reduction of possible food insecurity and comprehensive preparedness case a food insecurity pandemic occurs. Also, the Red Cross movement provides food aid in the event of hunger or severe cases of malnutrition or under-nourishment within populations.
Also, this humanitarian organization tries to promote the existence of sustainability of food security by supporting the creating of employment. Some of the most common income-generating opportunities encouraged by this organization include the primary production of food products and the involvement of secondary value-addition processes. Moreover, as an oversight plan, the International Federation of Red Cross undertakes activities related to the assessment of food security and sustainability policies within different states. These procedures allow the organization to pinpoint areas where food security may not be as established prior to the occurrence of possible hunger pandemics.
Opportunities affecting policies related to sustainability of food security
The vitality of this subject attracts both opportunities and barriers in the policies relating to the sustainability of food security. One of the greatest opportunities involves participating in humanitarian work to support the creation of policies that create awareness and champion for activities that accelerate the sustainability of food security. The opportunity for advocacy is great and present especially in nations that are still in the process of developing towards the achievement of sustainable food security. Taking part in the opportunity to create such awareness has an impact not only of agricultural activities, but also the conservation of the environment, as well as boosting the given nation’s economy. Advocacy ensures that a population receives invaluable knowledge and information concerning the need for conserving the sources of food in the interest of generations of the future.
Governments, humanitarian, non-profits, and corporate organizations have an opportunity to contribute in the form of offering financial aid to support the creation and championing of policies towards the sustainability of food security. Lack of financial power is often a stumbling block for the development and implementation of such policies especially in 3rd world economies. Therefore, for entities with the financial capability, and the interest of creating a sustainability of food security, offering financial gain is an invaluable opportunity. For instance, policies such as the food assistance programs are non-profit organizations that depend on donations for continuity of their operations. Taking the initiative to be part of such activities by offering financial aids can have significant help in the continuity of food and nourishment provision, and therefore, offering a surety of the sustainability of food security for the benefiting populations.
Barriers affecting policies related to sustainability of food security
There exist numerous factors that are continually acting as a threat to food security for any given nation. However, despite all the possible challenges, the demand of food is an ever-increasing exponential curve. Statistics reveal that the demand for food in the US by the year 2030 will be approximately worth a trillion US dollars. Some of the common factors affecting food security and its sustainability include, climate change, rapid population growth, poor farming techniques, and degradation of the environmental, among several other factors.
Global climate change is the number one enemy of achieving sustainability of food security. Due to the increase in technology and automation of various processes, the global climate has gotten significantly negatively affected. Aerosols and other toxic waste that is continually getting released into the environment reduces the viability of production of both quality and quantity of food. Additionally, since the world’s population is increasing at an alarming rate, there occurs the danger of converting farmlands into residential areas. This practice significantly reduces the area of land used for food production therefore, greatly threatening the sustainability of food security. Since food security and its sustainability depend on the production of optimal quality of food products, poor agricultural techniques compromise the quality of food produced. Similarly, poor farming procedures degrade agricultural lands, hence, affecting their productivity in later years. As a result, the sustainability of food security for future generations gets significantly compromised.
Conclusions
The economics of sustainability policy is a crucial element in every economy. It is important to ensure that whatever practices people get involved in today do not have a negative impact on future generations. Sustainable development for food security is particularly important in every economy. A well-fed population is productive, and therefore, assures economic growth. The sustainability of food security is a broad topic with a wide economic framework. For instance, this framework comprises of the social, environmental and ecological components, all of which work towards ensuring that the attempts of creating sustainable food security is a holistic effort from all relevant stakeholders.
There exists numerous policies that work towards ensuring that future generations have ways to produce food and hence avoid pandemics such as hunger and malnutrition. The cap, the Red Cross Food Security and Policy, the food assistance programs are some among many other such policies. While working towards empowering communities to produce quality and quantity food, these policies also insist on the need to bear in mind that future generations will equally need to have the much converted food security. However, despite the numerous efforts to provide sustainable food security, challenges such as climate change, rapid population growth, and detrimental farming techniques serves as a threat to the significant threats made by the above policies.
refeences