South Asia Faces Food Crisis Despite India's High Productivity

By Lea Terhune


This is the third in a series of articles examining the regional implications of a global food shortage.

Washington - Those most affected by the current global food crisis are the poor, particularly in developing countries, international agencies and independent experts agree, and a large number of people for whom steep food prices spell disaster live in South Asia.

Rice, an important staple, is in short supply. The United Nations reported in June that Nepal, which imports much of its rice, has 2.5 million people in immediate need of assistance and 3.9 million more whose welfare may be compromised by rising prices.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, people are protesting wheat prices so high that many cannot afford to buy flour to make bread. Bangladesh likewise is afflicted, its agriculture disrupted by frequent floods. In light of these problems, the U. S. government has asked countries implementing food export bans, including India, to lift them.

India, regional leader and emerging global economic powerhouse, fails to deliver sufficient food to several hundred million of its people despite its 8 percent annual growth in its economy.

Although India's success "has created enormous opportunities for accelerated human development," it has achieved only "modest progress in poverty reduction," according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2007/2008 report. One reason is a growing agricultural shortfall resulting from inefficiencies in policies and infrastructure, according to UNDP.

INDIA SEEKS TO REVITALIZE AGRICULTURAL

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for an agricultural revival akin to the "green revolution," a production surge made possible by high-yield crops and new farming methods introduced in the 1960s. The U.S.-India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative, begun in 2005, emphasizes cooperation in agricultural education, research, and commercial cooperation with public and private sector participants and aims to revitalize farming.

In India, high food prices can turn quickly into political crises. "Exactly 10 years ago ... a ruling government lost elections because the price of onions was too high, which tells you how important the electoral concern over inflation is," the Peterson Institute's Arvind Subramanian told an April Global Economic Prospects meeting. Indian elections are due to be held early in 2009.

Even though food is available in India, and the harvest outlook for 2008 is good, spiraling inflation has caused the government to act, and some of its measures, like restricting certain food exports, have a negative effect both regionally and in the global market.

"While high prices are difficult on consumers they benefit producers and send signals for investment and increased area so the fact that India's prices are artificially low hurts producers in the long run. Therefore, we argue that India's export bans are very detrimental to rice and wheat farmers, especially considering the high cost of inputs," Oliver Flak, U.S. agricultural attach� in India, told America.gov.

EMPHASIS ON EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project officer in India Daniel Miller added, "As the second-largest rice growing nation in the world, India can and should play an important role in alleviating the global food crisis. Improving productivity of Indian agriculture can help mitigate both Indian and global food shortages and pressures on food prices."

He said the "significant increases" in adoption of efficient, sustainable farming methods are making a difference in Indian agriculture, and there is "a new green revolution that is already happening."

"Everybody's rethinking now. Maybe we've been a little complacent about agriculture," USAID's Rob Bertram told America.gov. He is excited about technical collaboration projects that range from new techniques to using biotechnology to increase crop yields while keeping expenses down.

"It's a combination of things: reducing tillage, reducing the amount of labor involved on family farms. By reducing the tillage we actually make water use more efficient so that irrigation pumping isn't as great and there isn't as much load demand on the electric system.

"[W]e are helping to reduce the amount of water that farmers need to use to increase their productivity." He added, "When you increase the productivity of rice and wheat, you can also spark diversification into other higher value crops. Maize for livestock feed, oil seeds, vegetables, and we've got a lot of diversification going on."

Bertram says South Asian countries can share agricultural solutions, something the Rice-Wheat Consortium is doing in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

The United States, too, has benefited from sustainable techniques, he said. "Our soil conservation situation has greatly improved over 20 years ago because of no-till farming. Soil erosion was a huge problem in the U.S. But it's much less now."

Global warming and recent natural disasters make adaptive measures even more critical.

USAID also facilitates delivery of emergency and long-term food aid, supplying the World Food Programme and other agencies in the field. Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Burma, Nepal and Sri Lanka are 2008 regional recipients.

The United States is the world's largest donor. "The American people are generous people and they're compassionate," President Bush said when announcing new emergency funding to bolster world food security. "America will lead the fight against hunger for years to come." (See "World's Hungry Fed Through U.S. Government Programs ( http://www.america.gov/st/foraid-english/2008/June/20080625153722WCyeroC0.2581598.html?CP.rss=true ).")

See also:

. "Asians Especially Vulnerable to Food Shortages and High Prices ( http://www.america.gov/st/econ-english/2008/June/20080612100529esnamfuak0.578274.html?CP.rss=true )"; and

. "Food Crisis Threatens Economic Progress in Americas ( http://www.america.gov/st/econ-english/2008/June/200806171415181xeneerg0.5253412.html?CP.rss=true )."

Source: U.S. Department of State

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

To comment on this story, email to comment@newsblaze.com

Click here to get NewsBlaze News in your email

Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze, Daily News
Tags: Lea Terhune,global food,South Asia Faces Food Crisis
_ _


Is your favorite bookmark site missing? Ask for it.