The document discusses food security in the Americas and how to achieve it. It outlines a vision of prosperous agriculture supporting food security and rural development. Key issues include poverty, conflict, and lack of government support for farmers. The document recommends boosting local food production through strengthening producer groups, improving market access, expanding education on sustainable practices, and developing rural infrastructure and industry. Food aid is noted to sometimes undermine local markets. Overall, the document argues food security is best achieved by stable economic conditions that empower small farmers.

1. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
“Food Security in the Americas” 1/
“Issues, Visions,
and . . . .
How to Achieve It.”
by
Bill Emerson
1/ Often more narrowly defined as Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
Slide 1

2. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
VISSION
A prosperous agricultural economy producing nutritious and profitable
foods so that the rural economy expands such that food security and
malnutrition are no longer a problems and not health issues.
GOALS
1. Prosperous Farmers, using More Advanced, yet Sustainable, Technology
(often working together via producer groups for economies of scale),
2. Rural Poverty Reduced Dramatically,
3. Well-Fed Population,
4. Maternal and Childhood Malnutrition is eliminated, or no longer a problem.
Slide 2

3. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Background on Food Security
 Human Rights: Although the concept of food security is generally agreed
to have originated from, or was derived from, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights in 1948, made largely in the aftermath of the genocide and
holocaust of World War II. However, many international (int‟l) recognized
authorities place the food security concept as formally coming into being in
2001, when the FAO was behind the generally accepted definition stated
below.
 FAO Defines Food Security: Often a version of the FAO definition for
“food security” is used, which states “food security exists when all people,
at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe,
and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for
an active and healthy life.”
Slide 3

4. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Necessary and Sufficient Condition for Food Security
Food Security Conditions: Many experts in the field believe that the food
security concept rests upon presence of four (4) interrelated conditions, or
dimensions:
 1) the “availability” or existence of sufficient quantities, or amounts, of
food of an appropriate or suitable quality for all inhabitants (in a defined
geographical region, country, or area);
 2) “access” to the food resources, or the rights required to acquire foods
that are nutritious and culturally appropriate;
 3) the conditions that are necessary, or must exist, to ensure the organic
“use” or consumption of the food to reach a state of nutritional well-
being, where all physiological, or normal biological, needs are met; and
 4) physical, political, and economic “stability” exists to a sufficient
degree so to ensure both the availability and access to food at all times.
Slide 4

5. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Producer Groups – Ag. Cooperatives – Vision as Business Development
Food Security via Local Farmer Coops/Producer Associations – “How to Achieve It” Rural Business Approach
For farmer producer groups and
SME agri-business to work well,
VISION - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
they should integrate strategic THIS IS A OFTEN A NECESSARY START FOR AN AGRIC ’L COOP BUSINESS
business planning concepts along
their targeted business value
chains that will maximize
revenues, reduce losses and
improve profitability. Unfortunately, • ORGANIZATION • CAPITAL
many of the producer groups and
Assets: Money,
SME agribusiness only have a
Business Plan Land,
minimal understanding of business
Knowledge
concepts. In order to acquire
needed resources and working
capital, cooperatives and BUSINESS
agribusinesses often need to
understand the inter-linkages for AGREEMENT
taking their vision and delivering it
into reality. These linkages include
understanding: 1) organization Business
Legal ID
aspects, 2) capital, 3) experience, Experience
and a 4) formal legal business
Identity. This should be connected • EXPERIENCE • FORMAL BUSINESS
by a solid business agreement ENTITY
amongst associates on how to
share profits and losses.
Slide 5

6. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
How to Achieve Food Security
Boost & Diversify Local Farm Food Production
Necessary/Favorable Conditions - Enabling Environment for Agric‟l Growth
1. Peaceful Rural Conditions – Crime, narcotics funded violence minimized,
(warfare & conflicts are often the cause of the world‟s worst cases of famine),
2. National Gov‟ts Support Int‟l Biz. Std.‟s – Gov‟ts in Americas follow and support
World Trade Org. (WTO) & Regional Free Trade Area‟s biz. std.‟s,
3. “Rule of Law” Guarantees Ag. Investments – Minimize gov‟t disruptions of ag.
markets, investors dislike market disruptions (unless justified for public safety),
4. Strengthen Ag. Ministry Extension Service – tie into Univ.‟s (& FAO/NGOs),
5. Improve Ag. Univ. „s – Boost Ag. Univ. facilities, include student leaders,
6. Expand use of improved agric‟l genetics – Ag. Min. & Univ. support (do not
need to change gov‟t‟s GMO‟s standards),
7. Improve Food Storage Facilities & Reduce Post Harvest Losses – May use
Public Private Partnerships (e.g., support building silos, food processing, etc.),
8. Promote Producer Groups – Strengthen farmer groups on local & nat‟l levels,
9. Improve Market Access for Small Farmers – via producer groups, agri-
businesses, gov‟t enabling environmental supports, and technical assistance.
Slide 6

7. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Rural Food Insecurity – How to Break Poverty Based Hunger Cycle
Int’l Donor & Farmers
NGO Support Form
Producer
Groups 1/
Agric’l
Agri-Biz’s Consumers
Univ. &
Support With Jobs &
Income to T.A. via
Farmers
Edu Instit.
Buy Food
Gov’t
Support, Int’l Donor &
1/ Producergroups are not always necessary, esp. Ag. NGO Support
but often make development TA easier, and
can benefit from economies of large scale. Extension
Slide 7

8. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Food Insecurity & Bad Farm Support Networks – Poverty All Around
Farmers
Issue
No Input,
Working No Ag.
Univ. Tech.
Storage or Alone - in Asst.
Sales
Support
Age Old
No Real No Ag.
Agri- Ways Little
Consumer Edu
Business Demand, Org.’s
Poor
Markets
Agri-Biz’s No Gov’t
Agric’l
Consumers
Support Enabling Univ. &
Environ Without Jobs &
Farmers Support No Gov’t Little Money to Edu Instit.
Support
to
Buy Food
Farmers
No Gov’t
Government Support for
is often not Pro- Gov’t Ag. Edu. &
Farmer, has little Vice Versa
Int’l Donor Support,
support, nor esp. Ag.
Food Aid
Extension
Slide 8

9. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Food AID Donations & Food Security - Issues
 Food Aid/Donations: Unfortunately, food donations often lead to donor
dependency, where many inhabitants of an area suffering from chronic
food shortages come to feel that they are entitled to free food
donations. As populations become accustomed to receiving food
donations, all sorts of other problems arise, such as donor dependency,
donated food sold in local markets, food spoilage, food donations being
stolen, et cetera, etc.
 Farmers Competing with Donated Food: In some of the worst cases
of food aid programs I have seen, food donations arrive late during the
local farm harvest season. Although Bellmon Analysis and other legal
requirements and policies are in-place for USDA/USAID and WFP to
avoid having food donations compete with local harvests, the practical
problems of funding, bureaucratic paperwork, and poor logistics often
lead to food aid depressing farmer prices.
Slide 9

10. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Food Security/Insecurity Issues
 Poverty is a key Factor: Food Insecurity exists when there is not stable
access to foods at all times, without the risk of running out of food as a result of
(A) man-made (e.g., warfare) and/or (B) natural causes (bad weather); these
unexpected political, economic or climatic crises or cyclical events (seasonal
food insecurity) are usually brought about both by a lack of food itself or money
or resources to have access to food.
 Warfare, Conflict & Physical Insecurity: The worse cases of famine, chronic
hunger and food insecurity are often in areas suffering from years of warfare,
inter-ethnic conflict, and lack of law and order so that armed gangs/paramilitary
units steal food from vulnerable women & children who most need good
nutrition.
 Poverty, Corruption, and Poor Host Gov‟t Support: Even in areas with
relatively good soils, abundant water, and usually favorable weather, young
people often abandon farming, farmers have little good seed, little
infrastructure, poor roads, and poor market access.
Slide 10

11. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Farm Production Assistance
Agricultural Assistance Programs: After warfare, economic disruption,
and other rural economic disruptions, int‟l donors often rush into assist
farmers to boost food output. However, often these programs are just part of
an overall economic development strategy (e.g., in former Yugoslavia [see
greenhouse photo at right]), rather than designed as a long-term solution to
chronic food shortages.
World Food Program (WFP): After some 25 years of warfare in Sudan (and
Guatemala), the WFP in 2012 announced to the Gov‟t of South Sudan that it
was “shifting from „food aid‟ to „food assistance.‟” The WFP representatives
cited this as a world-wide WFP policy, but it may vary according to the
agricultural resources. The WFP officials I have recently talked too about it
see it as a major shift in thinking in the WFP so to get away from donor
dependence, boost rural economies, and get fresh nutritious foods to people
on a regular and timely basis.
Slide 11

12. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Agricultural Resources: Fertile Land, Water, Favorable Climate, & Rural Infrastructure
(“How to Achieve It”)
1. Security: Without physical security, one cannot do much in way of any development
or trade activities. Often, even food donations often are impossible in some countries
where lawlessness prevails.
2. Other Necessary But Not Sufficient Conditions: (a) fertile land, (b) timely water
supplies [i.e., not too much, and not too little], (c) favorable weather with ample
sunshine and favorable temperatures, and (d) rural roads and other infra-structure.
3. Enabling Environment:
Gov’ts should favor their
farmers, but often put rural
farm problems on a lower
priority.
4. Favorable Market Prices:
Food prices compared with the
cost of production and
transport, are usually the key to
any favorable farm economy.
Slide 12

13. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Good Old Farm Practices
One Low Cost Solution
With breakdown of traditional
family structures, as men go off
searching for better jobs, many
single mother’s are unable to
feed children, lacking family
assistance. Forming producer
groups, as Juan Po’s Mayan
Farmer Groups that have raised
crop yields, diversified crops,
improved soil conservation, use
organic fertilizer leaching via
clay pots, & use plants that are
insect repellents. His farmers
often sell foods at higher prices
labeled as organic or natural
foods.
Slide 13

14. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Traditional “Milpa” cropping culture lost in much of So. Mexico & Ctr. Am.
Possible Option – Low Cost – Achieve Food Security via Producer Groups
Untrained farmers often over-planting, not thinning corn seedlings, not planting
in rows, nor rotating crops. They often burn crop stubble, and loose soil fertility.
After some 25 years of
highland Guatemala
warfare/conflict, the local
farmers have lost much
of the traditional soil
conservation practices
used by their elders.
Not thinning corn
seedlings hills, Often
corn is planted year-after-
year in a monoculture,
without improved seed,
and having few corn
husks, and declining crop
yields.
Slide 14

15. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Agricultural Universities and Extension Work – A Good Example
(“How to Achieve It”)
Here a Catholic
University Campus
professor has
assisted her student
to grow Brussels
Sprouts for the first
time, working
backwards from an
export contract.
Everyone else in the
highlands of San
Martin Department of
Guatemala seemed to
be growing corn. This
is a risky first time
vegetable crop.
Slide 15

16. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Irrigation Water, Favorable Temperatures, Greenhouse-like Virus Bug Vector Controls
Almost all farmers will state that water, either too much, or too little, is by far their
biggest problem. Since irrigation equipment is usually expensive to purchase and
maintain, some farmers have adopted the recent advances in Tyvek plastic-like
woven hoses that slowly and uniformly “sweat” water to irrigate crops; this is
replacing many of the older drip irrigation systems. Even though these Tyvek
irrigation hoses do not require much in way of pressure (2 meters in height) to cover
50 meters of hose, it still is an investment for poor farm families. SME/Micro-
financing may be the answer, but already Tyvek sweating hoses are replacing Israeli
like drip irrigation system in Brazilian coffee plantations, Kenyan flower farms, and
other higher value fruit and vegetable farms.
Slide 16

17. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Watering Key to Uniform Sized Fruits and Vegetables for Key Markets
(Food Security: “How to achieve it?”)
Slide 17

18. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
OK to Test Plant Varieties & Teach Students at Valle U., But too Costly for Most Farmers
Unfortunately, Large Donor Projects Often Appear Not Useful For Small Farmers
Slide 18

19. Food Security in the Americas
Issues, Visions and How to Achieve It
Summary
1. Unfortunately, often donor projects often lead to donor dependence.
2. Most farm problems are because of economies of large scale make small scale
farming uneconomical. Hence, getting together in producer groups often works best,
especially with good leadership. Groups get crop yields up and improve market sales.
3. Progressive farm groups can introduce technology for neighboring farmers, who
are usually risk adverse. Often village based farm cooperatives, or informal producer
groups, take the lead in introducing new agricultural technology.
4. Food security is often a result of warfare, physical security problems, and political
and economic shocks making investment into farming too risky even for farmers
already working the soil.
5. Nutrition often can best be derived from fresh fruits, vegetables and other locally
grown wholesome crops, particularly since food donations and imports shipments are
often undependable.
Slide 19