An obvious food crisis

#crisis #environnement #geopolitc #urgence #food #poverty #inflation

Crédit d'images : Tomas Ryant by Pextel

The health crisis has "invited" us to reflect on food sovereignty. However, the situation in Ukraine is "imposing" on us.

The plate contents have been closely scrutinized in confinement and crisis linked to the coronavirus. A matter of concern first when feverish shopping emptied the shelves of pasta, rice, flour and eggs in supermarkets. The object of occupation then, when the "homemade" hit the social networks, as a hobby and a vision of a healthy life. However, tensions were high, and the actors mobilized under the government's watchful eye. There is still time.

The debate on food sovereignty was launched and seized on the fly by the first agricultural union, the FNSEA. At the beginning of May, the latter did not hesitate to publish a "manifesto for a united food sovereignty". But, as Christiane Lambert, its president, immediately pointed out, "to speak of "French food sovereignty" is a narrow vision. Think oranges, pineapples, tea or coffee." The union says that "it is not about turning in on oneself or rejecting trade", but that it is about "incorporating it into the game of international trade, with fair rules and border controls". He believes that food sovereignty is played out at the European level.

At the heart of the debates is also the European policy of free trade agreements. Even during the Covid-19 crisis, Brussels welcomed a deal with Mexico validating the introduction of 20,000 tonnes of beef when we know the impact of agriculture on the global scale of ecological, social and public health impacts.

The question ignites the war in Ukraine. The conflict in Ukraine poses a severe threat to agricultural production and global food security. On a worldwide scale, the most pressing issue concerns financial aid and the fight against speculation, as physical food shortages are not yet evident. At least, not yet, but the WHO is issuing the alert.

The conflict has highlighted the global interdependencies on the agricultural level, both in terms of cereals, for human food and livestock, and gas, essential to the composition of nitrogenous fertilizers, major auxiliaries of world agriculture. While a large part of the Ukrainian winter wheat harvest could have been exported before the conflict, 7 million tonnes remained in the ports, and the next crop promises to be unpredictable. The Russian military, during the conflict, confiscated these products, according to testimony.

The European Union (EU) imports little cereals for human consumption; on the other hand, it buys Ukrainian and Russian cereals to feed animals, mainly maize, and imports a quarter of its nitrogen fertilizers from Russia. It also buys sunflower oil and meal, Ukraine alone representing more than half of the world trade in this oilseed (80% with Russia).

Today, the first impact of the war in Ukraine is the surge in gas, oil, wheat, corn, sunflower, rapeseed and soy prices, with a domino effect. The surge in the price of gas leads to that of fertilizers and therefore increases the cost of cereal production. The rise in the price of cereals and oilseeds increases the bill for animal feed and therefore triggers a jump in the prices of poultry, pork, beef and dairy products. Higher energy prices also penalize greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops and even fishermen.

In developing countries, soaring prices, which began well before the conflict in Ukraine, will

result in increased food insecurity.

"People devote between 35% and 40% of their budget to food," describes Olivier De Schutter, United Nations rapporteur on human rights and extreme poverty. So a 50% price increase has a significant impact on household budgets. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) predicts that its food price index could rise by 8% to 20%, and between 8 and 13 million more people could go hungry worldwide.

In wealthier countries, speculation on the raw materials market will have repercussions in inflation for the consumer and could accentuate food insecurity. In France, inflation has yet to be fully visible, but it will not be long.

Brussels finds itself at the heart of a lively debate on its strategic choices. In question, a roadmap dating from May 2020: the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F, “from farm to fork”), the agricultural version of the European Green Pact (Green Deal). To make European agriculture more sustainable, it sets several objectives: halving the use of pesticides by 2030, 20% in nitrogen fertilizers, and increasing the area under organic cultivation to 25 %. To these non-binding targets, the F2F strategy adds measures to reduce waste and guide consumers towards a healthier and more balanced diet, particularly plant-based.

Concession to repeated requests to "produce more", Brussels authorized, on March 23, the Member States to exploit the areas set aside for the 2022 campaign. These areas, considered of ecological interest or sources of crop diversification, give the right to a "green payment" under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This represents 1% of the functional agricultural area in France or 300,000 hectares. Given the calendar, farmers can no longer plant wheat. In theory, they can sow corn or sunflower. They will surely cut the grass that grows on these plots and make fodder. These fellows, often not very fertile or poorly located, will therefore not meet "the challenge of global food security", contrary to the argument of the French government. More prosaically, the applicants for this derogation, led by the FNSEA, have another objective, that of eliminating the 4% of areas of ecological interest included in the future CAP, which is due to come into force in January 2023.

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Can France improve its food self-sufficiency?

That's a big question...

In France, food self-sufficiency is an objective announced in many municipalities. In the PACA region, the town of Mouans-Sartoux, for example, is developing crops on a 6-hectare site, enabling it to cover 80% of the organic vegetable needs intended for its collective catering. The municipality of Albi is also one of the pioneer cities of food self-sufficiency thanks to the implementation of actions aimed at promoting the cultivation and production of foodstuffs within a radius of 60 km from the city.

If agricultural production exceeds the needs of the inhabitants in France, this high rate of food self-sufficiency nevertheless hides certain realities regarding the mode of production. Even though the country is one of the largest agricultural nations in the world, a significant part of French production relies mainly on fossil fuels imported from other countries. What is more, part of the foodstuffs consumed in France is also imported and represents nearly 21% of needs, according to INSEE in 2012.

While famine affects more than a billion people worldwide, France fulfils the conditions of food self-sufficiency to feed all its inhabitants.

To meet everyone's food needs while limiting their ecological impact, it is crucial to consider the different aspects of consumption, including production methods and the transport of foodstuffs.

While France is globally balanced, this observation masks significant disparities depending on the region. Many regions specialize in producing one type of food and are often totally dependent on others for other foods. For example, wheat is mainly grown in the north and centre of France, and corn is in the south. On the other hand, Brittany has chosen intensive pig farming… In addition, the French agricultural production method is highly dependent on transport. The food we eat travels an average of 3,000 km before reaching our plate, hence these foods very significant carbon impact.

Issues related to carbon emissions from the production and transport of imported foodstuffs constitute a significant challenge for preserving the environment. Finally, in France, the number of farmers continues to decrease by almost 14% fewer farmers in 10 years to reach only 2.3% of the active population. Therefore, to preserve local agriculture and participate in the self-sufficiency of our regions, it is important to eat local, seasonal and ideally organic.

You will tell me; we already know that. But how to do it in a world where the culture of the land is changing? Or are eating habits still a long way off?

The main guidelines for food and agriculture are set by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is implemented at the national level by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Even if food is no longer included in the ministry's name, it still falls within its prerogatives.

The State plays a key role, and the citizen, associations and activists have an essential role to play. Awareness and education is also trump card in the matter.