The Coming Crisis of Food Price Hikes : A Threat to South Africa's National State Security ?

Abstract

In recent decades, demographic and economic growth has challenged the limits of economic, social and ecological sustainability, giving rise to questions about food security. Despite technological advances that have modernized the conditions of production and distribution of food, hunger and malnutrition still threaten the quality of life of millions of people, worldwide. At the same time, our food problems are also becoming more and more complex, with highly connected ramifications that make food security an issue of critical concern. Although the causes of hunger have always been known, recent research and publications have not only accentuated the issue, but have also indicated that the new complexities only serve to exacerbate the problem. For example, in April 2011, the World Bank 1 estimated that food prices had increased by 36% compared to the same period in April 2010. A recent report published by Oxfam (May 2011) 2 estimates that there about 1 billion people who go hungry to bed every day. The report also warns that basic food prices could increase substantially in the next 20 years, especially given that population growth is also expected to rise and generate new and pressing demands for food. It is predicted that by 2050, there will be another 2 billion people to feed, on top of the nearly 7 billion today. The growing mismatch between demand and supply for food is simply not sustainable and will exacerbate food insecurity throughout the world. Noting that the price of food is inextricably linked to the critical questions of food insecurity, hunger and poverty, especially in terms of availability, accessibility and affordability, this paper, therefore, not only critically contextualizes and analyses the recent Food Price Increases, but also, complements the challenges of Food Security, which was comprehensively articulated in Kalliston's recent Policy Document entitled "Food Security in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa" 3. In the context of the above, the introductory section of the paper provides a synopsis of the recent global food price increases and its relevance to the future of human sustainability. The next section outlines and analyses the possible causes of the recent food price hikes and provides a prognosis of the future danger that unabated increases pose to human sustainability. Given the importance that the South African State Security Agency attaches to the issue of human and food security, the third section deals with the political economy of food price increases and the conflicts that have generated, thereof. The paper then presents a critical review of global policy responses with a view to draw insights on what is needed to tackle the recurring food price threat in South Africa. No country is exempt from the ravages of the food price crisis, especially our neighbouring countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The final section, therefore, concludes by advocating for urgent Smart Power Policy interventions within the Sub-Saharan African continent, with specific reference to the universal iss...

Food Price Bubbles: Food Price Indices of Turkey, the FAO, the OECD, and the IMF

“…This has significant implications for the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (no poverty) and SDG 2 (zero hunger). The focus on food price bubbles is in part due to the significant impacts on sustainability concerning hunger, social unrest, and poverty [42][43][44][45][46]. The occurrence of food price bubbles carries noteworthy implications for sustainability, encompassing issues such as hunger, poverty, social unrest, environmental degradation, and price volatility.…”