The growing food crisis is a serious concern for people around the world. There are several reasons for this, and understanding these reasons is an important step toward finding solutions to the problem.
Darren Dohme will now highlight some of the leading causes of the ongoing food crisis.
Causes of Food Crisis per Darren Dohme
Poor Farming Practices
According to Darren Dohme, many farmers around the world are not using sustainable practices that help to produce healthy, fertile soil. This leads to poor crop yields and higher food prices. Moreover, large-scale industrial farming can deplete the soil over time, and this contributes to food shortages.
Large food corporations tend to focus on producing large quantities of a few staple crops rather than diversifying their output and focusing on local/regional needs. This has led to an imbalance in many food systems and has contributed to spikes in food prices.
Russia-Ukraine War
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine War has been a major cause of the global food crisis in recent years. The conflict has disrupted agricultural production and trade in both countries, contributing to shortages and price spikes across Europe and other regions.
In addition to disrupting agricultural practices, the war has had a significant impact on water resources in Ukraine. Due to heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, many rivers have been diverted from their natural course, leading to increased soil erosion and reduced capacity for irrigation.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is also believed to be linked to rising levels of climate change. Some scientists argue that freezing temperatures over the Black Sea during winter months may have contributed to the outbreak of conflict by damaging crops and reducing food production in the region.
Drought
Darren Dohme believes that in recent years, several countries around the world have been affected by severe drought, leading to crop failures and food shortages. Droughts are often caused by El Niño weather events and rising global temperatures, which reduce rainfall in key agricultural areas.
In 2015, for example, a devastating drought struck East Africa, causing widespread crop failures and leaving millions of people without enough food to eat. This drought was linked with an intense El Niño weather pattern that disrupted normal patterns of rainfall across the continent.
Other regions that have experienced major droughts in recent years include southern China, California, Brazil, Australia, and India. In these areas, climate change is believed to be playing a role in altering rainfall patterns and increasing the severity of droughts.
Rising Sea Levels
Sea level rise is another major cause of the global food crisis. Rising sea levels are threatening coastal agricultural regions, including low-lying delta areas in South and Southeast Asia, as well as large swaths of coastal Africa.
These areas have historically been important sources of food production, but they are increasingly at risk due to flooding and saltwater contamination caused by rising sea levels.
In addition to disrupting agricultural production, rising sea levels pose a direct threat to human health, particularly in low-lying island nations that are vulnerable to flooding and erosion. As sea levels continue to rise, many people around the world may be forced to relocate or change their livelihoods in order to adapt to new conditions.
Concluding Thoughts by Darren Dohme
Darren Dohme believes that while there is no single solution to the global food crisis, it is clear that modern factors such as climate change, conflict, and sea level rise are playing an increasingly important role.
To address these challenges, we must invest in agricultural research and development programs, improve water management techniques, and focus efforts on helping vulnerable populations adapt to a changing climate. Only by working together can we hope to overcome the growing threats of hunger and malnutrition around the world.