In response to a question from Mr. Bennett’s presentation “How is what is grown determined so that diversity, including dietary diversity, is encouraged and how does this approach ensure that food gets to the hungriest regions”?
A major concern for me is Land grabbing and foreign direct investment in Africa and the effect it has on trade and the local African markets. Super economies (e.g China) have acquired large expanse of land in Africa to produce food for their increasing population. This has fostered growth of large scale monocultures to the detriment of small holders and their small scale mixed farming model. By exporting food produced in Africa to China for example, valuable resources are exploited such as water and nutrients, and tress cut down in land preparation have increase green house gas accumulation in these areas. How are small holders protected from the adverse effects emanating from large scale farms such as ground water pollution from fertilizers and other agro-chemicals? Foreign direct investment and trade policies should include agreements such that at least 10% of land purchased in another country (especially developing economies) is dedicated to growing indigenous varieties of local food which will be sold in local market at appropriate market prices (which will not compete with ongoing prices) to support food security. These companies should be encouraged to invest in research and propagation of these local varieties as a social service. It is also the duty of governments to maintain seed banks and preserve genetic diversity of indigenous food.
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