In what ways development of sustainable agriculture can help in overcoming food security?

The

case of Nigeria.

Literature Review

Food is one of the most important factors for a person to ensure his life. However,

despite this, hunger is still one of the most important problems in our developing and enriching

world. According to the United Nations report, in 2019, close to 750 million – or nearly one in

ten people in the world – were exposed to severe levels of food insecurity.

(https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/). As a result, the second goal of the SDGs,

which focuses on making the world a sustainable place, is related to this about ending hunger,

achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture. Despite

the fact that our world has given us a wealth of resources millions of people go hungry because

of unequal access and ineffective governance. Providing a sustainable agriculture through

modern technologies and fair distribution can be one of the main solutions to this

problem(https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/2-zero-hunger/).

First of all, understanding the concept of sustainable agriculture is very crucial. Research

shows that according to UN documents, sustainable agriculture is related to fighting hunger and

focusing on increasing productivity (Judith, Stefan and Stephan,2018). İn addition to that,

according to the FAO report “The current trajectory of growth in agricultural production is

unsustainable because of its negative impacts on natural resources and the environment”

(https://www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/overview/fao-and-the-2030-agenda-for-

sustainable-development/sustainable-agriculture/en/#:~:text=The%20current%20trajectory

%20of%20growth,animal%20breeds%20are%20at%20risk.). It was reported that 1/3 agricultural

land is degredaded, up to 75% of crop genetic diversity is lost, and 22% of animal breeds are at
risk. According to the description given by FAO, sustainable agriculture should focus on these

problems and develop healthy ecosystems and support the sustainable management of land,

water and natural resources in addition to ensuring world food security. Furthemore, agriculture

must satisfy the demands for its goods and services from both the present and future generations

while maintaining profitability, environmental health, and social and economic equality in order

to be sustainable.

The increase in demand for food as a result of the increase in world population is a threat

to food security. A 2016 edition of the FAO states that prioritizing the sustainable production of

staple and nutritious foods is important for food security(

https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/fbb9fe25-f20e-4928-a455-a1168e466211/). in

addition, in the same journal, promoting socio-productive innovations and marketing of products

in Family Farming systems is a significant contributor to the development of rural areas and

poverty alleviation, which is positioned as an important supplier of food for local consumption

and domestic markets. Moreover, a study cundacted by Kumar Rai and Sarvade incidate that the

majority of the world's poor live mainly in rural areas, where sustainable agriculture can help

reduce poverty, increase incomes and improve food security for 80 percent of this population(Rai

et al.,2021 ). The best example of this is Africa. 75 percent of the African population, most of

whom are poor, depend on agriculture as their main source of income(Adenle, Azadi, &

Manning, 2018). it is clear that the development of sustainable agriculture is one of the important

factors for improving the condition of the African population as well as the food secirity for

world population.

Despite the fact that agriculture is almost the main factor that provides the main source of

food for people living in the same area or community, there are many factors that prevent the
development of sustainable agriculture itself. As a result of the joint activities of FAO, CTA and

IFAD, the primary factor hindering agriculture was access to information and education in rural

areas. This has been documented to be important not only in rural areas but also in urban areas.

But in rural areas, it ends up with more visible and more serious consequences. Knowledge and

education are very important for people living in rural areas to solve the problems they face in

agriculture. In addition, education plays a significant role in agricultural management, its policy

organization and access to markets and financing. In rural areas, agricultural knowledge and

information is mainly taught by passing it on from parents to their children. Almost no

professional support is available. However, PAPP's survey of Pacific countries highlighted that it

would be more useful to provide this information in a professional manner (PAFPNet, 2010).
 References

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 2: Zero Hunger - United Nations Sustainable Development. United
Nations.

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/

Goal 2: Zero hunger. The Global Goals. (2022, March 15).

https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/2-zero-hunger/

Velten, S., Leventon, J., Jager, N., & Newig, J. (2015). What is sustainable agriculture? A
systematic review. Sustainability, 7(6), 7833-7865.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/6/7833

Janker, J., Mann, S., & Rist, S. (2018). What is sustainable agriculture? Critical analysis of the
international political discourse. Sustainability, 10(12), 4707.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124707

Rai, Surendra & Jaiswal, Aparna & Sarvade, S. & Shrivastava, Prashant & Shrivastava, Atul.
(2021). Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
354006956_Sustainable_Agriculture_for_Food_Security

Adenle, A. A., Azadi, H., & Manning, L. (2018). The era of sustainable agricultural development
in Africa: Understanding the benefits and constraints. Food Reviews International, 34(5),
411-433.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87559129.2017.1300913?casa_token=-
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