This post will review the common challenges experienced in most food systems. In our former post, we acknowledged that food systems involve all the activities from when food is produced to when it is consumed. Along this entire process, there are normally challenges faced that in turn disrupt the accessibility and availability of food, posing threats to the health and nutrition security of populations.
Among them are:
The extensive chemical application in food system activities such as food production and food processing through the use of chemicals, fertilizers , pesticides and food additives that raises widespread concern due to the high potential for disease transmission risk. Recently, there is increasing use of chemicals in the food system, and once ingested to a certain threshhold, the risk for disease increases. This varies with the type of chemical ingested and the duration the chemical has been in the body.
The mass production of foods is associated with lower quality foods because the aim then is to manufacture massive quantities of food to meet the high consumer demands, and not particularly ensure quality and freshness.This therefore implies that accessible foods tend to be sub-standard and perhaps of lower nutritional value due to their lack of freshness.
Limited investment in food system activities such as agricultural expansion processes. Usually, limited funds complicate the ability to execute measures to develop the food system activities like production , processing etc. This is especially in developing nations where funding is constrained, deterring the capacity to purchase faster, mechanized equipment that can allow for increased food production to meet the needs of their growing populations.
Food affordability concerns exude from the frequent shifts in food system sustenance costs. If the costs incurred in production , processing or marketing are higher than they were previously, the prices of foods tend to also increase. This hinders the purchasing power of most of the socio-economically disadvantaged persons such that even though the food may be available, acquiring it becomes a challenge. Hence, most opt for sub-quality alternatives that likely lack adequate nutrition content.
The changes in climate contribute to water scarcity, soil erosion, increased incidences of drought , causing food insecurity concerns. Moreover, food system activities impact increasing gas emission effects that further exacerbate changes in bio-diversity and the food chain.
Overconsumption and food wastage or losses are another systemic crisis that deteriorate natural resources like water, imposing needless strain onto the food ecosystem. For example, due to over-fishing, the marine food chain is interfered with leading to decreased levels of fish and in turn an increase in food insecurity.
The enlisted points denote the most common food system challenges.Notably, these challenges either impact the system’s activities directly or are as a result of changes in the activities.
In our following post, we will analyze how these concerns can be addressed.