Food sovereignty
Photo: Quddus Alam / DRIKNEWS
Whether consciously or unconsciously, there is a concept has been evolved in the western world named “Food sovereignty” which is far safer than security. Sovereignty means that the food is produced within the border of the state. It is limited to the basic staple, in our case rice, and not all of foods. If we look to the west, we see the long lasting conflict between European Union (EU) and USA regarding subsidy to the farmers in order to ensure the food sovereignty as well as food security (Availability and Affordability) for their own people. It was also proven that, there is a relation between ecology & anthropology i.e. the staple food like rice produced in the particular ecology in more appropriate than produced in other ecology (Country) for the people (anthropology) as natural law. In 2004, the former President of World Bank Mr. James Wolfensohn accused that the rich countries are spending $ 900 billion on defense, $ 300 billion on subsidy for farmers and just $50 billion to $60 billion on aid, of which just 50% in cash rather than loans. On the other hand, the rich countries do not come up with adequate money for improving the social and economic condition of poor people who are deprived of the basic necessities particularly staple food. In recent years, the leader of the rich countries realized that huger and poverty breed unrest and conflict and they started to thinking this issue in the new paradigm. Professor Amartya Sen has revealed how and why lot of people had suffered through famine in 1943 (Known as Ponchash-er Monnontor) and 1947 in the greater Bengal & East Bengal (Bangladesh since 1971) respectively. Society and the government could have done a lot to avoid those famines. Last but not the least, as per our constitution, it is the state's responsibility to ensure the Food Sovereignty for the people directly or indirectly.
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