Food Security And Desertification

Desertification and food security combined are two of the major threats the world is facing at this moment. According to the United Nations Convention to combat desertification (UNCCD), desertification is widespread in many areas of the People’s Republic of China. In Mexico, with a large share of arid and semiarid land, the degradation of cropland now forces some 700,000 Mexicans off the land each year in search of jobs in nearby cities or in other countries.Loss and degradation of these natural resources is widespread, particularly in developing countries. The reality is that this degradation threats our social-economic stability.Most of the desertfied areas in both countries are related to poverty-stricken or comparatively poverty-stricken areas where the population’s pressure on the land use is relative high and single-product agro-economy grain is predominant. (Grainger,1990)Many programs have been implemented in both countries in the previous years with some successful results, for example China has reviewed its projects to combat desertification and Mexico’s national efforts include the adoption of a new environmental law, the drafting of a forest law and a technical assistance agreement, some other actions taken by these countries will be introduced further in this paper, however food security in areas affected by desertification has not received too much attention from intellectuals.Desertification does not mean that deserts are steadily advancing or taking over neighboring land. As defined by the UN Convention, desertification is a process of "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities". Patches of degraded land may develop hundreds of kilometers from the nearest desert. But these patches can expand and join together, creating desert-like conditions. Desertification contributes to other environmental crises, such as the loss of biodiversity and global warming.Drought often triggers desertification, but human activities are usually the most significant causes. Over-cultivation exhausts the soil. Overgrazing removes vegetation that prevents soil erosion. Trees that bind the soil together are cut for lumber or firewood for heating and cooking. Poorly drained irrigation turns cropland salty, desertifying 500,000 hectares annually, about the same amount of soil that is newly irrigated each year.Significant underlying causes include social and economic factors in developing countries, such as poverty, high population growth rates, unequal land distribution, refugee flows, modernization that disrupts traditional farming practices, and government policies that encourage the growing of cash crops on marginal land to pay off foreign debts.Life on earth depends on the layer of soil that is the source of nutrients for plants, crops, forests, animals and people. Without it, ultimately none can survive. Although topsoil takes a long time to build up, if mistreated it can vanish in just a few seasons due to erosion by wind and water. (UNCCD,1997)China’s population is concentrated in its urban centers, which are home to 40 percent of its almost 1.3 billion population. The nation also possesses a massive land area and more than 11 000 permanent crops. In recent years the number of malnourished has dropped from 15 to ten percent of the overall population, and while positive, when taking into account China’s massive population, it’s clear that food security remains an important issue. (FAO,2010)In line with FAO’s organizational mandate and at the request of the Government of China, the FAO Representative (FAOR) addresses the country’s emerging priorities in the domains of rural development, food security, environment protection and beyond. FAO’s current interventions in the country have covered more than twenty provinces and reached out to millions of targeted beneficiaries, exerting value-added impacts at policy, institutional and household levels. By active participation in joint programs, bilateral and multi-lateral initiatives, FAOR has further contributed to the One UN efforts and international synergy in assisting China with Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and human development. Responding to the latest emergencies including the seasonal droughts. (FAO,2010). With a high concentration of urban population (76%) and food consumption in the rule, Mexico has low agricultural investment in the country (agricultural GDP 4%), and the substantial bill agricultural imports (13 439 million USD).FAO in Mexico currently operates 20 projects (18 national and two regional level),10 of them with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA). Including 10 national assessment projects of seven out of eight agricultural programs of the Secretariat, an analysis of farming and fishing policies. The Food Safety Strategic Project operates in 18 Mexican states, benefiting about 100 000 households with a presence in over 600 municipalities with high and very high marginalization. (Fao,2010)In this paper two villages are used as example, in China the rural area of Minqin in Gansu Province close to the Tengger Desert, and in Mexico the rural area of Navolato in the State of Sinaloa, close to the Sonora Desert.