Introduction
The emerging threat to the world’s food and water security is a crucial issue for the academic community. Access to clean and nourishing food and water is a requirement for any individual worldwide. However, in the current age, some countries are struggling to provide their citizens with these necessities due to the lack of resources or finances. With many nations encountering food and water security problems, the consequences of such events have become global, giving rise to multiple outcomes of food and water insecurity (Young et al., 2021). Hunger, malnutrition, and decreased resource distribution frequently manifest in communities having issues with food and water security, which devastatingly decreases the well-being of such individuals (Young et al., 2021). Of special concern are the ethical implications of this phenomenon, such as labor exploitation and social injustice, which arise due to the unequal distribution of food and water resources. The world’s governments must contribute additional efforts to improve food and water security in developing countries, identifying initiatives that can help resolve this complication.
The Development of Food and Water Security Issue
The first World Food Summit, conducted in 1996, can be considered a hallmark of the food and water security issue becoming integrated into international research. Although the goal to establish equal access to clean food and water for at least half of the world’s population has been devised and followed strictly, the overall progress has remained slow. According to the recent statistics, the populations who experienced hunger remained at stable 16% since 1996 (de Oliveira Veras et al., 2020). After that, until 2016, a declining trend in world hunger development has been reported; however, since 2016, more and more countries have begun to announce difficulties in securing and distributing food resources (de Oliveira Veras et al., 2020). Presently, one in eight people is projected to suffer from hunger, with approximately 66% of the affected populations residing in Asia and the Pacific and 26% in Sub-Saharan Africa (de Oliveira Veras et al., 2020). Considering that the number of people in the world is estimated to increase by more than a third by 2050, additional measures are needed to improve the current food security.
Similarly, the water security problem has been developing for several decades; however, its pace may be considered swifter due to the increased demand for water. Throughout the world, clean water is required for various activities, from food production to consumption, making it a tremendously valuable resource for humanity’s survival. Nevertheless, since 1996, water accessibility has been declining (de Oliveira Veras et al., 2020). While water conservation strategies have been implemented, such efforts are outlined as lacking efficiency. Recent statistical reports suggest that about one billion people already lack access to enough safe water, and 1.6 billion live in water scarcity conditions (Belesky et al., 2014). Of special concern are the factors that might further promote water insecurity, namely urbanization, water pollution, and population growth. Thus, appropriate measures are needed to address uneven water distribution and scarcity worldwide.
Societal Complications
The unequal distribution of food and water becomes especially evident with the consideration of involved communities and individuals. As clean food and water are a necessity for survival, it is expected that the world’s populations will be provided access to these resources, allowing them to maintain the appropriate quality of life (Belesky et al., 2014). Nevertheless, in developing countries struggling with securing the minimum resources and monetary funds, following such prerequisites can be exceptionally challenging. As a result, numerous people are forced to reside in poverty, which imposes significant complications for sustaining a good quality of life and health. Currently, about 9% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty, which inevitably results in a lack of food and water security (Belesky et al., 2014). In the long term, such issues lead to malnourishment, hunger, and poor well-being, creating complications for individuals from various parts of society.
The populations believed to be the most affected by the food and water insecurity issue are the underprivileged communities, whose financial standing decreases their likelihood of obtaining the necessary resources. Throughout the world, food resource scarcity influences at least 815 million people, while water scarcity is estimated to impact roughly 1.6 billion people (Belesky et al., 2014). It is suggested that families with low financial status or who reside in overpopulated, non-attended areas are more likely to encounter a lack of access to clean food and water (Hameed et al., 2019). Although local governments implement community-wide measures, they require sufficient funding and access to food and water supplies, which are challenging to secure.
Another complication for different parts of society is the uneven distribution of food and water resources. Such inequality becomes especially evident in such regions as the Middle East and North Africa, which are highly water-scarce and thus cannot be utilized to successfully produce food and water (Belesky et al., 2014). On the other hand, it is also possible for a country to have the necessary land and water resources but lack the technologies and infrastructure required for the agricultural sector’s productivity. Sub-Saharan Africa is a pertinent example of such a geographical area, where the accessible technological developments are highly outdated (Belesky et al., 2014). From this perspective, the unequal distribution of farming lands, water resources, and technological advancements leads to the emergence of food and water insecurity as a global societal issue.
Potential Food and Water Insecurity Mitigation Strategies
Water Conservation Technologies: Improving Water Preservation
The emerging technological advancements are especially valuable for preserving water resources and establishing efficient food production. Utilizing the most recent developments can significantly promote the rates of water preservation and enhance the food production techniques, thus achieving better food and water security outcomes. Several research studies have revealed that food and water security are intrinsically connected, with food security dependent on access to the necessary supply of freshwater (Kpadonou et al., 2017; Krishnan & Padaria, 2018; Mishra et al., 2021). It is highlighted that efficient farming and food production is impossible without the availability of clean water, which is used for various purposes, from irrigation to upholding the required humidity levels. Therefore, it is emphasized that water conservation technologies (WCT) are needed to establish food and water security in farming regions.
According to the recent studies on WCT integration into farming techniques, this method is exceptionally beneficial for reducing the amount of water misused or lost during crop growth. Krishnan and Padaria (2018) report that WCT-based rice production programs are one-third more efficient than traditional approaches, which implement less technologically viable water preservation strategies. Furthermore, as WCT could be 60% more effective in gathering and reusing water, these technologies are vital in regions lacking access to other freshwater resources (Fikirie, 2021). In this regard, WCT appears to be a viable solution for preventing water shortages and ensuring the productive use of water for farming and food production activities.
The data provided by recent research on the WCT Can be considered highly Reliable, as it was gathered from multiple communities implementing traditional and WCT-based farming approaches. This information also has exceptional validity, analyzed using appropriate statistical tests and measures (Kpadonou et al., 2017). Nevertheless, there might be some biases present in this research as WCT is not compared with other water preservation techniques, except for traditional strategies. Therefore, the lack of evidence on the efficiency of WCT in contrast with different technological methods of water conservation is a significant limitation for current research.
However, a tremendous advantage of the analyzed studies is their focus on different ethnic and geographical populations. Considering that every community is unique and experiences different types of issues connected to water conservation, information from various populations worldwide is needed to establish the productivity of WCT (Hameed et al., 2019). As present articles shed light on the use of WCT compared with traditional approaches, future research should focus on contrasting the efficiency of WCT with other water preservation methods.
Legacy Soil Phosphorus: Naturally Produced Fertilizer
Another solution that government bodies can implement could be the introduction of legacy phosphorus as a natural soil fertilizer. Fertilizers play a vital role in the food production system, and naturally produced fertilizers are essential for high crop yields and resilience. While phosphate fertilizers are frequently used to promote plant growth and stabilize their outputs, recent evidence suggests that these resources are non-replenishable and slowly degrading (Rowe et al., 2016). Legacy phosphorus, a substance accumulated in the soil over the years of farming, has been suggested as a substitute for natural phosphate fertilizers (Brownlie et al., 2021). By accessing legacy phosphorus and retrieving it from the soil, it is possible to create potent phosphate-based fertilizers without having to rely on chemical solutions.
Recent statistical data from the implementation of legacy phosphorus for fertilizing soil reveal that this approach can be highly efficient in farming communities. For instance, research results suggest that legacy phosphorus can substitute the use of natural phosphorus for up to 10 years or more, which makes it a viable replacement for natural phosphorus, a slowly depleting resource (Pavinato et al., 2020). In addition, legacy phosphorus can be safely supplemented by other organic solutions, such as ammonium nitrate, which increases the leaf expansion rate by 20-50% and can even promote plant growth by 18-77% (Rowe et al., 2016). These statistics suggest that legacy phosphorus could indeed be used as a substitute for natural phosphorus in creating organic fertilizers.
Considering that the retrieved findings are based on relevant statistical data and measures conducted across different geographical regions, the research can be regarded as reliable and valid. Nonetheless, some biases are still present in the discussed studies; as such, the identified articles only interpret the available knowledge on the topic without conducting a meta-analysis or critically evaluating the research (Brownlie et al., 2021; Pavinato et al., 2020; Rowe et al., 2016). From this perspective, future studies should consider examining the negative outcomes of legacy phosphorus usage, comparing the available findings on the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing this substance as a fertilizer.
The strengths of the analyzed studies are the thorough evaluation of statistical data and a comprehensive examination of current literature. However, such limitations as the absent comparison to other natural fertilizers must also be noted (Rowe et al., 2016). Additionally, the farmers’ attitudes towards the integration of legacy phosphorus into their practices were not assessed; however, this aspect is exceptionally significant for introducing policy measures aimed at promoting this substance as a phosphorus substitute.
Potential Ethical Outcomes
While the described approaches can tremendously benefit the affected communities, the ethical outcomes of their implementation should also be considered. For instance, a positive ethical consequence could be mitigating unequal resource distribution among the world’s populations, as people in economically disadvantaged areas could gain easier access to fresh food and water (Meldrum, 2019). In the long term, this outcome could contribute to the mitigation of food and water access inequality among the different populations of the world.
On the other hand, a negative ethical ramification could be the exportation of produced food and water as a financial benefit instead of providing the communities with the needed resources. As food and water are tremendously valuable, some governments could decide to use the renewed supply for trade, yielding financial improvements but not addressing the food and water insecurity problem (Drydyk & Keleher, 2018). In this regard, the ethical issue of resource exploitation could arise.
Conclusion
The decline in food and water security has become a crucial issue for the academic community in the past decades. Although access to clean food and water is a requirement for any individual throughout the world, in the current age, numerous communities are experiencing difficulties with securing the availability of these resources. The lack of food and water and its contamination has led to various populations encountering hunger, malnutrition, and resource scarcity, the negative consequences of food and water insecurity. Such outcomes dramatically decrease the well-being of affected individuals, resulting in reduced health and life quality. Of special concern are the ethical implications of this phenomenon, such as labor exploitation and social injustice, which arise due to the unequal distribution of food and water resources. Therefore, the world’s governments must contribute additional efforts to improve food and water security in developing countries, promoting Water Conservation Technologies and the use of legacy phosphorus among the farming organizations.
References
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