The global issue selected for the final paper is food and water security. This is a topical problem nowadays, especially in light of climate change and population growth. Statistics show that, currently, about 690 million individuals worldwide are hungry, and three billion people cannot afford to eat healthily (“Food loss,” 2020). Due to COVID-19, additional 132 million individuals are at risk of food insecurity (“Food loss,” 2020). These data demonstrate the significance of the issue since it affects a large number of people globally and negatively influences their health and well-being. Given the importance of the issue, further research is needed to identify factors influencing food and water security in different regions and find possible solutions. Moreover, Young et al. (2021) note that, despite a close interconnection between food and water security, these issues are often studied separately. Therefore, further research is also needed to study these problems jointly and develop interventions that would address both issues simultaneously.
The issue of food and water security is complex and requires multiple solutions, but one solution chosen for the final paper will be the reduction of food loss and waste. This solution emerged after learning the surprising statistics: one-third of all food that is produced worldwide is either wasted or lost (The World Bank, 2020). When millions of people live in hunger, such losses and wastage seem intolerable and unethical. Luckily, there are several measures to tackle this problem, including better food packaging, training small-scale producers, giving leftover food to those in need, and educating consumers on more effective food storage and planning. The thesis statement will be as follows: Since a large portion of food is either wasted or lost, a reduction of food loss and wastage is a feasible solution for addressing the global issue of food and water security. The ethical outcomes of this solution are positive and include increased social justice and decreased environmental degradation.
The problem of food and water security especially affects those who live in poverty. This is because they cannot afford to buy healthy food and water, whereas their wealthier counterparts can sometimes purchase water in areas with greater water insecurity (Young et al., 2021). As a result of food and water insecurity, low-income individuals may have poor physical and mental health. The proposed solution of food waste reduction may help this population to improve their food security.
References
Food loss and waste must be reduced for greater food security and environmental sustainability. (2020). UN Environment Programme.
The World Bank. (2020). Food security.
Young, S. L., Frongillo, E. A., Jamaluddine, Z., Melgar-Quiñonez, H., Pérez-Escamilla, R., Ringler, C., & Rosinger, A. Y. (2021). Perspective: The importance of water security for ensuring food security, good nutrition, and well-being. Advances in Nutrition, 12(4), 1058-1073.