The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have taken a far-sighted decision to establish a regional food bank with contribution from each member country. It is intended to build a buffer stock of food to combat emergency food crisis. The vulnerability of the South Asian countries to climate change impacts has made the creation of this food stock really imperative. The South Asian region as a whole is not self-sufficient in food grains production. The countries depend much on import of food grains to meet the shortfall. Moreover, these countries are under serious threats of natural disasters. Devastating floods are almost an annual affair in Bangladesh. Cyclones from Bay of Bengal hit Bangladesh or India almost every year. Rise of the sea level by even 40 centimetres as a result of the global warming is apprehended to inundate some 16 percent of the low-lying areas of Bangladesh with saline water. The Maldives also faces similar risk.

In a word, the whole region will have to bear the brunt of climate change. Such disasters will create food shortage in the affected areas. As a consequence of the recent floods and cyclone, Bangladesh faces this year a shortage of at least 19 lakh metric tonnes of food. Some other aspects of the world food situation underscore the need for building the stock. Although world food production shows an upward trend despite decline in some countries due to drought and other climate change impacts, the availability of grains for consumption by humans in the least developed countries is falling. This is because grains are used as animal fodder in some countries and for production of bio-fuel in some others. Prices of foodgrains in the international market are record high. So, the countries of the region should prepare to face the impending challenge of food crisis. It is in view of such threats that the 2007 SAARC Conference held in New Delhi in April took the decision to establish the SAARC Food Bank.

According to the relevant provisions, the member countries are required to raise and maintain the food stocks in their own territories and send the same to other countries when and where circumstances would so require. As per the agreement, the SAARC member nations should be able to get food loans from the food bank and return the loaned food when the situation would improve. Promises for a total of 2.41 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains have so far been made. But, according to media reports, it has not been possible to commission the food bank, as some of the member countries are yet to finalise their commitments. They should come up to build the said food stock immediately. But the stock proposed is insignificant to meet the challenge. The proposed Food Bank should try to build a bigger stock which is expected to serve as a bulwark against any unexpected food crisis.