From The LandÂ
The best policy response to food shortages is to let the market do its thing, according to the National Farmers Federation.
Responding to the release of a new report “High Food Prices – Causes, Implications and Solutions”, NFF president, David Crombie, said if the United Nations’ stated goal of a 30pc increase in global food production by 2030 is to have any hope of coming to fruition, the paramount objective of food policy must be to encourage a workable system of production, distribution and consumption.
“This means a global recommitment to agricultural research and development investment in pursuit of higher farm productivity – including technologies, new plant varieties, inlcuding genetically modified crops, new farming systems and irrigations systems, with a focus on climate adaptation,” Mr Crombie said.
“Foreign govenrments must leave their domestic policies at home and once and for all abandon their trade distorting subsidies, tarrifs and other artificial barriers, which only mire production by sending the wrong market signals to farmers as food producers.”
Mr Crombie said govenrments must not intervene to impose limits on food exports, nor distort the flow of food stocks to the production of bio-fuels.
“The only workable policy response is to facilitate an open, market-oriented system for the production, distribution and consumption of food that enable farmers to respond to genuine market demands and ensure consumer needs are met.”