Urban population can increase access to healthy and sustainable food despite rapid urbanization, for there to be healthy and sustainable foods increase, the government, agricultural cooperative societies, insurance companies and individuals have their different roles to play.
The government has the following roles:
1) Setting aside lands for agricultural purposes within short distance of the cities, this will help in reducing stress of distance traveling by the farmers and buyers of the produces.
2) Creating tax incentives for farmers, this will help farmers to have more funds to invest and encourage more people to become farmers.
3) Encouragement or promotion of alternative development option, such as cultivation of vacant Urban lands for agriculture.
4) Enhancing fair price of agricultural goods.
5) Creation of more job opportunities in agricultural sectors.
6) Involving youths in agriculture, in Nigeria for example, there is one year compulsory national youths service after graduation from higher institutions, this one year can be made compulsory for such youths to be employed in farms thereby increasing fresh agricultural produces.
7) Compulsory study of agricultural science in all institutions and doing more of practical studies.
8) Creation of markets that connect consumers with producers of fresh foods.
9) Establishment of credit institutions that can give farmers loans with low interest rate.
10) Encouraging the use of modern equipments for farmers by removing import duties on such equipments.
11) Improvement on transportation systems, this helps in bringing goods produced faster to Urban areas.
12) Food policy task to provide a set of recommendations on city agricultural produces.
13) Distribution hub, helping farmers to bring their produces to Urban marketplace.
14) Establishing training institutes that can help anyone become a farmer.
15) Promotion of policies that support and protect community gardens, thereby allowing people to have farms in their environments.
16) Distribution of seeds to interested farmers in other to encourage them.
17) Pass food policies that require foods and beverages purchased with government's funds to meet certain nutritional standards.
18) Ensure that residents can access healthy and affordable foods through public transportation by realigning bus routes, providing free shuttles to fresh food markets.
19) Require access to free and safe drinking water in public places.
20) Establishment of farms for the military and other force agencies, the world is not always at war and fighting crimes, most of these force sits year round at the barracks waiting for war which will never come. These time wasted can be channeled to agriculture to get more healthy foods.
21) Support the sales of local foods across the communities by offering incentives and encouraging the establishment of farmers' markets.
22) Improvement on agricultural environments, by providing social amenities in farm areas, such as hospitals, good water system etc.
23) Encourage cities planners, landscape architects, developers and Urban designers to consider providing spaces for agricultral use for individual (home gardens).
24) Subsidizing cost of fertilizer, this helps farmers to buy at cheaper rates.
25) Provision of storage facilities, in this, the farm harvest can be stored for a long period of time, which will lead to food sufficiency and avoid food wastage.
Agricultural Cooperative Societies have the following roles to play
1) Incorporation of wastewater for irrigation, cooperative societies can channel their wastewater for the use of irrigation on farmlands.
2) Incorporation of organic solid waste for fertilizer can also be done by agricultural cooperative societies.
3) Increasing members' production by helping in better link of finance, such as loan.
4) Lowering the cost of acquiring inputs or hiring services such as storage and transportation.
5) They are also involve in decision making process by giving the right decision on how to get the best yield of produce.
6) They help in processing and marketing of their members' produces.
7) Provision of group cover, they save as a group to help any of their members in time of loss in the farming business.
The insurance industries have the following roles to play:
Duties of insurance companies or insurers is to indemnify the insured at the time of loss on agreed terms (payment of premium).
1) Increase access to credit: insurance is to reduces the risk of loan default in the event of catastrophic production losses, it is required by financial institutions to extend credit to farmers.
2) Mitigation of risk comprehensively: insurance agents help farmers mitigate risk through adoption of drought tolerance seed varieties, climate smart agriculture practice and technologies, improved post harvest handling and storage practices.
3) Stability in Income: It protects the farmers against losses caused by crop failure. It acts like a tool that allows farmers to manage their yield and price risks.
4) Minimal Debts: Farmers are able to repay their loans even during the time of crop failure with the support of the right insurance partner.
5) Technological Advancement: Insurance companies work along with Agri platforms who use IOT to enhance agriculture practices and reduce farmers losses. This helps farmers to understand latest technological advancement and improve their crop production.
6) Yield Protection: Crop Insurance protects farmers against production loss for crops. It also offers preventive planting and replant security.
7) Provides Awareness: Insurance companies provide awareness campaigns to help farmers understand the effect of natural calamities and also protect their farms.
8) While a natural disaster is unpredictable, farmers can use forecast methodology to understand climate and weather change to protect their crops. Therefore, one of the most important benefit of buying agriculture insurance is that farmers get peace of mind that there will be healthy production.
Individuals have the following roles to play.
Although every nation has instituted all the assistance programs above to aid the nation's healthy and sustainable food for its nation but the individual's efforts count most in determining the healthy and sustainable supply of food to herself. After all, assistance programs are no more than tools available for agricultural development. Success for healthy and sustainable food is determined by careful selection and correct application of such tools.
The application of the following tools by individuals determine healthy and sustainable foods:
1) Irrigation facilities to improve agricultural produces
2) Use of fertilizers to increase more yields of crops.
3) Mixed farming which enhance the productivity of the farmland and keeps the field under continuous production.
4) Efficient Administration this involves the ability to maintain and preserve the desired results with minimum expenditure in the farm.
5) Effective control of pests and disease on crops and animals in the farm.
6) Use of modern equipments to increase the following yields of production.
7) Increase in education and awareness techniques of food production.
8) Choosing the right season for production.
9) Seasonal soil rotation, this is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area in different season
10) Knowing the potential yield of the crops to be planted. Some crops have better and faster yields than others.
11) Testing the soil condition to know what type farming to be practiced.
12) Control of weeds early and often
13) Use of quality seeds for planting
14) Seed treatment before planting
15) Ensuring that the crops are grown and the animals are raised in good conditions.
16) Ensure the crops and animals are given the right treatment at right intervals.
17) Protection of farm crops and animals from rodents and external forces such as theft and snakes.
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