1.
There have been and continue to be a good number
of existing global deliberations, reports, policies and forums on rural
transformation and food security. These are well-timed as the world is gearing
towards realization of the vision 2030 17 United Nations sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Global efforts
towards transforming rural communities and food security have direct bearing on
a number of sustainable goals. These are Goal 1
No poverty, Goal 2
Zero
hunger, Goal 8
Decent work and economic growth, Goal 9
Industry, innovation
and infrastructure, Goal 11
Sustainable cities and communities and Goal 12-
Responsible consumption and production. Goal 1
No poverty proposes to end
extreme poverty by 2030. The core purpose of rural transformation is to see to
it that living conditions of people in rural areas are upgraded. The processes
of rural transformation are a necessary force in poverty alleviation. Goal 2-
Zero hunger is anchored upon the premise of ending hunger, achieving food
security and promoting sustainable agriculture. An integral aspect of rural
transformation is the establishment of sustainable agriculture. It may
necessitate the study of food marketing, processing and distribution
structures. Since most of the farmers in the world are based in rural
communities, it is important to educate and financially empower them to ensure
food security. Goal 8
Decent work and economic growth promotes sustained,
inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and
decent work for all. People in rural areas are mostly dependent on agriculture
and in rural communities in Kenya, they mostly practice subsistence farming. To
attain rural transformation, farmers have to engage in commercial farming for
income and better livelihoods. Goal 9-
Industry, innovation and infrastructure is coined around building resilient infrastructure,
promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Sound
modern agricultural practices in rural areas will not only ensure food security
but poverty alleviation and economic empowerment. This empowerment leads to economic
development of communities hence gradual realization of rural transformation.
Innovation especially in the manufacturing industry is required to achieve food
security and rural transformation. Goal 11
Sustainable cities and communities
is geared towards making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable. Effective processes in rural transformation and food
security will enable the attainment of this goal. Goal 12
Responsible consumption
and production seeks to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Food security ensures that people consume sufficient and nutritious food and
that farmers are able to produce food and meet this demand. Emphasis on manufacturing,
as a key component of rural transformation, boosts exploitation of natural
resources and then processing into consumable/ usable products. Cellulose
Manufacturing Plants can be set up in almost any rural community. Cellulose is
a substance that makes up most plant cell walls probably making it the most
abundant organic compound on earth. Cellulose can be used in making valuable products
such as paper products, cotton, linen, rayon for clothes. This polymer has versatile uses in many
industries such as veterinary foods, wood and paper, fibers and clothes,
cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Establishing
these Cellulose Manufacturing plants will create employment opportunities that
offer a source of income generation for rural people as well as provide an
alternative to on-farm activities. Rampant unemployment in rural areas has
caused a major slur in rural transformation. When people lack avenues of
generating income, they remain financially disempowered, vulnerable and cannot
possibly participate in the economic development of their communities. Infrastructure
remains poor, facilities dilapidated and people cannot access public goods and
services. The establishment of Cellulose Manufacturing plants in rural areas is
not only crucial in fostering rural transformation but is integral in putting
in place mechanisms for best agricultural processes hence food security. Climate
change has resulted into unpredictable weather patterns that have adversely
affected crop yields and led to hunger. Farmers in rural areas are ignorant of
the prevailing situation and lack resources, machinery and general know-how of
how to form resilience against the devastating effects of climate change. Once
employment opportunities are created through these Cellulose Manufacturing
plants, people in rural communities begin to earn income. Farmers will also
take advantage of the job opportunities in an effort of earning livelihoods/
supplementing income through an off-farm avenue. With the income, they will
adopt the best agricultural practices. This may be in form accessing
information/ awareness on climate change, expert advice, engaging technology,
purchasing modern machinery, investing in human capital and accessing all the
resources needed to ensure proper agricultural practices. This results into
high farm yields hence food security and attainment of SDG 2
Zero hunger. It
improper to separate the topics of rural transformation and zero hunger for how can rural transformation be said to be
taking place when people in these communities are facing challenges of hunger?
Food is a basic human need. Rural transformation should see to it that there is
human prosperity. The economic restructuring of rural areas will see to it that
people in these areas obtain decent livelihoods. One way of ensuring that people
obtain decent livelihoods is by economically empowering them and these can be
achieved through creating employment opportunities. Social restructuring of
rural areas on the other hand is pegged on such important subjects as freeing people
from poverty and ensuring zero hunger. Both the social and economic
restructuring of rural areas are important and separate efforts made towards
achieving both should complement each other. The establishment of Cellulose Manufacturing
Plants in rural areas is achievable and sustainable since the raw material (cellulose)
can be found almost anywhere. These plants will provide employment
opportunities to rural dwellers that can then begin to actively participate in
the economic development of their communities. Rural farmers can also take
advantage of the opportunities in these plants to supplement the income they
obtain from on-farm activities. The income they obtain can then be reinvested
in proper agricultural practices and with this comes food security. The
establishment of Cellulose Manufacturing plants in rural communities will
directly contribute to the economic and social transformation of rural areas as
well as ensuring food security/ zero hunger. We propose that these Cellulose
Manufacturing Plants are those that use low-carbon energy.
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