INCREASING FOOD PRICES HINDERS FOOD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS IN NIGERIA

The rising cost of food items like rice and other grains, tubers and spices as well as cooking oils has worsened the plight the food safety crusaders as it is now an additional stressor in their objective of encouraging the consumption of only wholesome food items

Food safety NGOs rely on  a fair presence of options from which people can choose the good and reject the bad for consumption. Unfortunately, the cost of food items has so increased such that even the bad food may become  an option for consumption. The only affordable items for most  poverty-stricken societal layer are the unwholesome and must-be-rejected foods

This situation compounds the plight of the civil society players who now find it difficult to convince the people of the dangers of contaminated food and feed items.

Recently a seminar participant on food security explained that she found it impossible to discard visibly compromised grains on the alter of safety, when a better option is not reachable

The UN may have to assist by releasing measures that will alleviate the impact of COVID-19 as well as banditry and kidnappings which have succeeded in sending farmers away from the farms

Also the Federal government is invited to release a substantial portion of the Strategic Grains Reserves and activate other statutory remedial institutions. The fear of possible avoidable morbidities and mortalities is here. Everyone must be involved and participate actively. But it is the governments that should bell the cat through security provision

Dele Fapohunda

Oct 2021