Prerequisite For Food Security Research Articles

북한의 농업생산과 먹거리보장의 가능성 - 기후변화에 대한 대응능력을 중심으로 -

The purpose of this paper is three-fold: to analyze the macrotrend of North Korea’s food supply and demand; to confirm the food security situation in North Korea in various respects; and to seek the sustainable ways of agricultural production as a prerequisite for food security in North Korea. In particular, analyzing North Korea’s weather observation data, which has hardly been considered in previous studies, we investigated how North Korea’s agriculture had been affected by various natural disasters (flood, drought, soil loss etc.) caused by unusual weather. The results show the fact that the agricultural security systems of North Korea is vulnerable to both drought and flood due to extreme precipitation changes, which are closely related to the negative impacts on North Korea’s agricultural activities. In order to enhance the sustainability of North Korea’s agriculture, it is necessary to improve the system (dissolution of collectivization), increase the amount of agricultural materials, enhance soil fertility and develop agricultural machines. Most of all, this research reveals the fact that the most important and fundamental points for food security in North Korea, it needs the systematic strategies to cope with climate change.

Physiology and gene expression of the rice landrace Horkuch under salt stress.

Good donors in breeding for salt tolerance are a prerequisite for food security under changing climatic conditions. Horkuch, a farmer-popular salt tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety from the south-west coast of Bangladesh was characterised up to maturity under NaCl stress, together with a modern variety (BRRI dhan41), a sensitive control (BRRI dhan29) and Pokkali, the salt-tolerant benchmark for rice. Horkuch had low reduction in shoot biomass, a low Na:K ratio in flag leaves, a low percent reduction in yield and good partitioning of Na in the older leaves, and maintained high levels of Ca and Mg in the flag leaves. In order to understand the physiology at the molecular level, the expression of salt-responsive genes was investigated using microarray analysis. Salt-stressed cDNA of Horkuch seedlings were hybridised with cDNA probes synthesised mainly from database sequences of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. The upregulated genes included transcription factors, signal transducers, metabolic enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers, osmoprotectants and some specific salt-induced transcripts. An increase in expression of photosynthesis-related genes as well ROS scavengers suggested that this could be the reason for the better yield performance of Horkuch. The data therefore indicate Horkuch as a potential donor alternative to Pokkali in breeding programs for salt tolerance.

EFFECT OF GAMMA IRRADIATION, PACKAGING AND STORAGE ON THE NUTRIENTS AND SHELF LIFE OF PALM DATES

ABSTRACT Influence of gamma irradiation and colored polyethylene packaging on the selected parameters, namely moisture, proteins, fiber, fats and shelf life of palm date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) was studied. The date samples were irradiated with 20, 50, 100, 200 and 300 krads, respectively. The treated and whole samples were packed in blue, green, yellow, black and white polyethylene bags. The moisture contents of date were very close in all packed and treated date samples with irregular changes. In proteins, the decrease is higher in the first 3 months, whereas in the last 3 months no prominent difference was noticed. Maximum protein decrease was recorded for control samples in the blue packaging, i.e., the decrease is from 2.32 to 0.1%. Minimum decrease (2.32–1.4%) was recorded for samples in white and yellow packaging, at doses of 300 and 200 krads, respectively. The fiber contents of date samples irradiated with 20, 50, 100, 200 and 300 krads and packed in white packaging decrease as 2.33, 2.37, 2.36, 2.34 and 2.31%, respectively. The fiber levels decrease gradually in all samples in irregular pattern. The results of fat contents clearly indicate that packaging and radiation doses up to 300 krads do not affect the contents. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Conservation and preservation of food is a prerequisite for food security. It provides economic stability and self-reliance to a nation. Date palms (Pheonix dactylera L.) are usually stored for longer periods and thus postharvest contamination of dates is common. The spoilage of fresh/dried dates by insects, bacteria, color deterioration and chemical changes during storage is a serious problem in hot, humid tropical conditions like in that Pakistan. Because of the ban on chemical fumigants, many countries have had to either limit or stop the export of some agricultural commodities. This resulted in economic loss, further balance-of-trade deficits and curtailment of consumer food choices. In this situation, food irradiation offers a significant alternative method for reducing storage losses and meeting plant quarantine requirements. The study conducted was of prime importance and great economic value, especially to the forthcoming regulations and standards of the World Trade Organization, involving pest-free quality-export commodities.

School Feeding, School Reform, and Food Security: Connecting the Dots

Universal access to basic education is a prerequisite for long-term food security, which, in turn, is critical to achieving the Millennium Development goals. This paper examines how Food for Education interventions can contribute to improved food security, improved education outcomes, and a broader set of development goals. Food for Education entails the distribution of food commodities to children who attend school. The commodities may be locally grown and purchased or contributed by aid donors. The food may be consumed by students in school snack, breakfast, or lunch programs. Alternatively, it may be given as a take-home ration for consumption by a family that regularly sends "at-risk" children (usually girls) to school. Four interrelated ideas are discussed: (1) the universalization of primary school education is a prerequisite for food security (defined here as availability of, access to, and proper biologic utilization of food supplies); (2) Food for Education boosts primary school participation and, therefore, food security; (3) the effects of primary school education on food security are greatest wherever "quality standards" are met, although important effects are present even when education quality is modest; and (4) efforts to improve primary education participation (demand) and efforts to improve primary education quality (supply) are highly interrelated and mutually reinforcing. Food for Education is a versatile resource that can be used to address a broad range of issues related to both education supply and demand. To be effective, Food for Education interventions must reflect local education supply and demand realities.

Agrogeology in East Africa: the Tanzania-Canada project

Fertilizer self sufficiency is a necessary prerequisite for food security in a nation. In promoting this, the role of the geologist is to find raw materials farmers can use to increase the productivity of their soils. The Tanzania-Canada agrogeology project is the first of its kind wherein geologists, soil scientist and agronomists are working together to find and test materiaks of a geological provenance, that small scale farmers can use to improve the food carrying capacity of their land.