The cornerstone of effective governance lies in cutting-edge policies and transparent, accountable implementation. Nations that adhere to these principles thrive, while those that neglect them often face poverty, hunger, lawlessness and abuse. To alleviate these issues in Liberia, it is crucial to ensure leaders appoint competent personnel and enact the policies in a timely manner.
By Dr Armah Toko Wilson, Contributing Writer
Liberia, home to approximately 5.2 million people, boasts abundant natural resources including ever-green rain forest, gold, diamonds, iron ore and rubber. Paradoxically, it remains one of the world’s poorest nations, plagued by food insecurity, drug trafficking, poverty, lawlessness and systemic corruption. Many Liberians endure hunger, yearning for both food security and societal change.
According to The world Food Program (WFP), 51% of Liberians live on less than US $1.00 per day, and 47% face food insecurity. Remarkably, Liberia spends over $200 million Untied States dollars annually importing rice alone (LIGIS, 2021), funds that could bolster agriculture, generate jobs and alleviate hardships. Among Liberia’s leading import commodities, according to the LIGIS, include rice, gas oil, light oil and preparation, vaccines for human medicine, in that order
Diversifying diets by substituting staples like rice with locally grown alternatives such as fufu (made from cassava), wheat, eddoes or plantain could significantly mitigate food insecurity. The diet for a typical middle class Liberian family is rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead of rice throughout the day, a family could have balanced diets of corn wheat for breakfast, eddoes for lunch, and rice for dinner. This shift would support local farmers and lessen the government’s burden to ensure food security. Achieving diet diversification requires adaptation, communication and education, sound and exemplary leadership and trust.
Adaptation is the process by which organisms adjust to their environment, crucial for ensuring the long-term sustainability, health and safety of local communities. Liberians must embrace dietary changes, just like most African nations successfully combatting food insecurity such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Communication and education: Effective communication and education are paramount. This includes utilizing radio, mainstream media, schools and religious gatherings to promote the benefits of diversified diets like corn, wheat and locally grown foods over rice. Healthcare professionals play a pivotal role in educating the public on balanced diets and our locally produced foods.
Sound and exemplary leadership: Leadership must champion diet diversification and bolster local food production to mitigate the overreliance on rice consumption and thus its import. This strategic shift can alleviate food insecurity and stimulate job creation, fostering socio-economic stability.
Trust: Building trust in locally produced food is essential, ensuring it meets rigorous health and safety standards.
Overreliance on rice imports has historically led to socio-political unrest, exemplified by the 1979 rice riot in Monrovia. The mass looting of stores/shops and the unfortunate loss of lives could have been prevented. Nearly all past regimes since the 1979 rice riot have been confronted with the same rice importation problems, and regrettably, their solution has remained constant – more importation of rice.
I commend the President and the Ministry of Agriculture for launching the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP). I hope the ministry of Agriculture has learnt from history, and considers among other pillars of the NADP, diet diversification. The ministry of Agriculture needs to translate the NADP into palpable and satisfying results in the soonest possible time.
I envision a prosperous and food-secure Liberia.
Discussion about this post