Topic: Impact of War on Agriculture
Country: Philippines
Delegate Name: Anne Marie Dornoff
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Philippines position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
There are quite a few issues evident in today’s society dealing with food. The first issue is the Global Food Crisis, but equally as important in the impact of war on agriculture. Through many revolutions of industry and technology agriculture has improved, although in many developing countries there aren’t enough funds allocated to agriculture to feed the entire country, thus creating poverty.
The Philippines is one of the countries considered developing. While the Philippines is developing and has had recent government adjustments by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, it is still impoverished. It is true that there is a sufficient amount of food on Earth to feed all its inhabitants, so those countries that are able to produce more than needed, should give their “leftovers” to the countries who aren’t has self sufficient. This could be similar to the donation of drugs in the pharmaceutical area, when they have expired in the United States, the drugs are often times sent to 3rd world countries in need of the drugs. The same could be applied with food. Though, countries must be cautious and honest during this process, because countries may donate food that isn’t healthy to eat.
Also, there are such issues like those of Ethiopia and Somalia in which the two are preventing food transportation to each other. The use of famine against a country is completely illegitimate. To elaborate, if a country is developing and focused primarily on improving their infrastructure, then having to divert the government’s focus from improving society to a food crisis. Thus, by the end of solving the issue with a famine and ironing out any disputes between countries, then the country may or may not still have the developments of infrastructure earlier implied.
The following can also be inferred. If a certain agricultural area is having difficulty with land mines which are being placed by either that country’s government or “terrorists” of that country, then it is that country’s duty to take care of their internal issues. The situation presents itself much differently when one country is putting land mines in another’s farmland to get “revenge” or antagonize an enemy. Then, action must be taken by allies and even the UN to settle the dispute accordingly.
Solutions may include becoming aware of what each country needs and who is capable of becoming a “developed” country in the near future. Even if the development doesn’t happen in the near future, it is imperative to know because then it is known which countries may have food and/or fertilizer donated to or not.
The Philippines being a developing country, it may need assistance with food, or agriculture. Thus, it is important that a plan of action is put into place, to prevent a famine from spreading worldwide.
