FOOD CRISIS AND THE HOME ECONOMICS OF HUMAN SURVIVALITY
by
Dato’ Ir Dr A. Bakar Jaafar
Basic to human survival, other than its total dependency on the continuous supply of virtually “free” clean air and relatively “cheap” safe drinking water, is its affordability and accessibility to ever increasingly costly and essential food items. The current food crisis, like any other man-made crises, can be attributed to numerous, accountable and unaccountable, factors. Those obvious ones include population growth and growing consumption, and the “creeping” climate change that cause increasingly more frequent and extreme events of devastating weather; if not floods, are long droughts, and thus, the scarcity of water, all of which have direct adverse impact on food production.
In the medium term, however, the increase in food prices could stimulate food production, should the gardeners, farmers, food crop growers, or planters do get “fair price” among others engaged in the whole scheme of food-supply chain from the lands to retailers. The chain essentially involves food production, post-harvesting and handling, storage and inventory, other forms of logistics and transportation, distribution, retailing, food preparation, and final consumption.
Another obvious factor is the current escalation of oil prices which have driven up the costs of every facet of the food supply chain: farm inputs such as expensive inorganic chemical fertilizers and costly fuel for farm machinery, and in post-harvesting, for drying of grains; high tariff of electricity for food refrigeration; high fuel prices at the pumps for the transportation and distribution of goods and services, and in the kitchens for food preparation and cooking.
Even with “fair price” and with good price stimulation, there exist long outstanding barriers to food-agriculture and to growing of food crops, unlike the non-perennial plantation of the established commodity such as rubber, cocoa, pepper, or palm oil. The available land for rice planting, for instance, has been increasingly converted to other land-uses: roads, highways, and other permanent structures for housing and industries. Further conversion of existing natural wetlands would not be economically feasible nor environmentally sustainable. Whatever little land left available, unlike their counterparts in Thailand and Vietnam, the total number of padi land smallholders in Malaysia have yet to produce the expected surplus, and thus, Malaysia continues to import rice from these two and other neighbouring countries.
In the long-term, it would be wise to consider the alternatives or the substitutes of rice, as “nasi”, which has long been the main portion of the bulk of the daily diet of our past and present generations. Furthermore, rice has been distributed, not like in the past, in highly “polished” form that is no longer with its original nutritional values which are priceless!
The fact that not the majority of the residents of Malaysia are fit and healthy could be attributed to the large portion of their daily diet is “nasi’, “nasi lemak”, and “nasi campur”. Not many in Malaysia are even close to the fitness and the good health of Datuk Dr M. Jegathesan, for example, the rare Olympian from Malaysia and very well known as the “flying doctor” whose sprint records have been equaled but yet to be broken after almost 25 years, since the Olympics of 1964 in Tokyo!
According to our beloved Doctor, “it is not what we eat … but the order we eat that matters!” “What do you mean, Doc …?” “I eat what I do not like first; what I like, last!”
Thus, “nice campur is fine, then!?” “Not quite, finish the vegetables, first; follow by eating all the proteins: meat, fish, “tempeh”, or “tahu” (“ratah lauk lah!”), and by the time it is for rice …and “teh tarik”, the stomach is almost full.” Time is up for “syukran” to the Al-Mighty.
It is highly advisable to begin any meal with a “Doa”, liquid water, fruit juice, or even fruits, like banana, guava (jambu air or batu”), papaya, pineapple, or other non-perennial tropical fruits.
Yet to be accounted for, as the underlying factor in the current food crisis, is whether or not the global food crisis could be attributed to the shift of the world capital and global capitalism from investing and speculating in“precious metals”, “capital market”, “subprime loans and mortgages” to the “trading of futures” of essential commodities, including oil, staple foods and grains.
As a matter of Policy, to address the issues relating the Food Crisis and other socio-economic and environmental problems, “what ought to be in the Menu, and thus, on the table, but not under …” that matters. The “Menu Negara”, like “Rukun Negara”, “Negara Ku” and not short of a Directive like “putting on Batik Shirt on every working Thursday”, should be introduced and promoted:
1. Locally grown tropical fruits and fruit juice as a starter;
2. Mixed Ulam dressed with mechanically pressed after low-temperature dehydration of virgin olive-like palm oil;
3. Choice of Locally produced cut of meat, fish, or shellfish; or its vege-equivalence;
4. Unpolished rice, preferred; if not ubi kayu rebus, keledek, and locally grown potatoes or other tubers!
5. Favourite dessert: pisang-salai DiRaja, “Buah Melaka”, “Cendol”, or “Sago with Coconut Milk and Gula Nibong”, and
6. Choice of Local Coffee or Tea: “Kopi Hang Tuah”, “Kopitiam”, “Boh Tea”, or “Sabah Tea”.
Those with landed properties ought to mix their garden landscaping with some fruit trees: such as guavas, ciku, bananas, and papayas; and some creepers or otherwise: such as ‘kacang botol”, “ulam raja”, and “daun kadok”.
In short, we eat to live; but certainly not, live to eat!
Our Vietnamese neighbours are not only hard at work, but also very fit, slim, and trim! It must have been something to do with not only their commitment, dedication, and national pride, but also their very healthy diet.
Ho Chi Minh City
May 1, 2008
by
Dato’ Ir Dr A. Bakar Jaafar
Basic to human survival, other than its total dependency on the continuous supply of virtually “free” clean air and relatively “cheap” safe drinking water, is its affordability and accessibility to ever increasingly costly and essential food items. The current food crisis, like any other man-made crises, can be attributed to numerous, accountable and unaccountable, factors. Those obvious ones include population growth and growing consumption, and the “creeping” climate change that cause increasingly more frequent and extreme events of devastating weather; if not floods, are long droughts, and thus, the scarcity of water, all of which have direct adverse impact on food production.
In the medium term, however, the increase in food prices could stimulate food production, should the gardeners, farmers, food crop growers, or planters do get “fair price” among others engaged in the whole scheme of food-supply chain from the lands to retailers. The chain essentially involves food production, post-harvesting and handling, storage and inventory, other forms of logistics and transportation, distribution, retailing, food preparation, and final consumption.
Another obvious factor is the current escalation of oil prices which have driven up the costs of every facet of the food supply chain: farm inputs such as expensive inorganic chemical fertilizers and costly fuel for farm machinery, and in post-harvesting, for drying of grains; high tariff of electricity for food refrigeration; high fuel prices at the pumps for the transportation and distribution of goods and services, and in the kitchens for food preparation and cooking.
Even with “fair price” and with good price stimulation, there exist long outstanding barriers to food-agriculture and to growing of food crops, unlike the non-perennial plantation of the established commodity such as rubber, cocoa, pepper, or palm oil. The available land for rice planting, for instance, has been increasingly converted to other land-uses: roads, highways, and other permanent structures for housing and industries. Further conversion of existing natural wetlands would not be economically feasible nor environmentally sustainable. Whatever little land left available, unlike their counterparts in Thailand and Vietnam, the total number of padi land smallholders in Malaysia have yet to produce the expected surplus, and thus, Malaysia continues to import rice from these two and other neighbouring countries.
In the long-term, it would be wise to consider the alternatives or the substitutes of rice, as “nasi”, which has long been the main portion of the bulk of the daily diet of our past and present generations. Furthermore, rice has been distributed, not like in the past, in highly “polished” form that is no longer with its original nutritional values which are priceless!
The fact that not the majority of the residents of Malaysia are fit and healthy could be attributed to the large portion of their daily diet is “nasi’, “nasi lemak”, and “nasi campur”. Not many in Malaysia are even close to the fitness and the good health of Datuk Dr M. Jegathesan, for example, the rare Olympian from Malaysia and very well known as the “flying doctor” whose sprint records have been equaled but yet to be broken after almost 25 years, since the Olympics of 1964 in Tokyo!
According to our beloved Doctor, “it is not what we eat … but the order we eat that matters!” “What do you mean, Doc …?” “I eat what I do not like first; what I like, last!”
Thus, “nice campur is fine, then!?” “Not quite, finish the vegetables, first; follow by eating all the proteins: meat, fish, “tempeh”, or “tahu” (“ratah lauk lah!”), and by the time it is for rice …and “teh tarik”, the stomach is almost full.” Time is up for “syukran” to the Al-Mighty.
It is highly advisable to begin any meal with a “Doa”, liquid water, fruit juice, or even fruits, like banana, guava (jambu air or batu”), papaya, pineapple, or other non-perennial tropical fruits.
Yet to be accounted for, as the underlying factor in the current food crisis, is whether or not the global food crisis could be attributed to the shift of the world capital and global capitalism from investing and speculating in“precious metals”, “capital market”, “subprime loans and mortgages” to the “trading of futures” of essential commodities, including oil, staple foods and grains.
As a matter of Policy, to address the issues relating the Food Crisis and other socio-economic and environmental problems, “what ought to be in the Menu, and thus, on the table, but not under …” that matters. The “Menu Negara”, like “Rukun Negara”, “Negara Ku” and not short of a Directive like “putting on Batik Shirt on every working Thursday”, should be introduced and promoted:
1. Locally grown tropical fruits and fruit juice as a starter;
2. Mixed Ulam dressed with mechanically pressed after low-temperature dehydration of virgin olive-like palm oil;
3. Choice of Locally produced cut of meat, fish, or shellfish; or its vege-equivalence;
4. Unpolished rice, preferred; if not ubi kayu rebus, keledek, and locally grown potatoes or other tubers!
5. Favourite dessert: pisang-salai DiRaja, “Buah Melaka”, “Cendol”, or “Sago with Coconut Milk and Gula Nibong”, and
6. Choice of Local Coffee or Tea: “Kopi Hang Tuah”, “Kopitiam”, “Boh Tea”, or “Sabah Tea”.
Those with landed properties ought to mix their garden landscaping with some fruit trees: such as guavas, ciku, bananas, and papayas; and some creepers or otherwise: such as ‘kacang botol”, “ulam raja”, and “daun kadok”.
In short, we eat to live; but certainly not, live to eat!
Our Vietnamese neighbours are not only hard at work, but also very fit, slim, and trim! It must have been something to do with not only their commitment, dedication, and national pride, but also their very healthy diet.
Ho Chi Minh City
May 1, 2008
1 comment:
A very interesting news about the Vietnamese.
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