Food production Essay Example for Free

Food return EssayThere are staggering numbers of people all over the world who engender hunger. Many people believe that hunger is caused by the insufficient supply of provender. More importantly, it is assumed that due(p) to the large population of the world, an inadequate amount of nutrient is produced. However, this is a completely false assumption for as Robbins said, There is enough food in the world to feed 120 percent of the worlds population on a vegetarian diet. (Robbins, p. 178) This fact then brings about the promontory, if there is enough food, then wherefore do so many people go hungry?The answer lies in the economics of food deed. Food is now a capitalist commodity. Therefore, the production of food must be seen as the production of any other market commodity. Food production is not driven by planetary need, it is driven by market requirement. As Robbins mentioned, Food production is not determined necessarily by the global need for food it is determin ed by the market for food. (Robbins, p. 186) Looking at food production from this post will reveal the factors that affect the production of food.The market for food refers to the number of people that have the center to buy and pay for food. However, since a large segment of the population lives in poverty, there are very(prenominal) few people who can afford food. Since it is bespeak that determines the amount of food to be produced, the lower demand translates to lesser food production. Producers do not want to produce at a maximum direct because it will mean an over-production. This will result to lower prices and ultimately lower productivity.Another factor that affects food production is the fact that farmers tend to use drink down to produce non food crops such as tobacco plant and corn as well as for crops that are marginally nutritious. (Robbins, p 186) The choice of what crops to plant relies on what the market demands. For instance, farmers tend to prioritize plan ting coffee for there is a large global demand for this. Coffee produced in agricultural countries in Africa is not necessarily for local consumption it is produced because the more pie-eyed nations demand it.Farmers consider the profitability of producing certain crops and coffee production is considered to be more profitable than veg production. Another example is soy bean. Soy bean is not as nutritious as vegetables. However, since there is a market for this crop in the more developed countries, farmers tend to plant this rather than vegetables. A more concrete and evident example of how market demand drives food production is the production of beef. Robbins discussed why Mexican farmers tend to concentrate on beef production.People in Mexico go hungry because land is devoted to the production of beef, which few Mexicans can afford, precisely which brings high prices in the United States. (Robbins, p. 186) The rationale roll in the hay this is that food production is driven by the demands of the markets that have the bills to buy food. There is no question that there is enough food to feed the world. Hunger cannot be attributed to the inadequate amount of food. Hunger is a result of an economic problem. Lack of food on the plate is a result of the lack of money to buy food. Food production is no longer determined by the need for it by everyone.It is driven by what people who have the means to buy food demand and want. Food has become a commodity rather than a necessity. The solution of the problem of hunger lies not in production but in distribution. As Robbins (p. 187) said, Rather than seeing hunger or famine as a also-ran of production, we can focus on a failure of distribution The goal is simply to establish, reestablish, or shelter entitlements, the legitimate claim to food. Reference Robbins, R. (2007). Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. 4th ed. Boston, MA Allyn and Bacon. pp 177-187.