Food crisis in Pacific realm

Nehal Adil | Published: March 29, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has warned about the food crisis in Pacific realm. Nearly 25 microstates exist in the Pacific realm, a vast ocean mass twice the size of the Continent of Asia, the largest continent in the planet.
This vast realm was inhabited by peace loving people in harmony before the advent of colonialism. They were accustomed to a primitive life, where needs were few and life was conflict free. Then colonialism came. Resource hungry European powers fought and divided the vast oceanic space. The British, the French, the Dutch and the Portuguese and the United States, the Anglo-Saxon baby, divided the Pacific as their colonies. The Germans were last to come and they took over part of New Guinea, Samoa and Micronesia. In the First World War the German Empire collapsed. German colonies were grabbed by Britain and USA. In the Second World War the United States emerged as the World Power with total hegemony over the world's seven seas including the Pacific Ocean. Its fleets were everywhere fighting the phantom enemies, the communists. Anyone opposing colonialism was branded communist.
But the wave of anti-colonialism struck the Pacific. People cherished freedom. The United Nations decolonisation committee asked the colonial powers to decolonise as post-colonial nations in Asia and Africa raised their heads. Colonial powers played divide and rule game in sham independence. There came up 24 mini states. Many like Tuvalu have a population around ten thousands. They are equated with mighty giants like Australia and New Zealand.
People of these mini states had no conception of the state itself. They fished in open sea, ate coconut and taro. They lived in eternity. Then the white men brought modern diseases like smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis. Island after island became depopulated.
Now their population is rising again as modern health care reached them.
Traditional food is not enough. Canned foods have flooded their markets. Burger shops are everywhere. Yet, they are hungry because they no more eat traditional food and grow traditional fruit and crop.
The oracles are saying these islands will be drowned in the ocean as the climate change will raise the water level. Where will they go?
In the Pacific realm there are now 5 million people. They include big countries likeÂ EastÂ Timor and Fiji with a million people, Solomon Islands but many like Niue have only three and a half thousands.
Obviously Australia and New Zealand play big brothers. Australia and New Zealand produce enough food to feed these whole lot. They are feeding them too. But this has made the small entities to lose their pre-colonial lifestyle.
Coconut groves are vanishing. Nobody cultivates taros. Breadfruit trees are not visible on the horizon.
It is suggested that people take more mineral food than crop food. But this will bring genetic change, many fear.
Bangladesh can help the Pacific Island countries with its high growth seeds. Our rice research institute has developed saline-resistant rice. We can teach them our poultry and pisciculture techniques. But most importantly they should give up their mini-state identity and a form a Federation of the Pacific States. This will give them a status in the international arena. They will not have to be dependent on IMF or World Bank. They would be able to have their own currencies and take part in the world scene.
Obviously the FAO has recommended birth control. But that is not real solution. The vast realm of the Pacific needs people. These small ethnic identities should be able to expand and survive. That will undo the crimes committed against them in history. They should not be allowed to starve to death. The World community should engage in the effort of equi-distribution of the world's resources.