Gandhi’s teachings can help address global food insecurity – President Ali

Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings offer valuable solutions that can be used to address the current crisis over global food insecurity.  

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made this remark during the birth anniversary ceremony of Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, India’s second Prime Minister. The ceremony took place at the Gandhi Statue in the Promenade Gardens in Georgetown.

People around the world commemorate Gandhi’s legacy of non-violence, truth, and social justice every year on October 2. This year marks the 155th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth and the 120th anniversary of Shastri’s.

Gandhi and Shastri recognised the importance of food security in India during their lifetime.

President Ali said that while agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, and soil preservation may seem like modern concepts, these historical figures were already advocating and practising them.

The issue of food security persists as both an economic and ethical challenge. The president pointed out that 800 million people go to bed hungry every night, while the United Nations estimates that 1.3 billion tonnes of food go to waste every year.

“We all part of the problem and we are all contributing to this injustice. We must first acknowledge that we are part of the problem and then dedicate ourselves to be part of the solution,” President Ali said.

The head of state said that Gandhi foresaw many of the systemic issues the world grapples with today, noting that it was no accident Gandhi’s famous protest against British colonial rule in India was called the ‘Salt March.’

“He understood long before any of us did that food security is not simply about production. He saw that food prices was linked to ethical choices, justice, self-reliance and how we care for each other and the earth.”

Gandhi argued for decentralised food production systems, advocating that towns and villages should cultivate their own food. He believed that the strength of a community or nation lies in its ability to feed itself.

The PPP/C administration has been working diligently to transform Guyana’s agricultural sector into a major food ecosystem, encouraging youth involvement as part of the solution.

Highlighting these efforts, President Ali said that “if we are saying that we want to be more self-reliant, the 25 by 2025 goal shows you the relevance of Gandhi’s philosophy in today’s world. He pushed us to consider the ethics of food, the morality of how we eat and how we treat those who grow our food.”

Gandhi, known as a ‘great soul,’ sought peace through walking, sharing ideas, and demonstrating through his lifestyle what peace is and what its virtues ought to be.