Dependence on Imports Threatens Food Security

A lawmaker, stressing that food security is an inseparable part of national security, criticized the country's dependence on imports of livestock feed and agricultural inputs and called for a review of production management.

Emphasizing that food security is an integral part of national security, a member of parliament criticized the country's dependence on the import of livestock and agricultural inputs and called for a review of production management.

According to Mehr reporter, today, Tuesday, 21 Mehr 1405, the eighth national conference on soil protection and watershed management was held at the place of the Agricultural Research, Education and Promotion Organization.

Emphasizing that food security is an integral part of national security, Peyman Filasfi, a member of the Islamic Council, criticized the country's dependence on the import of livestock and agricultural inputs and called for a review of the management of basic production resources.

In a speech, referring to the top documents of the system, including the constitution and general policies of the system in the agricultural sector promulgated in 2015, he stated: Relying on domestic production is the main strategy to realize food security and economic independence, but unfortunately, due to the lack of sufficient emphasis on improving productivity, this important principle has not been properly taken into account and the provision of food needs of the society has faced instability.

This member of the parliament considered the current instability in the field of food supply to be caused by two key factors: "import dependence" and "threat of basic production resources" and added: Relying on the import of livestock inputs, which is a prerequisite for the country's protein production, has created a worrisome situation; So that 90% of chicken meat and 30% of red meat in the country depends on the import of these inputs. In addition to hurting domestic production, this dependence is a tool in the hands of enemies to impose economic pressure.

In another part of his statement, Philosofi addressed the challenge of managing water resources and criticized the Ministry of Energy's revenue-generating view of this national capital.

He said: "Unfortunately, the current view of regional water companies on the sale of water has led to the unfair determination of entitlements." This approach has shaken the atmosphere of agricultural activities and reduced the investment motivation in this sector.

Referring to the statistics of investment in the agricultural sector over the past 7 decades, he clarified: despite the significant jump in agricultural production after the revolution, the growth rate of investment in this sector has rarely reached 5% per year, and the share of the agricultural sector from the public resources of the country's budget is less than 3%. This indicates a serious weakness in structural support for producers and basic agricultural resources.

This member of the Islamic Council called for special attention of the government and the parliament to improve productivity in agriculture and change the attitude in annual budgeting for the sustainable management of water and soil resources so that the country's food security remains immune from foreign attacks.

From the necessity of handing over wastewater to farmers to the establishment of "water banks"

The member of the Islamic Council, while reviewing the challenges of the field of agriculture and food security, criticized the focus of the policies on the costly projects of dam construction and inter-regional water transfer, and called for the immediate reform of management procedures.

Emphasizing that the construction of dams and water transfer has disrupted the natural cycle of water resources, he said: Unfortunately, while all attention is focused on the development of water and sewage networks, the main issue, which is the proper preservation and management of basic production resources, is ignored. In macro policies, self-sufficiency of products and protection of basic resources should always be considered as prerequisites for food security at the same time.

Referring to the 4-year indecision of the water resources management bill, this member of parliament criticized the passing of this issue between the ministries of agriculture and energy.

In the following, the member of the Islamic Council presented his implementation solutions for overcoming the water crisis in the agricultural sector in several key areas:

He suggested to form a "water bank" in order to prevent competition in harvesting, so that the saved water can be purchased by farmers as a guarantee while encouraging frugal behavior.

Referring to Article 27 of the Productivity Promotion Law and Clause "E" of Article 38 of the 7th Development Program Law, Falsafi emphasized: With the strict implementation of legal mechanisms, 6 billion cubic meters of water that is wasted and poured into the seas can be returned to the production cycle every year.

He emphasized the necessity of handing over the purified wastewater to the farmers in exchange for using water from agricultural wells for drinking and added that the fact that the Ministry of Energy cuts off the rights of the farmers without providing an alternative (wastewater) directly leads to a decrease in production, which must be corrected.

Development of new crops and watershed management:

Reviving canals, developing low-cost and low-water greenhouses, using rotational grazing systems to absorb water, using saltwater methods, installing smart meters with social considerations, and reactivating the country's aquifer stations were among the other solutions emphasized by this member of parliament for the sustainable management of water resources.

At the end, by emphasizing the need to adopt a "systemic approach" to reduce illegal harvests and educate local communities, Falsafi clarified: Empowering farmers to transition to low-water employment without harming the land is the only way to maintain the sustainability of production in the current water-scarce conditions, and we in the parliament will seriously pursue the implementation of these solutions.