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Recently, I read a disturbing news report of wild animals being culled in Namibia and Zimbabwe to feed the hungry population of these countries. While Namibia is reported to be slaughtering 723 animals, which include 83 elephants, 30 hippopotamuses, 60 buffaloes, 50 impalas, 100 wildebeests ( A type of Antelope), 300 zebras and 100 elands ( A type of Antelope), Zimbabwe is culling 200 wild elephants. All these animals are herbivores and culling them could lead to a substantial food shortage for the existing carnivorous animals like lions, tigers, cheetahs etc who prey on these animals for their existence. The scarcity of food may result in these animals now preying on humans for their survival leading to animal Vs. human conflict in future.
It is projected that between October 2024 to March 2025 an estimated 1.26 million people ( 41% of the analyzed population) are expected to face high levels of food insecurity in Namibia alone. In the case of Zimbabwe it is projected at 6 million ( 80% of the analyzed population) . Both the Governments have declared “national emergency” and pleaded for international support to overcome this crisis.
But shockingly the richest nations in the world barring a few have not yet pledged any support to these drought-stricken countries. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the UNO has not made any effort to appeal to its 193 member countries for their support. It is also very distressing to note that wealthy countries like the US, France, UK, Germany, Canada, Sweden etc, are busy supplying weapons to Ukraine in its war against Russia leading to further destruction of lives and properties. These countries have not made any commitments so far for supply of essential food grains to save the lives of humans and animals in these drought-stricken countries.
It is also very disappointing to note the poor response from the so called international animal right organizations like PETA, SPCA which thrive on generous donations from all over the world for ethical treatment and prevention of cruelty to animals. These organizations have not raised any major protest across the world against this brutal slaughter of these animals. Is culling of animals not an extreme cruelty for animal right organizations like PETA and SPCA? Why are they not raising their voices enough to be heard by the international organizations? While they prefer not to internationalize this issue of slaughtering of these helpless animals in Namibia and Zimbabwe these animal right activists take up cudgels against traditional Indian rural sports like “ Jallikattu” in Tamilnadu “Kambala” in Karnataka as cruelty to animals. In these traditional rural sports, the bulls and buffaloes are properly bred, fed and trained to be race-ready for the occasion which will last only for a short time.
The food crisis in these African nations is also a warning signal to the rest of the world especially to highly populous countries like China and India where food wastage is enormous. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that India wastes around 74 million tonnes of food every year ( next only to China) which is around 22% of the country’s food output. The FSSAI ( Food Safety Standards Authority of India) estimates that around 33% of all the food produced in India either gets wasted or spoiled before it is even consumed. The big fat Indian weddings are the major contributors to this destruction. According to research around 40% of the food prepared for these weddings is wasted and simply thrown away after the event. UNEP estimates that on an average an Indian wastes around 50 Kgs. of food annually.This is a shocking revelation.
Despite the Government continuing the free-ration scheme to the poorer sections of the society, India is still ranked 111th among 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2023 because still the majority of the poor don’t have access to healthy and nutritious food.
With the El-Nino effect looming large all over, resulting in scanty rains leading to extreme drought and famine conditions, adding to rapid urbanization and disappearing agricultural lands, the approaching apocalypse is a writing on the wall. The day is not far off when a series of drought and famine in the country may lead to acute food shortage and even a civil war.
The NAMIBIA-ZIMBABWE crisis should be an eye-opener to us. The government should step-in with a multi-pronged attack to avoid this holocaust. It should supply quality seeds, pesticides at affordable rates to the farmers and offer remunerative prices for the produce. It should also focus on the construction of infrastructure facilities like storage godowns, food parks, transport, marketing facilities etc, in the rural areas. Strict laws to be enacted to curb food wastage at all functions and public gatherings.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.