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UNIT 6: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE WORLD

6.0 Learning Outcomes

a. Differentiate stability from sustainability.

b. Explain the concept of sustainable development.
c. Define global food security and discuss ways to improve it.
d. Articulate a definition of global citizenship.

6.1 Introduction

There are some significant downsides to globalize trade and perhaps the
strongest argument against economic globalization is its lack if sustainability or the
degree to which the earth’s resources can be used for our needs, even in the future.
Specifically, the development of our world today by using the earth’s resources and
the preservation of such resources for the future is called sustainable development.

The continuous production of the world’s natural resources, such as water

and fossil fuel allows humanity to discover and innovate many things. We were able to
utilize energy, discover new technologies, and make advancements in transportation
and communication. However, these positive effects if development put our
environment at a disadvantage. Climate change accelerated and global inequality
was not eradicated. This means that development, although beneficial at one hand,
entails cost on the other.

6.2 Discussion

6.2.1 Sustainable Development

The word “Risky Society” was first coined by Beck (1986) asserting that the
main reason for the current problems has been the inability of modern societies to
produce enough stability and sustainability. Clearly, there is a distinction between
the two that needs to be clarified.

What is stability? Firmness in position, permanence, and resistance to change

especially in a disruptive way or avoiding large swings in economic activity, high
inflation, and excessive rates and financial markets, (IMF, 2012).

What does the “economy is stable” mean? It just means the system is in one of
the calm phases of the business cycle. However, every economy moves through
periods of rapid growth with rising demand, higher inflation, and dropping
employment with reversal phenomena.

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What is sustainability? It considers the long term capacities of a system to

exist. According to World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), it is a
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs. The 21 st Century economies are widely
drawn upon to highlight the importance of three aspects: Technology, human
capital, and education.

What does the “Economy is sustainable” mean? The developments that

transpired are intra-generational where it does not only concern the future but also
the present ones in sufficing their need by economic progression.

Challenges in the 1st Decade of the 21st Century

1. Collapsing of financial markets

2. Rising unemployment rate
3. Shrinking middle class
4. Deeper inequalities
5. Extreme indebtedness
6. Inability of Governments to force through reforms
7. Climate change
8. Scarcity

Overcoming the Challenges

These problems are predicaments encountered in all countries and thus

require necessary deliberation to properly address or at least limit the negative
impacts these could incur. The followings are possible aspects to consider when
confronted by these challenges in order to bring about growth.

1. Development of more holistic and organic approach to economies where the

social system must be considered dynamic, non-linear, self-organizing cone with
intelligent, flexible actors rather than structural similar markets, which all then
towards equilibrium.
2. There must be an integration of interdisciplinary approaches into mainstream,
including: Psychology, political science, biology, physics, sociology, neuro-
economics, and the likes.
3. The economic policies and regulations must also draw consequences from the
newest developments

Approaches to Growth

1. Roll-over Effect. This refers to the domination of GDP index in measurement of

performance of national economies.
2. More Growth. This refers to that better economies are indicated by their
capacity to produce more goods.

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3. Amended Growth. It refers to other indexes aside from GDP such as HDI of
Human Development Index.
4. End of Growth. Tyler Cowen in his “Slower Pace of Innovation” used a
metaphor to explain this – “There are no ‘low hanging fruits’ anymore.”

Sustainable Development Goals

The sustainable and Development Goals (SDG) is a set of 17 goals for the
world’s future backup by a set of 169 specified targets which were negotiated for
over two-year period at the United Nations and agreed by nearly all nations on
September 25, 2015.

The Promises of 17 SDG

1. Universality – the goals are to apply to every nation and every sector. Cities,
businesses, schools, and organizations are all challenged to act.

2. Integration – the goals are interconnected as a form of a system and those goals
have to be achieved not in particular but all. Each goal is important in itself as
they are all connected.

3. Transformation – the goals are to bring fundamental changes in how we live

on earth.

Tangible Outcomes of SDG

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

2. End hunger, achieve food security, and improved nutrition.
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all and at all times.
4. Ensure inclusive and quality of education for all and promote lifelong learning.
5. Achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.
6. Ensure access to water and sanitation for all.
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
8. Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent
work for all.
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation.
10. Reduce inequality within among countries.
11. Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production.
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine.
15. Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land
degradation, and halt biodiversity loss.
16. Promote justice, peaceful and inclusive societies.
17. Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

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Let’s pause and review:

1. What is stability? What is meant by “the economy is stable?”
2. What is sustainability? What is meant by “the economy is sustainable?”
3. Can you give ways on how to overcome the challenges of the sustainable
development?
4. What are the sustainable development goals?

6.2.2 Global Food Security

The demand for food will be 60% greater than it is today and the challenge of
food security requires the world to feed 9 billion people by 2050 (Breene, 2016).
Global Food Security means delivering sufficient food to the entire world
population. It is therefore a priority of all countries, whether developed or less
developed. The security of food also means sustainability of society such as
population growth, climate change, water scarcity, and agriculture.

Historical Definition

1. Availability at all times of adequate world food supplies of basic food stuffs to
sustain a steady food consumption and to offset fluctuations I production and
prices (World Food Summit, 1974).
2. Ensuring that all people at all times have both physical and economic access to
the basic food that they need ( FAO, 1983)
3. Food security, at the individual, household, national, regional and global levels
(is achieved) when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to
sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life ( World Food Summit, 1996).
4. Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have
physical social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that
meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
(The State if Food Insecurity, 2001).

Essentially, food security can be described as a phenomenon relating to

individuals. It is the nutritional status of the individual household member that is
the ultimate focus, and the risk of that adequate status not being achieved or
becoming undermined.

Perhaps, the closest aspect of human life associated with food security is the
environment. Challenges to food security can be traced to the protection of
environment. A major environmental problem is the destruction of natural habitats,
particularly through deforestation (Diamond, 2006). Industrial fishing has

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contributed to a significant destruction of marine life and ecosystems (Goldburg,

2008). Biodiversity and usable land form have also declined at a rapid pace.

Four Perspectives on Food Security

1. Economics. One of the major causes of hunger is poverty, which, to be

eliminated, requires equitable sustainable economic development, especially in
agriculture.
2. Politics. The role of government and politics in general identifying the causes
and finding solutions to poverty and malnutrition in the world is the most
important and decisive for the future.
3. Environment, natural resources, and food production. Resources such as land,
water, air, energy sources, climate biodiversity are essential to food production,
rural development and sustainable growth.
4. Society. Access to food and food security are social aspects which can be
summarized in four interrelated areas: human health, demographic, social-
political issues, and the relationship between supply and demand for food on
markets.

Obtaining Food Security throughout the world: Models, orientations, and

recommendations from a number of international bodies

1. Declaration of the high-level conference on world food security

a. The need for a global alliance to face the food crisis.
b. The need t put in place social welfare safety nets on a short-term basis.
c. The need for reinforce long-term investment to sustain agricultural
productivity

2. The twin track approach towards defining and implementing food safety
policies and reducing poverty
a. Increase in agricultural productivity especially for small landowners, and;
b. Attention on attentive development of social welfare safety nets for those
most vulnerable in terms of food security.

3. Non-distortionary agricultural support measures

a. Guaranteeing food safety for all is not only investment focused to improve
agricultural productivity but also be able to design a suitable system of
agricultural incentives for both developed and developing countries.
b. Strive to minimize distortionary effects that can be extreme in countries.
c. Example of policies are support for land provisions, technological support
and investment in human capital.

Recommendations for Global Food Security

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1. Investment in technology. To maximize the prospects for agricultural

production, guarantee water conservation, fight waste and prevent pollution
of water, promote the use of new technologies in agriculture to save water.
2. Expansion of the possibility of cultivation of land: To use those lands that
remain uncultivated for lack of economic goals.
3. Strict International code of conduct: To implement ethical limitations in terms
of use of genetically modified organisms.
4. Combat climate change: To promote concrete, realistic, and practicable
commitments.
5. Policy of food education: To promote gradual changes in diet and
consumption habits.
6. Technical cooperation: To promote cooperation across the borders to avoid
future conflict over control of food security.

The battle to promote Global food security speaks of the crisis that countries
face. It is a fact that could not be hidden because of its effects to the communities as
well as to the entire nation: the recommendations presented are some of the foreseen
possible tools that could be used in facing this phenomenon towards a better nation.

Let’s pause and review:

1. What is global food security?
2. What are the perspectives on food security? Can you explain them?
3. Can you give ways on how to obtain food security?

6.3 References

Aldama, P.K.R (2018). The Contemporary World. Rex Bookstore

Claudio, L.E., Abinales, P.N. (2018). The Contemporary World. C & E Publishing, Inc.
Ferrer, M.C.D. (2018). The Contemporary World. Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
https://gsdrc.org/document-library/globalizations-impact-on-gender-equality-
whats-happened-and-whats-needed/)
https://www.longdom.org/articles/impact-of-globalization-on-women.pdf

6.4 Acknowledgment

The images, and information contained in this module were taken from the
references cited above.

C. M. D. Hamo-ay