FOOD production has experienced massive shifts in the past century with the rise of agricultural technologies, enhanced refrigeration and transportation systems, but most importantly, the globalisation of markets.

The forces of globalisation have deeply transformed agricultural production in many countries. 

Export-driven agricultural production has significantly increased access to agricultural commodities worldwide. 

These forces have stimulated the rise in export-oriented crop production in countries around the world – such as the three billion bananas consumed in Canada every year.

The result has been a concomitant dependence on agriculture-directed foreign investment in exporting countries vis-a-vis food supply in importing countries.

Global agriculture trade accounts for over 20 percent of global calorie production. The move has led to shifts from subsistence to export-driven crop production, which in turn has led to the homogenisation of crop production.

This homogenisation has reduced biological diversity in the food system, with the global agricultural system currently overproducing grains, fats and sugars while production of fruits, vegetables and protein is not sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of the current population.

Although this move has been credited with helping to reduce rates of global hunger, the substitution of nutrient-rich crops for wheat, rice and maize has contributed to both undernutrition and obesity with concomitant increases in rates of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

For example, the rise in rates of diabetes in India has been attributed to the move away from high-density, protein-rich legumes towards rice and wheat.

While theories of comparative advantage point to the benefits of this international supply chain, there are numerous associated problems.

These include, among others, the negative impact of mono-cropping, including a rise in fertiliser and pesticide use in foreign investment-dependent countries; dependence on health and environmentally harmful crops such as tobacco (an important export crop for Zimbabwe); enhanced vulnerability to environmental and economic shocks; and the pressures on agricultural producing governments to avoid enforcing strong labour and environmental controls for fear of losing revenue from foreign trade and investment.

These challenges, from the point of globalisation and agricultural production, are no more pronounced than in the supply of tobacco and crops used in health-harming foods. 

Both categories of agricultural production are vulnerable to these risks and are impacted, and indeed compounded, by the dual process of efforts to control demand for these products and market instability.

The relationship between government policy and agricultural supply requires analysis on multiple levels. 

The approaches taken by Government to agricultural production are shaped by ideas of economic development, economic interests, the prescriptions and requirements of international agencies, such as the World Bank and the IMF as well as regimes, local environmental conditions, legacies of national and sub-national institutions among others.

Unhealthy food products and tobacco are two of the leading preventable risk factors for non-communicable disease (NCDs), such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as cancer. 

Demand reduction measures have led to steady but uneven decline in tobacco consumption and are beginning to show impact on the consumption of unhealthy foods, such as sugary drinks.

Unhealthy foods and tobacco are key agricultural commodities for many countries, and NCD prevention policy needs to consider how to influence production towards healthier options.

There is also growing recognition of the need to complement these demand reduction measures with attention to issues pertaining to supply.

Governments have long been involved in supporting and influencing agricultural production, mainly to support farmer livelihoods and food security. For example, 40 percent of maize traded on the global market is produced in the US due to heavy subsidies to maize growers.

More recent recognition of the significant cost posed by NCDs adds an additional public health dimension to this role of Government, with a focus on shaping agricultural production in order to foster healthier food supply and reducing harmful products, such as tobacco, in the consumer environment.

This global public health imperative needs to be underpinned by research conducted in agriculture-related disciplines, yet there has been little application of findings to public health research questions or policy dialogue across sectors. 

Understanding this evidence base will be essential for public health policymakers and other stakeholders to formulate effective policy recommendations.

Tobacco and food are important agricultural commodities for many countries, including Zimbabwe, and thus agricultural production is tied up with many policy domains and market forces, making it a complex challenge to address through policy and programmes.

Added to the challenge of controlling production is that if demand remains high, then reduction in production might lead to increases in prices for the commodity, potentially inducing growers to switch back to the production of that commodity. However, production is bound up in the rhetoric of opposition to demand reduction measures by unhealthy product-producing industries, such as the tobacco industry.

A strong evidence base and a deep understanding of the theory and practice of agricultural production by health advocates is a critical part of overcoming likely political and economic challenges.

The main rationale for reducing tobacco production is that tobacco use remains a leading cause of premature preventable death and morbidity globally. 

Governments have committed, in Articles 17 and 18 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to actively pursue a policy agenda that supports alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, directly and indirectly reducing tobacco supply.

Other reasons to reduce tobacco production include the harmful consequences of growing tobacco leaf for the health and economic livelihoods of farmers, as well as for the environment. 

Despite the compelling rationale, implementation of interventions to promote alternative livelihoods has proved challenging. 

The complex political economy of tobacco production requires comprehensive interventions that address the needs of farmers, from the supply of inputs to market access for alternative crops.

Emerging research on alternatives to tobacco has demonstrated that sustained shifts in production require deep integration with viable alternative markets. It will be important to evaluate not only the farm-level indicators such as production and income, but also broader political economic factors such as market access and trade and investment regimes.

Dr Tony Monda is Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst-consultant. He is currently conducting veterinary epidemiology, agro-economic and food security research in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa.

For views and comments, email: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com