Strategic Actions to Overcome the Pressure of Climate Change, Rising Demand Resources, and Population Increase, as well Enhance Food Security

Climate change, increased demand for resources, and relatively high population growth in developing countries and poor countries together provide a tremendous pressure for development in these countries, especially development in social and economic fields, such as the development of the agriculture, energy, clean water and health. Climate change as a result of global warming on the one hand cause a disruption in food production, as a result of the dry season and rainy season are very extreme, and the pressure of increased demand for natural resources, like oil and gas, minerals and mining goods, causing the shift of some agricultural land into areas of mining and quarrying, which both provide pressure and interference in increasing food production, the pressure on the supply side of food. Even in some developing countries and low-income countries, the excessive exploitation of natural resources and lack of control causing damage to land resources, deforestation, disruption of ecosystem balance, disruption of nature conservation and the preservation of plasma nutfa neglected, resulting in further increase in global warming, floods and landslides, all of which increasingly heavy pressure on the supply side of food.
On the other hand, the increasing population led to increased demand for food, which put pressure on the demand side of food. Interaction of both sides of the food supply and demand causes market equilibrium position shifts to the left, which causes food prices will be higher and the scarcity of food supplies will be increasingly felt. The threat of food shortages and efforts to maintain the stability of food prices can only be addressed through real action in increasing global food production significantly, especially food which can be produced by each developing country and low-income countries. In general, developing countries and low-income countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Latin America, have similar primary foodstuffs are produced, namely rice and cassava. Strategies that can be done to accelerate the increase in the production of some food commodities will be discussed below.
Extreme climate changes have brought many disasters in agricultural production, especially in rice production. Devastating floods that caused rice production in rice producing countries to be disrupted. Likewise, the long drought caused rice plants many of which became puso (not produced), thus causing a decrease in rice production in many rice producing countries. Rice fields in coastal and lowland technical irrigated generally have a difficult flood hazards be prevented, while the fields on higher ground, which generally rainfed rice under threat from drought, and to date most of the fields in various countries is rainfed , which can only be planted once a year. Efforts must be made is to improve the position of rainfed rice becomes equivalent to the technical irrigated rice fields, so that intensive rice cultivation can also be applied to these rainfed areas.
The technology covered dams and irrigation systems that use flexi-flume, such as those developed by CE Bartlett Pty Ltd, Australia, perfect for application in rainfed areas to ensure water availability throughout the year, mainly to irrigate the fields in the dry season. Dam capacity can be adjusted by the total area to be irrigated in a region, for example, 50 acres, 100 acres, 500 acres, and so on. The combination of technologies covered dams and irrigation systems that use flexi-flume which was applied to the area of rainfed rice is very efficient in water use. The potential loss of water in the dam closed all know the only ranged from 2% to 5%, and because the irrigation system using a flexi-flume causes no water is wasted or lost during irrigation takes place, compared with conventional irrigation systems that use water channel, which happens a lot loss of water and is very wasteful in water use.
Furthermore, cassava commodity can now be used as a commercial food with biotech discovery modification of cassava starch cells through a process of fermentation, so the Modified Cassava Flour (abbreviated to MOCAF) produced a character similar to wheat flour. In the process of fermentation for 8 hours, microbes that grow will produce pectinolytic enzymes and Cellulolytic enzymes that can destroy the cell walls of cassava in such a way, resulting in the liberation of starch granules. This liberation process will lead to changes in the characteristics of the flour produced in the form of increased viscosity, gelation ability, power rehydration, and the ease dissolves better. Cassava starch granules underwent hydrolysis process that produces monosaccharides, as raw material to produce compounds of organic acids, found in cassava, and when the cassava is processed, will be able to produce a distinctive aroma and flavor, which can cover up the scent and flavor of the original the cassava.
With these characteristics, MOCAF can substitute wheat flour, either in part or in whole from the use of wheat flour, for a variety of bakery products. On the use of wheat flour on instant noodle products can be replaced with MOCAF to 15% without affecting the quality of the instant noodle product, while for substitution as much as 25% indicate a change in quality of taste, so the quality of instant noodles slightly decreased, but still viable and good for consumption . The advantage of using MOCAF, in addition because the raw material can be produced in various countries in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, the product also can be generated by the cost of production is relatively low compared with wheat flour. With a yield of between 30% to 35% based on net weight of raw material, fresh cassava, the production process is relatively simple and can be produced on a variety of industrial scale, then the cost of production may be suppressed, and the selling price of MOCAF be lower by about 30 % compared to the selling price of wheat flour.
Of course the invention of a process of biotechnology in producing MOCAF can generate added value to cassava which is much higher compared to other commercially processed products made from cassava, such as tapioca, usual cassava flour, and cassava starch in general to meet the needs of non-industrial food, and bioethanol from cassava. MOCAF is processed cassava products with food grade, and is primarily intended to meet the needs of the food industry, and as a substitute for wheat flour in a variety of uses. With high added value that can be created in MOCAF industries accompanied by efforts to increase food availability to anticipate the threat of food insecurity in developing countries and low-income countries, it should be the development of cassava agribusiness and MOCAF industrial implemented in an integrated manner.
The positive impact will become even greater when applied to a technology intensive cultivation on cassava agribusiness development, especially the use of superior seeds that have high productivity. In Indonesia has found two local cassava varieties which have a productivity of 3 to 5 times higher than that of cassava varieties commonly grown by farmers, namely Nurul Hidayah cassava, which is found in the District of Central Lampung, Lampung Province, and Gajah cassava are found in East Kalimantan Province. Both of these cassava varieties have the potential production of more than 100 tons per hectare, which is much higher than the potential production of other varieties of cassava, which is just as much as 20 tons to 30 tons per hectare. Even for Gajah cassava can be harvested at age 7 months with the starch content reaches 35% (w / w) and the potential production of more than 100 tons per hectare. The content of starch from cassava is commonly grown by farmers maximum 26%, with a longer harvest age.
The potential of cassava agribusiness development in developing countries and low-income countries is very large, in addition can be done by increasing the intensity of cultivation through the use of superior seeds and application of appropriate cultivation techniques, can also be done through the expansion of growing areas by making use of unused land are widely spread in these countries. Even a program to increase the total area for cultivation of cassava can be integrated with reforestation programs, although temporary, and only 4 to 7 times the cycle of planting. However, cassava agribusiness development must consider various factors relating to sustainable agricultural development, nature conservation, ecosystem balance, and efforts towards organic cassava cultivation.
Development strategy in both food commodities mentioned above should be the main close attention to the government in developing countries and low-income countries, as well as all relevant stakeholders, both in the domestic sphere in each country and global in scope, such as by the donors, global financial institutions, and agencies at the regional and the world. If these food commodities were developed based on the development strategy outlined above, it is believed to have a very big impact on improving food availability, increase farmers' income, poverty reduction, the opening of non-skilled job opportunities, accelerated development of the village Community Sector, improvement of income distribution , and the reduction of urbanization.

By A. Harizt Intan