After writing about supply chains as a crucial part of the sustainability of food security, it's essential to focus on a pillar no less important, indeed the real foundation of this system, which is the feed sector. In reality, feeds are “food for food,” as they provide nutrition for all forms of livestock, especially cows, which are among the most important sources of food production.
Livestock, primarily the cattle sector, which includes about 100,000 heads, represent biological factories. The quality of their outputs, including milk, meat, and derivatives, depends on the stability and quality of the feed they consume.
Any disruption in this sector, whether in prices or availability, will immediately reflect on the cost of food manufacturing and our competitive ability in exports.
The significant role that this sector plays in supporting local production becomes clear, not only at the level of providing food, but also in stimulating food manufacturing and enhancing export opportunities. Every food product based on livestock actually starts with the quality and stability of feed, making this sector central to the equation of food security.
Supporting the feed sector cannot be separated from the geopolitical context and global economic pressures. In the face of major global companies striving to seize control of food production junctions, enhancing and protecting the local feed sector becomes a form of economic resistance.
Protecting this sector is a safeguard for the independence of national decision-making, and ensures that our food supply remains unaffected by the fluctuations of international markets and the pressures of imports.
Considering the feed sector independently from the regulatory and oversight system associated with it is impractical; as several official bodies' responsibilities intersect, from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to entities responsible for veterinary supervision, vaccines, and medications. This overlap, although necessary, requires genuine integration of roles and effective coordination to ensure sustainability of production and to prevent any disruptions that may negatively affect the entire food chain.
Investing in the feed sector is no longer optional, and developing its legislation is a critical strategic necessity.
In conclusion, if supply chains are the arteries of food security, then feed is the heart that pumps life into these arteries, and any neglect of this heart inevitably threatens the entire system, marking the first and true steps towards a food security unshaken by crises.
