Islam and Food Crisis

قالوا ما سلككم في سقر قالوا لم نك من المصلين و لم نك نطعم المسكين

They will say, "What brought you into Hell?" They will say, "We were not among those who prayed nor did we used to feed the poor." (Qur'an, 74.42-44)

Furthermore, the strongest position within Islamic scholarship is that those who have never heard the message of Islam will not be punished in the Hereafter, yet it is obvious that alcoholism and other vices are destructive even if one is not morally responsible for avoiding them. Thus, the point of this article is not to present solutions that can be applied over a short timespan, but rather, to provide material for people to reflect upon regarding the wisdom of Islamic Law. Allah Most High says:

ظهر الفساد في البر والبحر بما كسبت أيدي الناس ليذيقهم بعض الذي عملوا لعلهم يرجعون

Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return. (Qur'an, 30.41)

In explaining a number of verses, classical texts of Qur'anic exegesis leave no doubt that ignoring the commandments of Allah often results in hunger and natural disasters. The focal point, as mentioned in the above verse, is that people reflect upon what is happening to them and thereby return to Allah in obedience.

Ignoring the obvious, like the prohibition of crop destruction and stockpiling to keep prices high, there are a number of other Islamic regulations regarding food:

1. The prohibition of waste. A recent article in the Star indicates that 210 million kilograms of food is thrown out in Toronto each year, most of it edible, and much of it in its original packaging. It doesn't take an economics major to realise that the less we waste, the less we buy, thereby decreasing the demand for food, and ultimately dropping its price on the market.
2. Islamic Law mandates that a certain portion of crops be given to the poor. Zakah is not charity: it is the property of the poor and farmers are obliged to discharge it. Under an Islamic state, the ruler takes the zakah by force from those who owe it and distributes it among worthy recipients. The Hanafi school is the strictest in this regard, declaring zakah due on all crops. The more lenient position of the Shafi'i and Maliki schools is that zakah is only due on staple crops (i.e. those that can be stored long-term and provide primary nutrition) such as grains, legumes, dried dates, and raisins. Taking the lenient Shafi'i position, zakah is only due on crops if the yield is greater than 715 kg of grain. Ten percent of eligible crop is due if it is watered naturally and five percent if grown on irrigated land. In 2006, the world produced over 695 million metric tons of maize, 634 million metric tons of rice, and 605 million metric tons of wheat. Assuming that 95% of farmers produce more than the miniscule 715 kg of grain per crop and that they all irrigate their land (thereby qualifying for the lower zakah percentage) means that 33 million metric tons of maize, 30 million metric tons of rice, and 28.7 million metric tons of wheat are already the property of the poor. Again, this is not charity: this is their property according to Islamic Law.
   
3. Alcoholic beverages are almost entirely based on staple crops, including grains, grapes, and potatoes. A colossal amount of food is being wasted in the production of products that are interdicted by Islamic Law. Were these foodstuffs to be used in feeding people, they would flood the market and the price of food would drop dramatically.
   
4. According to the Guardian's The Five Factors that are Driving Up Costs, speculative trading in agricultural commodities is one of the major causes of the increasing cost of food. According to Islamic Law, no debt is allowed when trading in food staples. Rather, the actual purchased staple crop must be handed over to the buyer and the price handed over to the seller before they part company. While debt-based trade (where one or both parties owes the other the goods or its price at the conclusion of the contract) is allowed in general, it is not allowed in the trade of food staples. The prohibition of debt decreases volatility of the market and ensures more stable pricing for the consumer and producer. This is not as idealistic as it seems. Without doubt, taking possession of five metric tons of grain and handing over the cash for it might not be that easy in practice. However, Islamic Law does allow legal possession (Ar. qabd hukmi) , such as a bank transfer, to take the place of physical possession.
   

Notes taken from here.