'Islamic Agricultural Economics' and 'Islamic Food Economics'

 

Before delving into "Islamic food economics," let us begin briefly with Islamic agricultural economics. Here, food is positioned as a subset of agriculture, although there has been a tendency to shift it into the food and pharmaceutical category—a trend evident, for instance, in the Job Creation Bill (Omnibus Law) discussed in early 2019.

We have long heard of Islamic Economics, but "Islamic Agricultural Economics" is a less familiar concept; a Google search yields no results for the term "Islamic Agricultural Economy."

The logic of Islamic agriculture differs from conventional economic logic. A single onion bulb is planted, yielding ten bulbs. A pair of sheep is raised, and within a few years, they may multiply into ten. This clearly reflects the intervention and boundless blessings of the Giver of Life. Consider how many thousands of pots of vegetables can be produced from a single hectare of onions, and how many mouths and stomachs are nourished by them; the scale is truly incalculable. It is impossible to quantify the blessing found in the taste of vegetables enhanced by the perfect aroma of fried onions.

Therefore, one should not view the harvest solely in terms of monetary value. Transforming one onion into ten might be deemed a financial loss if market prices have plummeted. Yet, when viewed through the lens of utility and the enjoyment derived from the produce, no farmer truly suffers a loss. Ultimately, farming is about sowing seeds, spreading virtue, performing good deeds, and reaping spiritual rewards—not merely planting money to generate more money.

 

Islamic Agricultural Economics is not simply about...

planting money to harvest money...

If farming is understood merely as planting money to make money, we neglect the damage caused in the process. Indiscriminate pesticide use—which kills the earthworms that enrich the soil—is not counted as a loss. Inorganic fertilizers harden the soil and destroy its biological health. Conventional farming analysis fails to account for such environmental damage. Furthermore, results are measured solely in terms of raw yield rather than the final product.

Islamic agriculture does not harm nature; it preserves it. Islam is a mercy to all creation, and farming in accordance with Islamic principles brings life rather than destruction.

People discuss food and economics daily, and religious study gatherings are held morning and evening; yet, it seems no one has attempted to weave these concepts together into a single, cohesive idea: the "Islamic food economy." While many touch upon food when discussing agriculture, few have dared to explicitly label their discourse as a "food economy."

Meanwhile, in the real world—despite the implementation of various approaches ranging from food security and food sovereignty to self-sufficiency—the food crisis remains unresolved. The UN reports that over 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, with 120 million facing acute hunger. Given a global population of 7.7 billion, this means more than 10 percent of the world's people go hungry. Ironically, 1.3 trillion tons of food are wasted globally each year—equivalent to one-third of total global food production. Who is responsible for the most food waste and loss? The countries with the highest rates are Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. Subhanallah (Glory be to God).

This implies that the agricultural economics we have applied thus far has proven incapable of solving the world's food problems. This discipline suffers from numerous flaws—for instance, the tendency to view food merely as an industrial product. It is treated simply as a matter of "production" rather than a gift from God deserving of high regard. To value food is to value those who produce it. In short, it is time we turned to divine guidance in organizing our agriculture and food systems.

Agricultural economics is derived from general economics simply by shifting the focus to agricultural products. Is it truly adequate to build a discipline—and subsequently a field of "Food Economics"—upon such a paradigm and approach? After all, agricultural economics deals with primary commodities, yet it is derived from a science originally built upon secondary and tertiary goods.

It appears that staple foods should be removed from the market mechanism. There are at least four reasons for this. First, humans possess an innate instinct and moral imperative to help sustain the lives of others. People will die without food. Consequently, across all tribes, religions, rural and urban settings, and traditional societies, people naturally share food and provisions. Even in the modern world, this inclination to share remains strong; we see lavish, free feasts in major cities, and we take pleasure in treating friends and guests to meals.

Traditional societies never sold food to one another. Among hunter-gatherer communities, food was typically gathered in a central location for communal consumption; they established community food granaries. This custom persists in contemporary society through practices such as arisan (rotating savings and social gatherings), selamatan (communal thanksgiving feasts), and other celebrations that serve as mechanisms for sharing food.

Second, food is always derived from the land, whether directly or indirectly. Since no single human being can truly "own" a plot of land—we merely hold the right to cultivate it—anything produced from that land cannot be considered entirely one's own property. There is an inherent social dimension involved; every harvest carries a social element. Third, religion teaches us not to treat staple foods merely as economic commodities subject to market mechanisms. There are countless exhortations and teachings regarding hospitality—such as the Hadith encouraging one to cook extra vegetables so they can be shared with others, and so forth.

Fourth, the value yielded by the land far exceeds the effort a human has invested. A single seed is cast into the soil, and five years later, it bears fruit. Where, in that process, lies the effort of the person who sowed it? This implies that the result is almost entirely a blessing from the land, from nature—indeed, from God. "And He spread out the earth for [His] creatures; therein are fruits and date palms with sheathed clusters" (Ar-Rahman: 10–11).

Wallahu ‘alam. And God knows best.    ******