Fighting hunger - EU External cooperation programmes Reducing by half the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015 is a priority for the EU and the International community enshrined in the first Millenium Development Goal. Over 900 million people are estimated to be malnourished - most of them in Sub-Saharan Africa and in South Asia. Even if food prices eased in the second half of 2008, they are still very high and subject to volatility in some developing countries, affecting access to food for low income population groups. What's On Helping people to better cope with future shocks: the EU adopts a new Communication On the 3 October 2012, the European Commission adopted a new communication on helping vulnerable communities in crisis prone areas across the world build resilience to future shocks. The EU Approach to Resilience: Learning from Food Security Crises – Communication and Factsheet Financial support For the period 2007-2013, the EU food security policy is financed through three types of instruments: Background information
AGRA | Growing Africa's Agriculture Report 2010 - Reflections on the global food crisis How Did It Happen? How Has It Hurt? And How Can We Prevent the Next One? The dramatic surge in food prices from 2005 to 2008 seriously threatened the world’s poor, who struggle to buy food even under normal circumstances, and led to protests and riots in the developing world. Breaking from many earlier interpretations, the authors conclude that the crisis was not primarily fostered by increased demand for meat products in rising economies such as China and India, or by declines in agricultural yields or food stocks, or by futures market speculation. Instead, they attribute the rising food prices to a combination of rising energy prices; growing demand for biofuels; the U.S. dollar depreciation; and various trade shocks related to export restrictions, panic purchases, and unfavorable weather. Click to launch the full edition in a new window Publisher: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at CSU Food Politics Food Security Group, Michigan State University El Nino's threat to major food crop yields 15 May 2014Last updated at 09:23 ET By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News Responding to the impacts of El Nino could help maintain crop yields, the study suggests El Nino events can have a significant impact on the yields of certain major food crops, a study has shown. Researchers say the climatic phenomenon, which triggers changes in temperature and rainfall, can reduce maize yields by more than 4%. El Nino episodes are caused by changes in the sea surface temperature in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Writing in Nature Communications, the team said the data could be used by governments to manage food supplies. They wrote: "Results show that El Nino likely improves the global-mean soybean yield by 2.1-5.4% but appears to change the yields of maize, rice and wheat by -4.3% to 0.8%. "The global-mean yield of all four crops during La Nina years tend to be below normal (-4.5% to 0.0%)," they observed. What are El Nino and La Nina, and how do they affect weather patterns? Food forecasts
Report 2010 - Proven successes in agricultural development A technical compendium to Millions Fed The world has made enormous progress in the past 50 years toward eliminating hunger and malnutrition. While, in 1960, roughly 30 percent of the world’s population suffered from hunger and malnutrition, today less than 20 percent does—some five billion people now have enough food to live healthy, productive lives. Agricultural development has contributed significantly to these gains by increasing food supplies, reducing food prices, and creating new income and employment opportunities for some of the world’s poorest people. This book examines where, why, and how past interventions in agricultural development have succeeded. It carefully reviews the policies, programs, and investments in agricultural development that have reduced hunger and poverty across Africa, Asia, and Latin America over the past half century. Click to launch the full edition in a new window Publisher: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at AMNH The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) transforms knowledge – from diverse sources and perspectives, spanning areas of scientific research as well as traditional and local knowledge – into conservation action. We collaborate with partners around the world to increase local and global capacity to address the loss of biological and cultural diversity. Convening professionals, institutions, and communities, we foster connections among practitioners to catalyze conservation on the ground. The programs we develop span the full cycle of conservation action – from identifying needs to project implementation to adapting and broadcasting lessons learned – and serve as models for other organizations. Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York, New York 10024 USA Phone: 212 769 5742 Fax: 212 769 5292 biodiversity@amnh.org What's New at the CBC CBC in the Field Our Global Kitchen on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show!
Berkeley Food Institute | Cultivating Diversity, Justice, Resilience, and Health Canadian Council for International Co-operation The FSPG formed after the 1996 World Summit on Food Security, bringing together Canadian international development and humanitarian agencies, farmers’ organizations and human rights groups who have worked for decades in sectors related to enhancing sustainable agriculture and food security in developing countries and Canada. It has 23 members (including CCIC). In the early days, the coalition focused largely on two streams of work: ensuring the WTO's Agreement on Agriculture did not negatively affect food security in developing countries where agriculture is crucial for the livelihoods of poor people; and on untying food aid and encouraging Canada to use its aid dollars to support smallholder farms and promote sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods. Fertile Ground? The Food Security Policy Group (a coalition of CCIC and other development organizations) assessed CIDA’s work in food and agriculture since the Food Security Strategy began in 2009. Check out the videos.
Reports Reports Achieving Food Security in the Face of Climate Change The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change has reviewed the scientific evidence to identify a pathway to achieving food security in the context of climate change. Food systems must shift to better meet human needs and, in the long term, balance with planetary resources. Final Report (March 2012) Final Report from the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change (4.5 MB PDF) Summary for Policy Makers (November 2011) English Achieving Food Security in the Face of Climate Change: Summary for policy makers from the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change Francais Atteindre la sécurité alimentaire dans le contexte du changement climatique: Résumé de la Commission sur l'Agriculture Durable et le Changement Climatique à l'attention des décideurs politiques (PDF) Espanol Português Background Studies Guyomard H, Darcy-Vrillon B, Esnouf C, Marin M, Momot A, Russel M, Guillou M. 2012. Journal Articles
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