Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.
Dan Glickman, cochair of the Chicago Council’s Global Agricultural Development Initiative, argues for investing in agricultural systems in his article in Diplomatic Courier Magazine. Dan Glickman, who served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1995 to 2001, recommends that the world needs to: 1) prioritize of investments in global agricultural development; 2) research is especially important to increasing the production of fruits and vegetables and other nutrient-dense food; 3) agricultural investments should focus on women.
Feeding a Growing World Sustainably and Nutritiously, Opinion, Dan Glickman, Diplomatic Courier
A key solution to this crisis lies in the improvement of agricultural systems, especially those in the developing world. With demand for food expected to more than double in the next 40 years, the world’s farmers, ranchers, and fishers must be equipped to sufficiently increase food production and accessibility. Reaching this goal will require political and financial support for global agricultural development by governments, businesses, international organizations, and donors.
Agriculture must play "critical role" in Africa's future, CNN, February 1
Commercial farming is a major industry in South Africa -- it distributes produce all over the world while Johannesburg's fruit market sells about a million tons of goods every year. But the picture is quite different in other parts of the continent -- more than two-thirds of African countries are net importers of agricultural products, with the continent importing $50 billion worth of food every year, according to U.N. figures.
Global food prices easing, volatility still high: World Bank, Reuters, January 31
The World Bank said prices have declined steadily but volatility has increased, including among staples like wheat, maize and rice. In some countries, domestic food prices are higher than levels in 2010, keeping pressure on poor households that spend the bulk of their income on food. Price volatility adds uncertainty and keeps prices high because farmers are unsure how to price their products.
UN launches information system to boost disaster prevention, food security measures, UN News Center, January 31
The United Nations launched today an information system to improve and expand the exchange of weather, climate and water data, which can be used for disaster risk reduction, water management, food security and health purposes.
Famine isn't an extreme event, it's the predictable result of a broken system, Opinion, Oliver De Schutter, Guardian, January 30
Drought and famine are not extreme events. They are not anomalies. They are merely the sharp end of a global food system that is built on inequality, imbalances and – ultimately – fragility. And they are the regular upshot of a climate that is increasingly hostile and problematic for food production across huge swathes of the developing world.
UN report calls for 'ever-green' energy revolution, Associated Press, January 30
The report says governments and international organizations "should work to create a new green revolution -- an 'ever-green revolution' for the 21st century" by spending more on agricultural research, protecting imperiled plant and animal species, conserving land and water and fighting pollution.
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