Global Food for Thought

Today's Agriculture and Food Security News

May 7
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

UN Sees Risk of Unrest From Food Costs Above 10-Year Average, Bloomberg, May 7
The UN FAO is asking international lenders to accelerate the release of funds to help poor countries cope with high food costs through subsidies and avert riots, Hiroyuki Konuma, assistant director general at the FAO, said in an interview. Global food costs are about 40 percent above the average in the past 10 years.

World Bank Announces Makhtar Diop as its New Vice-President for Africa, World Bank, May 7
Makhtar Diop, a Senegalese national with more than 25 years of development experience, today becomes the new World Bank Vice-President for Africa. Diop was previously Country Director for Brazil since 2009 where he managed the World Bank’s largest country program. Prior to joining the Bank, Diop worked at the IMF and served as Minister of Finance of Senegal, and as Chair of the West African Monetary Union Board of Finance Ministers.

Blog From Niger: Resilient Women In The Face Of Hunger, Opinion, Ertharin Cousin, Alert Net, May 6
One month ago, during my first week in office as WFP's Executive Director, I began convening daily operational briefings. Since then, each and every briefing has included fresh and ever more disturbing details of the tragedy unfolding across Africa's Sahel region. Now, visiting Niger, I am witnessing first hand the human consequences of this complicated complex crisis.

UN Official Appeals for Urgent Funds to Assist Millions Across Africa's Sahel Region, UN News Center, May 6
There are currently 15 million people facing food insecurity in the Sahel, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, and includes countries such as Niger and Mali. The trip is Ms. Cousin's first field visit since assuming the leadership of WFP one month ago.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security News

May 3
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

Food Outlook: Global Market Analysis, FAO, May 2012
Global food prices seem to have stabilized at a relatively high level of around 214 points as measured by the FAO Food Price Index. Although the outlook for the second half of this year and into the next indicates generally improved supplies, demand remains strong and global food import bill in 2012 is expected to fall only slightly from the 2011 record.

Poll: US voters support funding UN health efforts, The Hill, May 3
Nine in 10 U.S. voters say it's important for the United States to support the global health efforts of the U.N.'s World Health Organization, according to a United Nations Foundation/Better World Campaign poll released Thursday. The poll found that 89 percent of respondents believe the United States should be supportive of U.N. programs that improve access to vaccines and maternal healthcare. 

World Food Prices moved lower in April, Wall Street Journal, May 3
World food prices fell in April following three consecutive months of gains, pressured by declines in sugar, dairy and cereal prices that offset increases in oils and meat, the United Nations’ FAO said, but it warned that soybeans and corn could still drive prices higher later this year.

Pan-African trust fund to tackle food security, Food Navigator, May 2
An African-financed, FAO directed trust fund will provide resources needed to drive sustainable food production across the continent and the oil sector will play a crucial role, according to FAO’s director-general. The FAO will now engage in consultations with involved nations to draft a detailed proposal of the fund for final approval of participating member states.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security News

April 30
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

To Foster Food Security Support Women’s Land Rights, Care, April 30
Millions of people across the world suffer from food insecurity, but a growing body of evidence is uncovering one way to address this problem: land rights. A preliminary study of a land purchase program in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, which provided beneficiaries with plots of land of up to one acre, found that beneficiary households experienced significantly higher levels of food security. It means that 76% of beneficiary households reported having two meals a day, compared to only 50-57% of non-beneficiary households.

Food Security a National Security Issue, Opinion, Omardath Maharaj, Guardian Media, April 29
Food security is important and refers to the availability of food and one’s access to it. Price volatility and high food prices have become the focus of governments internationally, as well as here in Trinidad and Tobago. Civil unrest, praedial larceny, low nutrition and other social ills render food security as a national security issue. The development of the agriculture sector should therefore be a major part of any sustainable development initiative.

Mobile Money in Africa: Press 1 for Modernity, The Economist, April 28
Market traders use mobile phones to pay peasant farmers for a single bag of cassava or maize-meal. Mobile phones are also used to bank remittances from family members abroad. This may explain why mobile money has done so well in Somalia, a country which barely has a government, but where a third of adults said they used mobile money last year. For the most part, mobile-phone money is a substitute both for paper-based banks and for, say, sending cash via a bus driver.

Predators for Peace, Foreign Policy, April 27
The work of these entrepreneurs points to a future in which waves of aid drones might quickly deliver a peaceful "first strike" capacity of food and medicines to disaster areas. Relief drones could offer direct point-to-point delivery of medicines and essential supplies. On-board video could verify that the aid has been dropped to target recipients and provide real-time feedback on ground conditions. As technology constantly betters the drones' capabilities, ranges, and payloads, it's possible to imagine even more creative methods of aid delivery.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security Headlines

April 25
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

Fit for the future? The Rocky Road to a New Set of Development Goals, Opinion, Lysa John and Stephen Hale, Guardian, April 25
The UN-led process must reflect the need for wide ownership, and the new division of global economic and political power and responsibility, if it is to lead the world's governments to an agreement and action on the challenges facing the world in 2015 and the decade after it. Three things should be done to avoid replicating the mistakes of the past.

Why Food Security is Not Just a Problem for the Third World, The Telegraph, April 24
The world has suffered two dramatic price spikes since 2008, and in China – now the powerhouse of the global economy – food price inflation was running at over 13 per cent as recently as September last year. Food security is a serious issue, and one that deserves much closer attention than it gets. Because in addition to being important in itself, food security is also interconnected with a number of other serious issues about which all of us have cause to be concerned.

Aid Agencies Seek a Billion Dollars for Sahel Relief, VOA News, April 24
Humanitarian agencies say at least one billion dollars is needed to prevent many people from going hungry in Africa’s Sahel region. They say about 15 million people are affected by a deepening food crisis. The UN has appealed for more than $700 million dollars, but so far has received less than half. Also a coalition of four NGOs is requesting $250 million for Sahel aid efforts. Only about $52 million has been raised.

Food Aid Effectiveness Awaits Action on Farm Bill, Opinion, Connie Veillette, Center for Global Development, April 24
I would prefer the nature of the food emergency to determine whether U.S. commodities or LRP is used rather than some formula that makes more sense for Washington politics than for global hunger. Increasing incentives for agricultural innovation or using cash transfer programs could be extremely efficient and effective new ways to fight hunger. And eliminating both cargo preference and monetization would allow every food dollar to go about 30 percent further and produce estimated savings of roughly $260 to $400 million annually.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security News

April 24
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

Analysis: Why Rice Intensification Matters in Asia, IRIN, April 24
The system of rice intensification is gaining ground across Asia as more and more governments come to rely on it for food security. Less seed, less water, less pesticides and chemical fertilizers can bring significantly higher yields, according to the International Network and Resources Centre, based at Cornell University in the US. SRI methods are being successfully applied to other staple commodities like wheat and sugarcane, and teff in northeast Africa.

UN Says 500,000 to Get Food Aid in Syria Amid Worry that Hunger Will Grow, Washington Post, April 24
The World Food Program says it will provide food for 250,000 people by the end of the month with help from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. It plans to quickly double that “in the coming weeks” and focus on Homs, Hama, Idleb and Damascus.

China to Import Rice From India, Financial Times, April 24
China shrugged off India’s successful launch of an intercontinental missile by reiterating cooperation with its neighbor to the west. True to its word, the world’s biggest producer of rice is now set to import the pride of Indian agriculture: long-grain or basmati rice. Trade between India and China grew nearly 20 percent to hit a record high of $73.9bn in 2011, though the trade gap stood at about $27bn in China’s favor.

Southern African Countries Collaborate on Plans for Climate Research Center, Guardian, April 23
Five countries in southern Africa have joined forces to launch a research center that will work on combating climate change in the region. South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia signed a declaration on Wednesday to base the initiative in the Namibian capital Windhoek.

African Agricultural Ministers Call for Innovative Funding to the Sector, Henry Neondo, News Time Africa, April 23
Organizations like FARA and AFAAS are working on a range of initiatives to develop innovative tools to share information, knowledge and provide advice to farmers on how to improve their yields, provide them with market information, and share experiences. Amongst experts, Africa’s mobile phone and ICT revolution is widely seen as one solution to helping farmers get around problems associated with poor infrastructure in rural areas.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security Headlines

April 23
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

2011 Global Food Policy Report, IFPRI, April 23
The 2011 Global Food Policy Report is a new annual IFPRI publication that provides a comprehensive, research-based analysis of major food policy challenges at the global, regional, national, and local levels. Its nine chapters, written by IFPRI researchers and other food policy experts, provide state-of-the-art analysis.

Global Monitoring Report 2012: Food Prices, Nutrition, and the Millennium Development Goals, World Bank, April 2012
The food price spikes in 2008 and 2011 have prevented millions of people from escaping poverty because the poor spend large shares of their incomes on food. Higher food prices have increased undernourishment. As a result, progress towards MDGs closely linked to food and nutrition is lagging, particularly child mortality and maternal mortality, with 105 countries of the 144 monitored not expected to reach MDG 4.

Starbucks Backs Farmers’ Loan Fund, Financial Times, April 23
The new fund, set up by a trio including Grameen Foundation, the international arm of the Bangladeshi-based microfinancier, aims to help plug the gap. Fair-trade farmers in Latin America, where the fund will start, say more than half the $500m they need to cover their financing is for long-term loans. The fund, managed by Incofin Investment Management, aims to raise an initial $8m-$12m and reach $25m by year two. Starbucks, as anchor private investor, is putting in $1.3m.

Amid a Regional Hunger Crisis, Mothers in Chad Trek on Donkeys to Find Food for Their Children, Washington Post, April 22
UNICEF estimates that 127,000 children under the age of five in Chad will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year. The hunger crisis extends across many countries including Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso, and the U.N. estimates 1 million children this year will require lifesaving treatment for severe acute malnutrition in the wider Sahel region.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security News

April 20
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

Global Sanitation Target Under Threat, Guardian, April 20
Their aim is to agree on urgent action towards ensuring that access to sanitation and safe drinking water becomes a reality for the billions of people lacking such basic services. The UN report said that the target for access to improved sanitation – calling for 75% of the world to be covered – will not be met by 2015.

Israel Signs USAID Agreement to Fight Hunger in Africa, Globes, April 19
USAID and MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have signed a memorandum of understanding to increase cooperation on the topic of food security in Africa. The agreement is part of USAID’s “Feed the Future” initiative. The MOU allows for closer cooperation on the issue of food security in four countries: Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda.

BRICS Agitate for a Seat at the Table, New York Times, April 19
With Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa signing new financial cooperation agreements at their fourth annual meeting in New Delhi in March, the countries are signaling discontent at their lack of influence over decision-making within the world’s existing financial institutions, and exploring steps to do something about it. In theory, a BRICS bank would gather resources and provide financial support to infrastructure projects in member countries as well in as other developing markets.

Howard Buffett, Son of Billionaire Investor, Asks Fellow Farmers to Help Feed Rural US Poor, Associated Press, April 19
Buffett and other organizers planned to announce the “Invest an Acre” initiative. It will encourage farmers around the nation to donate profits from the sale of 1 acre’s crop to the charity Feeding America, which will use the money to support food banks in rural communities where advocates say malnutrition is a serious — if often overlooked — scourge. Buffett’s foundation has focused largely on areas of the world that many aid groups avoid because of war, geographic isolation or other challenges.

GMO's to Increase Kenya's Food Security Says Expert, The Star (Kenya), April 19
Kenya is expected to introduce commercial farming of genetically modified cotton, maize, potatoes and cassava, and already has several tissue culture biotechnology food crops growing in various regions. Some of the companies involved in development of the GM crops will offer free seeds to farmers in Africa during the first phase of introduction to open field farming, to stimulate demand before turning it into a commercial venture.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security Headlines

April 19
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa Launch New Initiative, FOSCA, AGRA, April 2012
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa has set up, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a Farmer Organization Support Centre in Africa which is expected to contribute to AGRA’s overall vision of increasing smallholders’ incomes and livelihoods through effective and efficient FOs capable of delivering on the needs of their members. To achieve this mandate, FOSCA aims at strengthening the managerial, technical and institutional capacity of FOs thus transforming them to provide demand-driven and income-enhancing services to their members.

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah’s Remarks at SAIS Year of Agriculture Conference, USAID, April 17
Most poor people depend on agriculture to make a living and most people who depend on agriculture for a living are poor. 75 percent of the world's poor live in rural settings. GDP growth originating in agriculture is nearly three-to-six times more effective at raising the incomes of the poor than growth from other sectors like manufacturing or services. And this is near universal phenomenon. In China, agriculture growth was 3.5 times more effective at reducing poverty than non-ag growth. In Latin America, it was 2.7 times more effective.

How Malawi Fed Its Own People, Opinion, Jeffrey D. Sachs, New York Times, April 19
Malawi’s impoverished farmers were too poor to buy fertilizer, and their intensive farming over many years had depleted the soils of nitrogen, with a consequence that the farm yields were among the lowest in the world. Mutharika then did a brilliant thing. He said that the government of Malawi would subsidize the smallholders to buy a small amount of fertilizer and seed so that they could replenish the soil nutrients, take advantage of improved seed varieties, and at least achieve a livable crop from their tiny farms.

Agriculture: Brown Gold Jackpot, The Africa Report, April 18
The relative success of the cocoa industry in recent years masks a decline in overall agricultural production. The National Democratic Congress government says that irrigation holds the key to accelerated growth. Fruit and vegetable production for local consumption and export, a mainstay for farming families in the south, has declined as a result of the lack of irrigation facilities and erratic rainfall pattern, according to members of a vegetable exporters' organization in Gomoa East.

World Bank Plans to Expand Safety Net for Developing Nations, Bloomberg, April 18
Expanding cash transfers, food assistance, public works programs and fee waivers to help nations respond to crises and fight persistent poverty will be the center of the agenda for the World Bank-IMF Committee meeting on April 21. “Safety nets can transform people’s lives and provide a foundation for inclusive growth without busting budgets,” World Bank President Robert Zoellick said.

Building Resilience to Disasters

April 18
By Sung Lee

USAID administrator Rajiv Shah delivered the keynote address at the Global Philanthropy Forum in Washington, D.C.  To meet the future challenges of feeding additional 2.5 billion people and increasingly erratic climate conditions, Dr. Shah identified three critical opportunities that will help developing countries lift themselves out of poverty.  “We need to help communities build real resilience to disasters-so that droughts don't shatter development gains or give rise to instability. We need to strengthen food security and drive economic growth. And we need to help countries reap a demographic dividend-focusing on efforts that ensure all children can enjoy healthy, productive lives,” said Administrator Shah.  The transcript of his remarks is available here.

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

Governments Must Stop Short-Term Outlook, Warns UN Development Head, Guardian, April 18
Speaking two months before Rio+20, the former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark said sustainable development had not been made mainstream in policy because governments considered the short-term outcomes too politically risky. But the urgency of the problem means people will have to act soon. The future must be based on equity and justice, with people at its center, she said, where the focus is not just on the environment but also economic and social development.

The First Opium Win, New York Times, April 18
According to the UN’s 2011 Afghanistan Opium Survey, Afghanistan’s farmers earned $1.4 billion from opium in 2011, an increase of 133 percent over the year before. That’s about 9 percent of the country’s G.D.P. The U.S. government spent roughly $4.7 billion on poppy-eradication and antidrug programs in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2010. These efforts were largely futile.

Nigeria Tested by Rapid Rise in Population, New York Times, April 14
Across sub-Saharan Africa, alarmed governments have begun to act, often reversing longstanding policies that encouraged or accepted large families. Nigeria, already the world’s sixth most populous nation with 167 million people, is a crucial test case, since its success or failure at bringing down birthrates will have outsize influence on the world’s population. If this large nation rich with oil cannot control its growth, what hope is there for the many smaller, poorer countries?

G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting Chair’s Statement, U.S. Department of State, April 12
Ministers welcomed the productive partnership with African and other governments globally under the historic L’Aquila Food Security Initiative, which supports country-led efforts to assure sustainable food security and improved nutrition. Donor and partner government investments in agricultural development have proven to be one of the most effective means to promote broad-based economic growth, especially when they are nutrition-sensitive and target smallholder farmers and women.

Today's Agriculture and Food Security News

April 17
By Sung Lee

Today's top stories on global agricultural development and food security issues.

U.S. Nominee Is Elected to Lead World Bank, Wall Street Journal, April 16
The World Bank named Jim Yong Kim as its next president, maintaining a seven-decade U.S. lock on the post after the first challenge by candidates from other countries. Dr. Kim, a global public-health expert and president of Dartmouth College, will become the 12th president of the development institution on July 1.

'Aid Helps More Children Reach Five', says ODI report, BBC, April 16
Research by the Overseas Development Institute shows that aid is a key factor in improving children's well-being around the world. It says economic growth and good government policies also help improve their life-chances.

A Population Antidote: High School for Girls, Opinion, Elisabeth Rosenthal,  New York Times, April 16
High school for girls = population control = sustainable growth. I know this may seem like a simplistic equation. But in interviews on the causes and effects of runaway population growth in Africa for a weekend article in The Times, many experts suggested one singularly effective intervention: make sure that girls to go to high school.

Duplicating Afghanistan From the Ground Up, New York Times, April 14
Since 2002, the United States has spent more than $1 billion on Afghanistan’s agricultural sector, in part to create markets and options for farmers other than growing opium poppies. Financed by a $2.9 million grant from the Agriculture Department, the Adapt training codifies what had been ad-hoc efforts by various branches of the American military to train recruits in agriculture.