Worldwatch Blogs

Check out this post by Food + Tech, an organization that connects decision makers with the information and technology they need to support food production innovations.

Many development organization are using educational videos to help spread their messages. (Photo credit: Food+Tech)

According to the article, “Cuts to agricultural extension programs have left agents in many countries now attempting to serve tens of thousands of farmers and many farmers do not live near farm field schools.” But many organizations, including the Africa Rice Centre and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, are designing and disseminating educational videos on agricultural techniques, such as seed preparation, to reach out to those farmers.

Click here to read the full article and to check out some of the videos.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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By Marissa Dwyer

Bill Gates released his 2012 annual letter, stressing the need for agricultural innovation to further international development. He has written annual letters since 2009, each of which outlines the key areas of focus for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for that year. Gates discusses the need for continued effort for other global health issues, including Polio vaccination, family planning programs, and HIV/AIDS prevention approaches. For all of these global health issues, he explains that, “Innovation is the means, and equity is the end goal” for the Foundation. Each letter has highlighted innovation as a means to greatly improve the world.

Use of a solar-powered drip-irrigation system in Niger. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)

His call for new solutions comes at a time when roughly 15 percent of the world population—1 billion people—are living in extreme poverty. Gates explains that, despite not having enough food for their families to eat, many of these people are small farm owners. In developing countries, malnutrition is a contributing factor in over half of all deaths of children under the age of five. Additionally, over 270 million children “are suffering long-term malnourishment and micronutrient deficiency,” seriously hampering their growth and development.

Gates states the need to build upon the work of the “Green Revolution” in the 1960s and 1970s, when existing technologies on irrigation, improved seed varieties, and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer were spread to farmers in developing countries. Governments today, he says, are paying less attention to and spending fewer resources on agriculture in their countries. The world spends US$3 billion per year on researching major crops, and very little of that funding is directed toward the needs of small-scale farmers.

According to Gates, modest amounts of investment can have a significant impact on the lives of millions of people. He concludes his letter by stating that he is optimistic about the potential of innovative partnerships between the private sector, developing countries, and aid organizations to greatly improve agricultural productivity throughout the world.

What do you think? Will a green revolution in Africa work? Let us know in the comments section! 

Marissa Dwyer is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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In this week’s episode, we discuss how incorporating an Integrated Food and Energy System (IFES) can give rural and impoverished communities better access to food and reliable energy. Farmers can incorporate IFES in two ways–by using intercropping methods and growing food and fuel-generating crops, such as acacia trees, or by integrating livestock onto their farms and using biodigesters from their manure to generate energy.

Video: http://youtu.be/gPlSroOqNaY

To read  about IFES, see: Innovation of the Week: Creating Farms that Produce Food and Energy.

To purchase your own copy of State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet, please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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By Jenna Banning

Beyond the traditional lessons on reading, writing, and math, schools across America are now teaching their students about another crucially important subject that will build the foundation for the rest of their lives: nutrition.

Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids partners with schools in Delaware to build vegetable gardens. (Photo credit: Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 17 percent of children in America are obese.  These children face higher risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other diseases when they become adults.

With approximately 55 million children enrolled in the U.S., schools can play a powerful role in the efforts to combat obesity. Every day, over 31 million children receive their lunches through the National School Lunch Program. These meals are subsidized the government, and made available to low-income students for free or reduced rates.  In addition, by teaching children about agriculture, cooking, and gardening, students gain a greater appreciation and understanding of where their food comes from and how it is produced. Today, Nourishing the Planet highlights five initiatives helping to teach children about nutrition across the country.

1. Louisville, Kentucky

In 2003, according to a report by the Trust for America’s Health, Kentucky had the third highest level of overweight high school students, as well as the third highest number of low-income children between two and five years old in the country. Since then, Kentucky has made significant improvements in their school lunches and nutrition programs.

One organization, The Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm, runs “Experiential Educational Programs” for school and community groups that allow participants to experience farm-life first hand. Visitors may learn how to bake bread from scratch, take a tasting tour of the farm, or study how the food in their lunches is grown. The farm, based out of Louisville, Kentucky, was just awarded a mini grant from the Healthy Hometown Movement, a state government program, and will be working this year with over 200 students to teach them about vegetable farming, physical activity, and where their food comes from.

2. St. Louis, Missouri

Missouri was recently ranked as the eleventh-most obese state in the country, with  31 percent of children ages 10-17 overweight. In addition, nearly one out of every four children in the state is hungry, a figure which has been rising since 2005 and now rates fifth-worst in the country.

But in St. Louis, a number of organizations have partnered together to improve the city’s approach towards nutrition and agriculture. In one exciting example, over 60 schools have partnered with Gateway Greening to build vegetable, native, multi-sensory (which incorporate scent, touch, and sound aspects in their design), and butterfly gardens. This organization, a non-profit organization started and based out of the city, provides the resources and guidance necessary for the schools to design and run their own unique gardens for students to learn about nature, nutrition, and even sell their own produce.

3. Greeley, Colorado

Although Colorado has the lowest obesity rate in the country, two recent reports, by Health Policy Solutions and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, warn that childhood obesity in Colorado increased by 23 percent between 2003 and 2007.

The organization Cook for America has partnered with a number of school districts across the state to redesign the operations and practices of school foodservice. The city of Greeley was recently highlighted by the New York Times for its participation in the program. Greeley’s Weld County School District 6 serves over 19,000 students, the majority of whom are low-income—60 percent of students qualify for free or reduced meals. To feed these students, the district has implemented a School Food Renaissance, which includes school gardens and Farm to School programs, connecting local farmers and students.

Weld County School District 6 also will begin phasing out processed and precooked meals this year through the training and resources provided by Cook for America, with the goal of providing all meals from scratch by the beginning of next school year. These moves are helping to show that foodservice reform, typically seen as too expensive or difficult for struggling school districts, can be affordable, successful, and delicious.

4. Boston, Massachusetts

Sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), which include sports drinks and soda, are increasingly popular among teenagers, yet present significant risks to their health. SSBs currently account for approximately 13 percent of all calories consumed by youth, and are the largest source of added sugar in children’s diets.

Yet in Boston, consumption of these drinks has actually gone down, according to the CDC. In 2004, Boston public schools passed a policy restricting sales of SSBs in schools. In a study conducted by the CDC, researchers analyzed consumption of SSBs in Boston high schools between 2004 and 2006, and compared them to national trends. The report found that while there was no change in consumption nationally, high school students in Boston’s public schools drank significantly less soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks. Following these findings, the Massachusetts Public Health Council issued new nutrition standards to take effect in 2013 that will eliminate sodas and other foods (including those with artificial sweeteners and trans fats) off school campuses statewide . As Angie Cradock, the report’s lead author, states, “This study shows that a very simple policy change can have a big impact on student behavior.”

5. Wilmington, Delaware

Twenty-eight percent of adults in Delaware are obese, according to the CDC, and childhood obesity is 33 percent. But battling obesity in Delaware has seen some progress recently – the rate of children classifying as overweight or obese has leveled off in the past years, defying the national trend.

Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids is a small non-profit based out of northern Delaware that partners with schools in the area to build school vegetable gardens. Created in 2005, the organization now works with students in every grade level in 11 schools. Through the “Education Cultivation” program, students plant, grow, and eat the vegetables from their gardens, learning valuable lessons about nutrition and science.

According to a report co-authored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education, “Enjoying and learning about food in childhood promotes good nutrition habits for a lifetime.” Through the efforts of schools and programs like these, children in America are now being provided with the lessons necessary to build a healthier future.

What programs near you are helping school children learn about nutrition and agriculture? Let us know!

Jenna Banning is a research intern with Nourishing the Planet.

To learn more about programs teaching children about nutrition and agriculture, see: Back to School and Back to Good Food, Nourishing the Planet TV: Agriculture Education in School, and Innovation of the Week: School Feeding Programs Improve Livelihoods, Diets, and Local Economies.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India will hold the 12^th annual Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) from February 2 to 4. This year’s Summit is themed “Protecting the Global Commons: 20 years post Rio,” and will aim to develop a path forward towards consensus between industrialized and developing countries on governance of climate change, biodiversity, and forestry, among other issues. The Summit will assess the state of sustainable development 20 years after the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in advance of the United Nations Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development this June. Featured speakersat this year’s DSDS will include several heads of state, among them Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as well as numerous ministers, government officials, and leaders from business, academia, and civil society.

The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit will take place February 2 – 4, source: TERI

Climate change and clean energy access will be among the focus areas discussed at the Summit, with a particular emphasis on the gap between global North and South in terms of development needs, access to technology, and responsibility for global greenhouse gas emissions. For example, a study by the World Resources Institute found that between 1850 and 2002, the United States contributed the greatest share of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions with 29.3 of the global total, followed by the European Union at 26.5 percent. Over the same period, India was responsible for just 2.2 percent of global emissions. While industrialized countries reached current levels of affluence by burning coal and oil, increasingly constrained fossil fuel resources and the threat of global climate change make this an unsustainable path for developing countries. While grappling with the impacts of climate change they largely did not cause, developing countries like India must also explore new paths for sustainable development.

In order to identify the major challenges and opportunities for sustainable development, Worldwatch partnered with the Centre for Environment Education based in Ahmadabad, India, to hold a high-level working group meeting entitled “Strengthening India’s Low-Carbon Growth Strategy” in September 2010 in New Delhi. The meeting brought together leading experts on sustainable energy and development from multiple sectors including government, academia, business, and civil society. Meeting participants generally agreed that a low-carbon development path built on energy efficiency and renewable energy development is the only option for India, with many emphasizing co-benefits including reduced air pollution, lower economic and security risks due to dependence on fossil fuel imports, and the advantages of being an early leader in the rapidly growing global green energy market.

Despite enthusiasm for a low-carbon growth path and praise for the Government of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (including its targets for energy efficiency and solar energy), many within India emphasize that equity – both internationally and at home – should remain at the forefront of any climate discussion. Demand for energy to feed India’s growing economy is rapidly increasing, and meeting this need with renewable energy sources will be a major challenge. In 2008, India had 177 gigawatts (GW) of installed electricity capacity, which fell far short of demand, and this is projected to grow by an additional 234 GW by 2035. India continues to maintain a strong position that any international climate agreement should be equitable, and views pressure from industrialized countries for comparable action as unjust and even a threat to national sovereignty. With regard to equity within India, a small, affluent percentage of the population is responsible for most of the country’s emissions, while one-third of India’s rural population does not have access to electricity. One meeting participant raised concerns that Indian policies, such as the National Solar Mission, focus too much on large-scale centralized infrastructure development, which will do little to improve sustainable energy access for poor and marginalized communities in remote areas with limited connectivity to the electricity grid.

India is moving forward to implement policies that encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy investment. However, coal-fired electricity capacity in the country is also expanding at an alarming rate to meet energy demand, despite rapidly declining, poor quality domestic coal reserves – in 2010, the Government of India approved plans for 173 coal plants which will add 80 to 100 GW of electricity capacity over the next few years, fueled largely with coal imports. Shortages in coal availability recently forced one Indian utility company to delay its plans for 6,500 megawatts of capacity expansion. Adequate financial backing is now necessary to enable the federal and state governments within India to fully implement existing clean energy incentives and meet the goal of universal electricity access by this year. Capacity building within state ministries is also necessary to enable them to develop strong sustainable energy programs of their own.

Worldwatch plans to expand its work in India, alongside local partner organizations, to facilitate sustainable energy development and access by providing governments, stakeholders, and communities with renewable energy resource assessments, energy efficiency opportunities, and robust policy and finance tools to accelerate the ambitious actions already underway.

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By Isaac Hopkins

Many areas in the Andean highlands of Peru and Bolivia are above 3800 meters in elevation. These highlands regularly experience extreme fluctuations in temperature—around 30°C (86°F)—and often  drop well below freezing at night. The area is also prone to drought, due to erratic mountain weather patterns and a winter dry season. It takes a special range of crops to feed the inhabitants of such an environment.

Cañihua plants near ripeness. Only partially domesticated, its genetic diversity is apparent from the wide range of colors. (Photo Credit: ccbolgroup.com)

The Chenopodium genus is known as the “goosefoots,” and is comprised of some 150 species. Two of these species are Quinoa and its lesser-known cousin, Cañihua. Specialized to grow at high elevations, Cañihua has been a staple crop in the Andean highlands for thousands of years.

Farmers in Peru and Bolivia produce almost all of the Cañihua grown in the world, but exports are minimal. At one time, much of South America, especially along the Andes Mountains, thrived on Quinoa and Cañihua, but the introduction of barley and wheat by Europeans caused a shift in agricultural production.

Still, these new cereal crops are usually difficult to grow at high elevations, as they are sensitive to frost and lack of rainfall, so some communities still rely on Cañihua for food. The plant is sown in the fall and can withstand night frosts, temperatures up to 28°C (82°F), or extended drought.

In addition to its hardiness, Cañihua is notable for the usefulness of the entire plant. Its leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach and the entire plant can be dried and used as feed for livestock. Cañihua seeds contain up to 19 percent protein and are rich in amino acids. The seeds are also free from the high levels of saponins –a potentially toxic substance—that require special treatment in Quinoa. Cañihua seeds are primarily processed by lightly roasting them and then grinding them into flour, called Cañihuaco, which can be used in soups, drinks, breads, or even eaten on its own.

While Cañihua production could be increased to diversify diets, it is hampered by several factors. Its habitat is restricted to high elevation areas and it is not fully domesticated, resulting in inconsistent grain ripening. While this encourages broad genetic diversity, it has made large-scale harvesting very time- and labor-intensive. Nevertheless, Cañihua’s high nutritional value and resiliency could make it a valuable crop for high-altitude regions around the world.

Do you know of other crops that are perfectly suited for a particular region? How can we encourage local communities to grow indigenous crops that will flourish there?

Isaac Hopkins is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project

To read about other indigenous crops, see: Shea: for People and Planet, Eru: Growing Popularity of Cameroon’s Nutritious Wild Vine, Star Apple: Prized Fruit and Timber, and Shalakh Apricot: Protecting a Species’ Diversity, and a Local Culture.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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By Marissa Dwyer

In October, Denmark implemented the world’s first tax that directly targets saturated fat in foods.  Saturated fat, according to the World Health Organization, raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels which can increase the risk of cardio vascular disease. Saturated fat is found in foods from animal sources, such as butter and bacon. Any products which contain more than 2.3 percent saturated fat are subject to the tax. The consumer must pay an additional 16 Danish kroner (US$2.85) per kilogram (or 2.2 pounds) of any food product which has more than 2.3 per cent saturated fat. For example, consumers now have to pay 37 Danish kroner (US$6.50) instead of 34 Danish kroner (US$6) for a pound of cheese.

The Danish pastry: this butter-intensive dessert is one example of the foods that will be taxed under the recently implemented law. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

This tax was passed overwhelmingly by the Danish Parliament this past March. But there are serious concerns by the food industry, particularly organic dairy farmers, who worry about the potential loss in revenue from the tax and believe that the government is unfairly deeming their products unhealthy. According to an article in The Washington Post, the tax could prove to be regressive, putting a heavier burden on lower-income consumers.

Furthermore, the likelihood of the tax to change dietary behavior is debatable. A study conducted by Lisa Powell and Frank Chaloupka of the University of Illinois at Chicago determined that, “Small taxes or subsidies [of unhealthy, energy-dense foods] are not likely to produce significant changes in BMI or obesity prevalence but that nontrivial pricing interventions may have some measurable effects.” Based on these findings, the tax could have little or no effect on food consumption habits in Denmark if it remains at the current rate. An alternative of directly taxing the producers of these food products would not likely lead to a different outcome, since the cost would be passed on to consumers anyway via price increases.

Despite these concerns, this tax has the potential to increase awareness about personal health and ways to improve nutrition. As a recent study by Jason M. Fletcher, David E. Frisvold, and Nathan Tefft in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management shows, taxes which aim to influence consumers’ behaviors regarding what they consume will be more effective when coupled with steps taken to “inform the public about potentially negative health consequences.” By coupling the tax with educational initiatives and methods, it is more likely to generate positive results.

Fletcher, Frisvold, and Tefft also explain that taxes on specific products, like soda, can have little results if the product can be easily substituted, such as with another type of sugary beverage. Therefore, this tax has the potential to improve health in Denmark because it targets an aspect of unhealthy products – levels of saturated fat – as opposed to focusing on one specific product, such as soda.

Other countries in the European Union have recently passed or are considering similar taxes on food in attempts to improve public health. Hungary also recently passed a comprehensive tax aimed at products with high sugar, fat, and salt contents, in addition to soda and alcohol. Revenue from this tax goes directly toward health care costs. France, Britain, and Sweden are also discussing the possibility of implementing similar taxes in the future.

Jesús Serafín Pérez, president of the Brussels-based industry lobby group FoodDrinkEurope, is strongly against these initiatives. Pérez argues that such taxes “only serve to dissuade investment and stifle innovation.” Despite the group’s disdain for these taxes, its Director of Communications, Lisa McCooey, makes an important point in stating that, “Consumer information and education, not tax, is the way to advance consumer understanding of healthy eating.” Regardless of the efficacy of the taxes, increased understanding and education are integral steps to improving public health.

While it is still too early to tell whether or not such taxes will generate positive results, they are significant because they are generating discussion on ways to curb obesity and improve health in various countries. If this tax is complemented with educational initiatives, Denmark has the potential to influence personal decisions on consumption and the overall health of its population. Its success could influence the current debates in other countries, including the United States, Australia, and Britain.

What do you think the outcomes of this tax will be? Should it be adopted by other countries?

Marissa Dwyer is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project.

To purchase your own copy of State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet, please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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Tomorrow, TEDxManhattan will be hosting a panel discussion on steps needed to change the way we eat.

Tune in to hear experts discuss how we can, and should, change the way we eat. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)

The panel will feature president of the board of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and former director of Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Fred Kirschenmann and Senior Advisor at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, David Wallinga, among other experts.

Although the event is already sold out, you can view the livestream here. Click here for more program details.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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At the opening ceremony of the 5th World Future Energy Summit, held in Abu Dhabi on January 16, 2012, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao assured the world that China will stick to a green and sustainable development path. As the highest-ranking Chinese official ever to present at the summit, Wen’s speech delivered a clear message to the world about what China plans to do to secure its future development.

Premier Wen Jiabao gives his speech in Abu Dhabi.

But sustainable actions already being pursued in China provide an even more convincing picture than the premier’s words. In its 12th Five-Year Plan—an overarching guidance framework used in Chinese policymaking—China includes a fairly comprehensive collection of sustainable development goals, among them energy intensity and carbon-emission intensity targets. Because the Five-Year Plan lays out only very general goals and measures, it is up to individual ministries or the State Council, China’s cabinet to sketch out and pursue implementation.

In August 2011, well ahead of the latest United Nations climate change conference in Durban, South Africa, the Chinese government released a Comprehensive Working Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction during the 12th Five–Year Period. Now that the Durban meeting is over and China has committed to engaging in a legally binding framework for emissions reductions post-2020, it will be interesting to see if the country will further raise the bar domestically.

A second document released prior to the outcome of the Durban meeting, the Working Plan to Control Greenhouse Gas Emissions (WPCGGE) during the 12th Five-Year Period, provides a clearer picture of what China plans to achieve domestically on the climate front. And Xie Zhenhua, China’s acting climate envoy, has announced additional climate-related initiatives that can be expected to be put into force this year.

So what does China’s overall sustainable policy framework look like, with so many new initiatives in place? The first thing to keep in mind is that not all of the country’s climate-related policies are focused solely on climate change. In fact, the Chinese government views climate change largely as an unprecedented opportunity to boost its “comprehensive national strength.” Looking at the goals of each climate-related policy, a top priority always appears to be adjusting and improving the country’s sectoral structure.

On the micro-level, China has been keen on shutting down inefficient plants and replacing them with more energy-efficient facilities. On the macro-level, China would like to use climate change to stimulate and nurse a series of so-called “emerging strategic sectors,” which would include new energy, electric vehicles, information technology, bio-breeding, and advanced manufacturing using new materials. In 2012, the government is expected to release its long-awaited National Plans for Emerging Strategic Sectors, which will provide both policy and financial support for those sectors.

Energy conservation has been the focal point of China’s climate policies. During the 12th Five-Year period, the country will put a cap on total energy consumption, complementing its existing target for reducing energy intensity. On January 10, at the National Working Conference on Energy, the government set a 2015 energy consumption target of 4.1 billion tons of coal equivalent (tce). Measured against the 2010 level of 3.25 billion tce, such a cap would require China’s total energy consumption to increase by only 26.2 percent over five years, or 4.7 percent annually, which is remarkable considering domestic energy consumption increased 46.4 percent, or 7.9 percent annually, during 2005–10.

Similar to the energy intensity target, this total energy consumption cap will be broken down and assigned to individual provinces and counties with a hope of pushing local governments to shift their energy-intensive growth patterns. Whether each province or county can meet its energy consumption targets, however, remains a question.

In addition to focusing on sectoral improvements and using top-down measures, the Chinese government is dedicated to mobilizing versatile low-carbon development approaches through pilot projects. Just as China did with “special economic zones” at the beginning of the “reform and open” movement, the government has selected five provinces and eight cities as the initial practitioners of low-carbon development. Each province and city is encouraged to draft locally tailored yet comprehensive plans for medium- and long-term development. Moreover, the government intends to promote low-carbon innovations, targeting special industrial parks, residential communities, and specific products and services, with the goal of gaining more experience with low-carbon practices.

Guangdong Province aims to be the first regional carbon market in China.

Perhaps the most eye-catching measure listed in the WPCGGE is China’s intention to develop a carbon-emission trading system, which may start with voluntary trading and then evolve into a region-based cap-and-trade system. So far, the National Development and Reform Commission has selected two provinces and five municipalities as the pilot emission trading regions. Given the complexity of carbon markets and the lack of supporting mechanisms and institutions, there is no word about when any level of such emission trading systems is expected to be fully functional.

The international community continues to express concern about the credibility of China’s sustainable actions and plans. As I discussed in a previous blog, even the central government faces data and statistical challenges. To Chinese policymakers, a transparent and robust system of data collection, reporting, and verification is necessary not simply to satisfy international scrutiny (a.k.a International Consultation and Analysis, or ICA), but also to meet the domestic outcry for efficient and effective governance. The good news is that the WPCGGE lays out plans to establish a greenhouse gas statistical and verification system, which will coordinate data collected at various industries and at the local and national levels.

If enforced effectively, the initiatives mentioned above would certainly expedite China’s shift to a low-carbon and hence more sustainable growth pattern. Yet there is one more thing that the Chinese government can and should tackle, which is helping other developing countries embark on similar transitions. China has already taken the lead in developing renewable energy and other clean industries and has officially obtained the title of the world’s largest energy consumer and greenhouse gas emitter. The evolving “green China” can and should take responsibility to at least convey its own low-carbon development experience to its developing peers, which in turn will enhance China’s sustainable transition.

The Worldwatch Institute is tasked with exploring this topic in more detail in a soon-to-be-released report. Please stay tuned for more updates.

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The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Tufts University’s Global Development and Environment Institute have released a new report that highlights important policy reforms to resolve the food crisis that has been affecting people since 2007.

According to a new report, although there has been an upsurge in attention towards agricultural development, there is still room for more growth in investments. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)

The report, Resolving the Food Crisis: Assessing Global Policy Reforms Since 2007, is based on a comprehensive assessment of the policies and actions taken since 2007 by four international groups of actors: the UN, the G-20, the World Bank, and international donors. Although there has been an upsurge in attention towards agricultural development, there is still room for more growth in investments. The report authors, Timothy A. Wise and Sophia Murphy, urge policymakers to pay attention to three key issues: reducing financial speculation on commodities markets, halting “land grabs,” and limiting the expansion of crops and land dedicated to biofuels.

Click here to read the full report.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.

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