May
31
Nourishing the Planet
Agriculture, Biodiversity, Diet, Economy, Farmers, Food, Funding, Health, Income, Infrastructure, Insurance, Investment, Markets, Nutrition, Policy, Subsidies, Sustainable
By Jameson Spivack
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the biggest obstacles in the way of achieving healthier eating in the United States are the current farming laws. In its latest report, “Ensuring the Harvest: Crop Insurance and Credit for a Healthy Farm and Food Future,” UCS recommends reforming policies that make it more difficult for farmers to grow healthy crops like fruits and vegetables.
A new UCS report urges more financial incentives for farmers to grow healthy fruits and vegetables. (Image credit: UCS)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s new dietary guideline, “MyPlate,” states that 50 percent of our diets should be comprised of fruits and vegetables. But Americans don’t consume enough of either—instead, American consumers eat large amounts of refined grains, sugars, meat, and fat. In fact, according to the UCS report, only two percent of U.S. farmland is used to grow fruits and vegetables.
The major reason for this, says the UCS, is because of farm policy. Currently, farmers are financially discouraged from planting healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, and instead opt for subsidized commodity crops like corn and soybeans. These crops mostly end up as inputs for meat production, processed foods, and non-food products. In addition, laws prevent subsidized commodity crop farmers from planting fruits and vegetables, and these laws are supported by large fruit and vegetable producers who wish to keep prices high.
The USDA typically only offers crop insurance to farmers who grow commodity crops. Since there is limited data on “healthy food” crops, it is harder to develop an insurance policy. While there is a pilot program—“whole-farm-revenue insurance,” which offers insurance to farmers growing fruits and vegetables—it is expensive and limited to certain geographical areas.
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May
30
Nourishing the Planet
Agriculture, Cooperatives, CSA, Culture, Diet, Economy, Food, Food safety, Food Security, Infrastructure, Investment, Local, Policy, Safety, Tradition
By Wayne Roberts
Citywatch: Whether it’s action or traction in the food world, cities are stepping up to the plate. The world is fast going urban, as are challenges of social, economic and environmental well-being. Citywatch is crucial to Worldwatch. Wayne Roberts, retired manager of the world-renowned Toronto Food Policy Council, has his eye out for the future of food in the city. Click here to read more from Wayne.
The world is still reeling and shaking from afterthoughts of what happened in March, 2011 when Japan was hit by a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, which exposed how vulnerable all basic institutions have become when Nature acts up—something bound to happen anywhere or anytime in this era of climate change and global transmission of hard-to-treat infectious diseases.
The aftermath of Japan's 2011 earthquake. (Photo credit: CNBC.com)
Lessons from a tsunami are a terrible thing to waste, so last week, the Food Policy Research Initiative based at University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health hosted a symposium of Japanese food and agricultural experts and Toronto public health leaders to survey what others can learn from Japan’s response to the crisis.
Crises can provoke multiple breakdowns in government institutions and practices, keynote speaker Yoko Niiyama of Kyoto University told the crowd, so crisis preparation and management cannot just be about damage control.
The violent earthquake and tsunami killed over 15,000 people and destroyed or damaged some 400,000 buildings in short order, said Niiyama, who has helped design government communication strategies. But the longer-lasting human aftershocks included everything from destruction of prime agricultural land from salted ocean water, to a nuclear horror show and release of radioactive radiation, to widespread mistrust of government information, especially as relates to the safety of the food supply.
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May
29
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Culture, Development, Diet, Farmers, Hunger, Kenya, Reporting, Research, Sustainable
Today, our friend Roger Thurow, senior fellow for Global Agriculture and Food Policy at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, releases his new book, The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change.
The Last Hunger Season, by Roger Thurow, is now on sale. (Image credit: Amazon.com)
The book is an intimate portrait of the lives of four smallholder farmers in western Kenya who are working with One Acre Fund to move from subsistence farming to sustainable farming, from farming to live to farming to make a living.
To order the book, click here or visit www.thelasthungerseason.com.
May
29
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Culture, Development, Economy, Farmers, Funding, Health, HIV/AIDS, Income, Innovation, Investment, Local, Malawi, Mali, Markets, Poverty, Sustainable, Training, Women
By Isaac Hopkins
One of the best ways to encourage economic growth in poor areas is to provide affordable small loans to farmers and small-business owners. Called microcredit or microloans, these programs can inject capital into communities that lack the collateral required by conventional banks.
Ecova Mali’s first microgrant went to Fatoumata Dembele, to buy vegetable seeds for her village. (Photo credit: Ecova Mali)
Today, Nourishing the Planet introduces five innovative microcredit programs that are encouraging economic growth in poor communities.
1. Farmer-to-Farmer Programs: Microcredit programs tend to be most sustainable when they promote cooperation between residents of a community. Encouraging farmer-to-farmer support can be an effective technique because it allows participants to be less reliant on outside financing and guidance.
Farmer-to-Farmer Programs in Action: When Africa’s Sustainable Development Council (ASUDEC) connects farmers with microcredit loans, the recipients have several expectations placed upon them. ASUDEC requires farmers to not only pay back the loans, but also to offer equally affordable loans to their neighbors. This policy generates a ripple effect, helping communities increase their incomes and fund their own progress, rather than relying on ASUDEC. As the trust and cooperation between farmers builds, it “helps the poor transition from subsistence to entrepreneurship,” says ASUDEC’S Director, Dr. Salibo Some.
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May
28
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, agroforestry, Diet, Drought, Environment, Food, Food Security, Health, Hunger, Indigenous, Indigenous Vegetables, Nutrition, Trees, Women
By Philip Newell
Senna obtusifolia (or Cassia obtusifolia) is a hardy and indigenous leafy vegetable (ILV) that grows in the Sahel. To better understand it, The International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Africa (ICRISAT) studied the plant to determine the best planting density and preparation techniques, as well as its potential cultivation among Acacia trees.
ICRISAT is helping farmers perfect indigenous crops on less-than-ideal soil. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)
ICRISAT’s research found that this protein-rich vegetable, which is used as a meat substitute, grows well at a high density. Using three different planting densities (.5x.5m, .5 x 1m and 1x1m), they found that the highest density resulted in the highest per-acre harvest weight – meaning that it is not highly competitive for water or nutrients. Generally the plant is grown by women around the edges of maize or millet fields. According to ICRISAT, concentrated, intentional planting can result in a significant harvest during the “hunger period.” This period is the months, generally June-October, when farmers have exhausted their store of grain and money, leading to the threat of starvation.
While it is common to collect wild Senna obtusifolia during the hunger period, the cultivation of this crop is not widespread. The leafy quality of the plant means that harvests can be small and ongoing, leaving the plant to continually grow new leaves. While women may sow this crop along the edges of the field or in other marginal land, the scaling up of production is seen as a potential way to increase food security at a low cost.
The study also looked into the nutritional effects of the traditional cooking method for Senna obtusifolia. They found that the traditional three-hour boil serves to not only reduce the pungent odor of the leaves, but also increased the concentration of lignin and did not adversely affect the other nutrient concentrations.
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May
27
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Culture, Diet, Economy, Food, Food Security, Food Sovereignty, Health, Hunger, Infrastructure, Innovation, Kenya, Local, Nutrition, Senegal, sub-Saharan Africa
By Graham Salinger
With more people living in cities than ever before—the United Nations projects that up to 65 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050—cities are relying on a number of innovations to boost food security. Meanwhile, the price of food in urban areas remains higher than that of rural areas. With food purchases taking up to 80 percent of a typical urban family’s income, the need for sustainable urban agriculture is clear. In the wake of recent shocks to food prices and the current economic downturns, urban dwellers are finding it harder and harder to find affordable, healthy food.
A patron purchases some fresh fruit from a Fruixi cart. (Photo credit: fruixi.com)
In Montreal, Canada, a pilot program is underway to bring healthy vegetables and fruits to downtown residents. This summer, small carts called Fruixi are delivering locally grown produce to people who lack access to grocery stores. The carts, which are mounted on three-wheeled bikes, were developed by Université de Montréal student Guillaume Darnajou. Six of the Fruixi carts deliver food to parks in Ville-Marie and Plateau Mont-Royal, areas in which residents may otherwise not be able to get fresh fruits and vegetables. The carts will also visit three hospitals – Hôtel-Dieu, Saint-Luc and Notre-Dame.
This innovation underscores the role that increased vegetable production should play in food security. Vitamin-rich vegetables are an important part of a diet, especially for the undernourished. They are also easier to produce than staple crops. Small-scale farmers can also make more money growing vegetables than other crops, demonstrating that local food movements, like the ones encouraged by the Fruixis program, also help to stimulate local economies.
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May
26
Nourishing the Planet
Uncategorized
This week, we highlighted “The Last Farmer,” a documentary that explores how small-scale farmers are suffering from poverty as a result of globalization and the growing shift towards industrial agriculture. Directed by Giuliano Girelli, the documentary follows three farmers and their families in Indonesia, Guatemala, and Burkina Faso throughout their day.
(Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)
We also discussed an infographic by the International Food Policy Research Institute, which analyzes the 2007-2008 global food crisis. The food crisis caused a substantial rise in the cost of food, especially staple foods such as rice, wheat, and corn. This rise in price had a devastating effect on hungry people in the developing world. On one hand, there were policies that made the crisis worse, while, on the other hand, there were policies that helped to combat the crisis.
On Wednesday, The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) hosted a live webinar discussing food waste and how to reduce it. To read more about food waste and the webinar, click here.
And we discussed a new USAID project, Permaculture Design for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, which focuses on providing long-term food security solutions to orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) that are coping with the challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Unlike most feeding programs that rely heavily on international donors, this USAID permaculture initiative is an innovation that can help maximize local reliance, ensure sustainability, and – internally– meet many of the food, shelter, and energy needs of participating communities for the long run.
Our Innovation of the Week post highlighted The McGill Food Systems Project at McGill University in Quebec, Canada. The project, which began in 2009, engages students in the food system process by supporting student-led applied research that helps the University establish best practices for purchasing sustainable food.
And in this post, we interviewed Joan VanWassenhove, Assistant Coordinator for Nutrition in Haiti at Partners in Health, a health care organization that fights poverty by providing education, medical care, and employment in disadvantaged communities worldwide. Joan discussed her experience in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, what changes she has seen in the field of public health over the last decade, and what she hopes Haiti can achieve as it rebuilds.
We received some exciting news coverage this past week. The Press & Sun-Bulletin of Binghamton, New York, as well as The Birmingham News of Alabama, published our article on how to rebuild the broken global food system. And The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition’s new book, Eating Planet—Nutrition Today: A Challenge for Mankind and for the Planet, was reviewed in The Guardian.
Now it’s your turn: What were your favorite posts from the week? What do you hope we’ll write about next week? Let us know in the comments!
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.
May
25
Nourishing the Planet
Culture, Diet, Food, Health, Hunger, Nutrition, Policy, Research, Sustainable
Check out this column on the Guardian’s website, reviewing the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition’s new book, Eating Planet—Nutrition Today: A Challenge for Mankind and for the Planet.
The Guardian describes Eating Planet as a “useful resource that focuses on important issues confronting humanity: food production and availability…from what I’ve seen, it’s well-written, is filled with colour photographs and lovely colour diagrammes, tables and charts, and lots of interesting (and concerning!) information.”
Click here to read the full article.
To purchase Eating Planet from Amazon.com or iTunes, click here.
May
25
Nourishing the Planet
Culture, Development, Diet, disease, Disease Prevention, Economy, Extension, Health, HIV/AIDS, Hunger, Hygiene, Infrastructure, Nutrition, Poverty, Sanitation, Sustainable, Training, Vaccine
By Laura Reynolds
Name: Joan VanWassenhove
Affiliation: Partners in Health
Partners in Health delivers health care, education, and employment to impoverished communities. (Photo credit: PIH.org)
Bio: Joan VanWassenhove is the Assistant Coordinator for Nutrition in Haiti at Partners in Health (PIH), a health care organization that fights poverty by providing education, medical care, and employment in disadvantaged communities worldwide. VanWassenhove holds a dual Masters in International Affairs and Public Health at Columbia University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
What inspired you to become involved in global health and development?
In 2007 I was doing graduate work at Columbia University, studying international affairs and public health,and I interned at Partners in Health during that summer. I never really saw myself working in the medical field because I had no plans to go to medical school, but while I was interning I saw how broad PIH’s approach to health care and poverty alleviation was, and I wanted to stay involved.
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May
24
Nourishing the Planet
Conservation, Culture, Diet, Farmers, Food, Innovation, Local, Nutrition, organic, Research, School, Sustainable, Transportation, Youth
By Graham Salinger
In 2009, the average distance that a granny smith apple traveled to get to McGill University in Quebec, Canada, was nearly 3,542 miles. Meanwhile, the dining halls serve approximately 2,500 meals a day. While students may not know where their food comes from, a 2009-2010 survey that was conducted by McGill’s Food and Dining Services, revealed that 80 percent of students believe environmental practices are important to food systems.
The McGill Food Systems Project implements student-led research into sustainable food options. (Photo credit: www.McGill.ca)
In an effort to increase the amount of food that is sourced locally, students at McGill University established The McGill Food Systems Project (MFSP). The project, which began in 2009, engages students in the food system process by supporting student-led applied research that helps the University establish best practices for purchasing sustainable food. Collaborating with professors, the McGill Food and Dining Services, and the McGill Office of Sustainability, students conduct research and implement projects that help inform the University about the source of its food.
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May
23
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Burkina Faso, Culture, Development, Economy, Farmers, Poverty, Seeds, Soil, Sustainable, Technology
By Leah Baines
Throughout the world, agriculture from small farmers provides food for 70 percent of the population, while industrial agriculture only supplies 30 percent. But, ironically, most of the 2.8 million people living in poverty around the world are farmers. The documentary “The Last Farmer” highlights how small-scale farmers are suffering from poverty as a result of globalization and the growing shift towards industrial agriculture.
"The Last Farmer" highlights the lives of small-scale farmers in developing countries. (Image credit: "The Last Farmer")
Directed by Giuliano Girelli, the documentary follows three farmers and their families in Indonesia, Guatemala, and Burkina Faso throughout their day. It draws attention to the struggles they face from lack of agricultural diversity, diminishing soil fertility, food insecurity, and decreasing incomes. The video also includes commentary from experts about the effects of globalization all over the world.
“Agriculture [has] the word culture in there, right? It’s actually doing something in a cultural way,” said Hira Jhamtani, an environmental activist in Indonesia. “But we have made it into an industry…the multinational companies are taking over the role of small farmers. Everywhere…whether it’s Europe, whether it’s in the US or whether it’s in Indonesia, family farmers are being displaced by big companies.”
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May
22
Nourishing the Planet
Culture, Events, Food, Health, Safety, Sanitation, Storage, Sustainable, Waste
By Arielle Golden
On May 23rd, 2012 at 5 PM CET [11 AM EST], The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) will hold a live webinar discussing food waste.
The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition will host a webinar on food waste on Wednesday. (Image credit: BCFN)
More than 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year worldwide. At the same time more than a billion people do not have enough food. Food waste happens at every step in the food chain and and impacts food security, the economy, and the environment.
Speakers in the webinar include Andrea Segrè, Chairman of Last Minute Market and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bologna; Tristram Stuart, writer and activist, winner of the international environmental award, the Sophie Prize 2011, for his fight against food waste, and author of State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet; and Jean Schwab, head of the National Food Recovery Initiative run by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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May
22
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, agroforestry, Biodiversity, Culture, Development, disease, Education, Food, Food Security, HIV/AIDS, Innovation, Malawi, Permaculture, Training, Youth
By Stephanie Buglione
Nearly one quarter of children in the developing world are underweight, and one third are experiencing stunted growth, according to a UNICEF report. In addition, many of these children have a family member, or are themselves, afflicted with HIV/AIDS.
Jacob, a student in Malawi, explaining permaculture to other boys. (Photo credit: NeverEndingFood.org)
According to the Joint U.N Programme on HIV/AIDS, worldwide, 16.6 million children aged 0 to 17 have lost parents due to HIV. Families afflicted with HIV have less help harvesting and planting crops or selling them at the market. Additionally, when a parent dies prematurely, their children are denied their generational agricultural knowledge and skills. But this missing information, and other lessons on ethics, patience, and responsibility, can be taught in schools through the use of permaculture.
A new USAID project, Permaculture Design for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, is focused on providing long-term food security solutions to orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) that are coping with the challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Permaculture is their means to achieving this food security.
Kristof Nordin is one of the co-authors of this initiative. He and his wife, Stacia, a registered dietician and previous School Health and Nutrition Advisor for the Malawi Ministry of Education, live in a home outside of Lilongwe, Malawi. On their land, they have been demonstrating permaculture practices for several years to help educate the community about indigenous vegetables and to reduce the cultural fixation on monocropping.
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May
21
Nourishing the Planet
Agriculture, Development, Economy, Farmers, Food, Food Security, Funding, Hunger, Income, Infrastructure, Investment, Land, Markets, Nutrition, Policy, Poverty, Subsidies, Trade
By Jameson Spivack
The world food crisis of 2007-2008 caused a substantial rise in the cost of food, especially staple foods such as rice, wheat, and corn. This rise in price had a devastating effect on hungry people in the developing world.
When food prices rise, poor people in developing countries are hurt the most. (Image source: IFPRI)
Between 2005 and 2011, world prices for rice, wheat, and maize rose 102 percent, 115 percent, and 204 percent, respectively, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). With price increases, people with less disposable income must spend a larger percentage of their earnings on essential staple grains, and less on other food and non-food items. This can have a significant impact on nutrition.
In seven Latin American countries, this increase in price led to an average 8 percent decrease in the amount of calories consumed. Before the crisis, 35 percent of households in Ecuador received an adequate amount of calories; afterwards, only 22 percent were receiving healthy levels of calories. In developing countries, if prices rise 50 percent across the board, and there is no rise in income, iron intake will decrease by 30 percent, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). In the Philippines, this 30 percent decrease in iron consumption would mean that only 5 percent of women have adequate levels of iron.
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May
20
Nourishing the Planet
Uncategorized
On Friday, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs hosted its Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security in Washington, D.C. President Barack Obama, with G8 and African leaders, businesses, international organizations, and civil society—including the musician and activist Bono—discussed new activities to advance global agricultural development and food and nutrition security in Africa. Nourishing the Planet covered the event in a series of live blogs; check them out here: Notes on the “Improving Nutrition” Panel, Obama Calls for an End to “the Injustice of Chronic Hunger” at Chicago Council Symposium, Chicago Council Symposium: The New Way of Aid, and Chicago Council: Business and Innovation in Agriculture.
(Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)
The Washington Post published an editorial this week highlighting President Barack Obama’s agricultural development strategy, termed The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which he unveiled at the Chicago Council Symposium.
We also highlighted domestic efforts to reduce hunger this week. In this post, we profile Halfsies, a social initiative that offers restaurant-goers the option of ordering half of a normal portion, with the remaining value of the dish being put to better use. Americans waste 50 percent more food today than in 1974. At the same time, portion sizes have grown considerably, 66 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, and more than 50 million Americans are hungry.
Further highlights from this past week:
In this post, we discussed a TED Talk by Jonathan Foley, Director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, about agriculture as “the other inconvenient truth.” In his talk, Foley argues that agriculture is in fact the “single most powerful force unleashed on this planet since the end of the Ice Age.” Today, we devote 16 million square kilometers – an area the size of South America – to croplands, and 30 million square kilometers – an area the size of Africa – to pasture for livestock.
Our Innovation of the Week post highlighted the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass (KYF2). The KYF2 Compass is an online multimedia tool designed to help consumers, farmers, ranchers, and communities navigate the many relevant USDA-supported local food projects, and to learn more about local and regional food systems. Both the KYF2 Initiative and Compass are responses to the rapid growth of local and regional food systems in the United States.
And in this post we celebrate Nourishing the Planet Advisory Group Member Brother Dave Andrews, who received the prestigious Distinguished Service to Rural Life Award for his commitment to enhancing the life of rural people. Andrews has worked for over 30 years on sustainable development, food and water issues, and public policy, both nationally and internationally, and has a long-standing commitment to bettering the spiritual, social, and economic lives of rural people. The award is the highest honor given by the Rural Sociology Society.
Now it’s your turn: What were your favorite posts from the week? What do you hope we’ll write about next week? Let us know in the comments!
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.
May
19
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Children, Conservation, Culture, Development, Drought, Farmers, Food Security, Funding, Hunger, Income, Indigenous, Innovation, Investment, Irrigation, Local, Niger, Nutrition, Poverty, School, Sudan, Sustainable, Water
By Graham Salinger
In the mountainous rural communities of Bolivia, thousands of children receive food through a school feeding program implemented by Samaritan Purse. Samaritan Purse is a faith-based organization that has been working since 1970 to support communities impacted by natural disaster, war, disease, and famine. Through food security programs, Samaritan Purse works to bring nutritious food to impoverished communities while helping them develop economically sustainable agricultural practices.
Samaritan Purse programs help people in regions suffering from food crises. (Photo credit: Samaritan Purse)
In Bolivia, where 23 percent of the population is undernourished, the school feeding program delivers food to72 rural schools while helping farmers who struggle to grow crops. Many children, up to 30 percent in the Chucananqu region, do not have access to milk, eggs, or meat. Through the school feeding program, which purchases food from local businesses, 28,000 children under the age of 14 receive food that is high in protein, fiber, and essential vitamins.
Two of the businesses that supply food for the program were set up by Samaritan Purse. The Andean Grains Processing Center processes local crops that are brought in by local families and then purchased for the feeding program. Samaritan Purse also built a meat processing center that helps local herders sell their food. The Samaritan Purse also trains parents to prepare healthy meals for their children. Through this initiative they created a cookbook with recipes using local food. Samaritan Purse also helps parents track their children’s nutritional health by training more than 580 local volunteers to record the children’s height and weight every month.
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May
18
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Children, Development, Economy, Events, Farmers, Food Security, Funding, Hunger, Income, Infrastructure, Investment, Markets, Nutrition, Policy, Poverty, Subsidies, Sustainable, Women, Youth
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ annual symposium, Advancing Food and Nutrition Security at the 2012 G8 Summit, was underway today. Follow the discussion on Twitter with @globalagdev #globalag
The Chicago Council Symposium outlined important next steps for global agricultural development. (Photo credit: FAO)
The symposium’s afternoon sessions more specifically addressed the roles that business and innovation will be required to play in agricultural development. “[It is] the end of the era of the handout,” said Josette Sheeran, former head of the UN WFP and current Vice-Chairman of the World Economic Forum. “But the era of hand up is also dated and we’re in the era of the handshake.” According to the World Bank, 78 percent of African countries made regulatory reforms that make it easier to conduct business in their country in the past year. Connecting African farmers with partners on all levels of the value chain is key for the future of agricultural growth.
Attracting more youth to the field of agriculture was also heavily discussed. When asked what is the most important thing he’d like to see changed, Berry Marttin, Executive Board member, Rabobank, said, “That farming becomes attractive to young people.” This is an important idea given, that 65 percent of Africans are under the age of 25. Jeff Simmons, President Elanco Animal Health, agreed, saying, “We can’t have people moving away from rural areas with all of the opportunity in the next 50 years, we need to unlock the heart of the next generation—especially those who feel convicted to work in the fight against hunger.”
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May
18
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Climate Change, Culture, Development, Diet, Economy, Farmers, Food, Food Security, Funding, Hunger, Income, Investment, Land, Markets, Nutrition, Policy, Poverty, Soil, Subsidies, Sustainable, Trade, Women
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ annual symposium, Advancing Food and Nutrition Security at the 2012 G8 Summit, is underway this morning. Tune in to the livestream here and follow the discussion on Twitter with @globalagdev #globalag
Musician Bono, governmental leaders, and corporate CEOs discussed the new era of agricultural development. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)
The development landscape is changing, and private and public leaders each have a vision for how the development landscape should change. Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for the Department for International Development (DFID), said that Africa’s major challenges will be a rapidly growing population, an increasing demand for food products, and climate change. He said that business as usual will not be enough and that the recently announced New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition will not business as usual.
Ellen Kullman, CEO of DuPont, and Strive Masiyiwa, acting Chairman of the Board Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), both stressed the importance of connecting with the smallholder farmer and finding out what their needs are. Masiyiwa said, “If we are going to help the smallholder farmers, most of whom are women, we must listen to them.” Kullman said that everyone describes food security differently, but that there are a few fundamentals: it must be local, the know-how must be local, and it has to be sustainable—in how it gets to market and how it gets to people’s plates.
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May
18
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Farmers, Food, Food Security, Hunger, Income, Investment, Technology, Trade
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ annual symposium, Advancing Food and Nutrition Security at the 2012 G8 Summit, is underway this morning. Tune in to the livestream here and follow the discussion on Twitter with @globalagdev #globalag
President Obama addressed the Chicago Council Symposium this morning. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack)
President Barack Obama just delivered the keynote address, calling for G8 leaders to focus on the “injustice of chronic hunger” in the midst of world economic issues and austerity measures. He called for leaders to mobilize the $22 billion that was committed at the launch of L’Aquila in 2009 (of which only 22 percent has been delivered), continue GAFSP, and to mobilize more private capital into agriculture. He said our goal is to make emergency aid less and less relevant—that is how development is supposed to work.
To kick off this effort, Obama announced that 45 companies (both multinationals and African firms) have pledged $3 billion to fast track new agricultural projects that will reach those in need quicker. African agriculture will experience hugh leaps through the development of better seeds and better storage. Cell phone data is now being used to educate farmers about when to plant, harvest, and sell their products. A single bad season or change in season should not plunge a family into poverty. Obama reiterated a common theme we’ve been hearing today: that focus needs to be placed on nutrition—especially in children. It is the smart thing to do, improves a child’s potential, and lowers healthcare costs.
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May
18
Nourishing the Planet
Africa, Agriculture, Investment
The Washington Post published an editorial this morning supporting the G8′s plan to increase investment in global agricultural development.
A Washington Post editorial highlights the G8's plan for increased agricultural development. (Image credit: WashingtonPost.com)
In advance of the 2012 Group of Eight summit of industrialized nations at Camp David, President Obama is to announce a joint effort to lift 50 million people in the region out of extreme poverty within 10 years. The innovative strategy behind the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is to foster political reform as a means of encouraging increased private investment in agriculture. The investment is not targeted at large-scale corporate production but aims to enable smaller-scale farmers to increase output, primarily for their own consumption but also for sale.
To read the full article, click here.
