On a recent edition of BBC Africa Debate, the issue of “the acquisition of millions of hectares of prime of farmland in Africa and the developing world by foreign investors” was subject of a panel discussion hosted by the BBC’s Alex Jakana and Justin Rowlatt that took place in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The debate […]
The release of the film version of the popular novel, “The Hunger Games,” has been preceded by a joint venture between the films stars, producers and two leading food aid organizations; World Food Programme (WFP) and Feed America. The goal of the partnership is to draw attention to global hunger through a special “The Hunger […]
In a recent speech in Rome, Bill Gates addressed the global agriculture community, encouraging a revitalization of the world’s agriculture and food system. Stating that the current system is “outdated and inefficient,” Gates argued that increasing coordination among international food agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), and International […]
Both governments and international food aid agencies are shifting their approach to hunger relief by focusing less on simply increasing the supply of food and instead focusing on nutrition, according to a recent article in The Economist. While the Green Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s attacked the leading problem of its day – an […]
Surging tides from the Indian Ocean, linked in part to climate change, have pushed salt water into Tanzania’s Rufiji Delta, home to the world’s largest mangrove forest and where “more than 90% of households…make their living from rice farming” according to a report from Altertnet by Kizito Makoye. Due to the destruction of rice crops by the […]
Despite an infusion of funding from international donors to dull the effects of an ongoing drought in West Africa’s Sahel region, countries in the region are still in danger. One of these countries, Mauritania, has a perennial problem with locusts that attach crops and is “a country that is three times the size of Arizona […]
Good news: Conditions in Somalia have improved enough for the UN to declare an end to the 8-month famine. Bad news: The food security situation remains perilous for Somalis. The declaration of the end of drought conditions is good news, but it brings the risk that the international community will see it as the end […]
Buffered by a signature Obama administration goal to fight childhood obesity, the final piece of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was implemented on January 25th. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the final set of nutrition standards enacted include: Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week; […]
In Berlin, farm ministers and policy makers criticized the food waste of developed countries and emphasized the importance of nutrition education programs. Every year, consumers in developed countries waste 220 million metric tons of food, while almost one billion people go hungry. These practices not only hurt those affected by hunger, but also those who […]
Last week, Ertharin Cousin was named by the United Nations to replace Josette Sheeran as the head of the World Food Programme (WFP). Cousin currently serves as the U.S. ambassador to UN food agencies based in Rome, which include WFP and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Cousin, described by Reuters as a “a […]
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) plans to encourage climate-smart farming in Malawi, Vietnam, and Zambia, providing these countries with “strategic plans tailored to each country’s own reality.” According to the FAO, “Agriculture policies are the cornerstones for achieving food security and improving livelihoods.” However, current agricultural practices are a problem because they are responsible […]
Hoping to aid in Haiti’s recovery from the January 2010 earthquake, some political leaders and development officials looked at one problem deemed to be a persistent obstacle – overcrowded urban areas. The solution? Redevelopment of Haiti’s agricultural sector as a way of encouraging people to move out of cities, create a market for local food […]
Summary of Global Food Security 2011 The Global Food Security blog’s coverage for 2011 started where 2010 left off, with posts about controversial land grabs in Africa. The recovery of Haiti was strained when even the production of rice, a staple crop, was slowed by fears that it might contribute to a growing cholera outbreak. […]
Aid agencies are sounding the alarm about an impending drought in the countries of the Sahel region of Western Africa, threatening 12 million people with severe malnutrition, including 1 million children. Production of cereals has been hampered by poor rainfall throughout 2011, raising prices of food across the region. The coming crisis is expected to […]
Older Americans are more food insecure, with dramatic increases in age categories ranging from 40 to 49, 50 to 59 and 60 and older. The AARP Foundation’s August 2011 report, “Food Security Among Older Adults,” measured survey responses from older Americans in these three age categories. Respondents were then grouped as marginally food insecure; food […]