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| Picture Credit: UN Photo/Gill Fickling |
GPF Perspectives l UN Documents | Articles l Archived Articles
GPF Perspectives
A New Era of World Hunger? – The Global Food Crisis Analyzed (July 2008)
Causes and Strategies on World Hunger: Green Revolution versus Sustainable Agriculture (May 2008)
Are We Approaching a Global Food Crisis? (March 3, 2008)
UN Documents
Agroecology and the Right to Food (March 2011)
Fish Consumption Reaches All-Time High (January 31, 2011)
"From Food Security to the Right to Food" - UN Expert Highlights China's Next Steps (December 23, 2010)
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, commends China's remarkable social and economic progress over the past three decades. China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. However, there are problems which including climate change, the shrinking of arable land and land degradation, which threaten agricultural production. De Schutter recommends that China move towards a more sustainable farming system to maintain current levels of production.
Addressing Concentration in Food Supply Chains (December 2010)
Agriculture at the Crossroads: Guaranteeing Food Security in a Changing Global Climate (December 2010)
The UN Conference on Trade and Development has released a Policy Brief outlining the impact of climate change on agriculture. For many developing countries, the agricultural sector is extremely important. Even though a climate change can have serious detrimental consequences for food security, the agricultural sector can be part of a solution to mitigate negative effects. This brief asserts the need for a significant shift from conventional methods, to sustainable food production systems that improve the productivity of small-scale farmers. (UNCTAD)
The State of Food and Agriculture (2010)
FAO's annual flagship publication, "The State of Food and Agriculture" provides scientific assessment of the current issues in the food and agriculture debate. This year's report draws attention to the rapid expansion of the livestock sector - driven by population growth, urbanization and rising affluence. It emphasizes the need for broader rural development policies and increased governance of the livestock sector, to ensure its impact on the environment is limited. (FAO)
The Environmental Food Crisis (2009)
Food Security and Agricultural Mitigation in Developing Countries (November 2009)
UN Expert Raises Concern over Policies Marginalizing Traditional Seed Varieties (October 21, 2009)
World Food Summit Declaration: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy (June 5, 2008)
Crop Prospects and Food Situation (February 2008)
Articles and Documents
2014
US family farmers criticise TAFTA (June 13, 2014)
The USA’s National Family Farm Coalition warnes that food safety as well as farmers’ livelihoods could be under threat if plans for a Transatlantic Free Trade Area were to materialise. The National Family Farm Coalition was among a wide range of civil society groups protesting against a Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) in Arlington, USA, in May. One of the chief aspects of transatlantic negotiations is the mutual recognition by the USA and the EU of rules and regulations on trade and investment. Here, the focus is not so much on tariff barriers, but on what the US government refers to as “behind the border” policies such as health, environmental and financial protection. Eliminating these “trade irritants”, as they have been called by multinational corporations, is referred to as a “reduction of non-tariff barriers” in the on-going EU-US talks. (Rural21)
2013
ETC Group and EcoNexus have issued reports surrounding the corporate control that is entrenched in the global food chain. The reports delve in to the dominance of the agricultural sector particularly in the industrial farm inputs such as animal feed production, livestock breeding, fertilizers/pesticides and seed production amongst others. Their findings show the devastation that these monopolies are causing to local farmers as their local breeds and food crop varieties have been lost.
Reforming the G8's public–private partnership on agriculture and food security (September 26, 2013)
The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, launched at the G8 summit in 2012, promises to reduce poverty for 50 million people over the next ten years by increasing private investment and agriculture-led growth in selected African countries. One year after the initiative’s launch, evidence provided by a new Oxfam Briefing note about its implementation presents a worrying picture of its performance so far. (Oxfam)
Alternatives to Food Import Dependency (August 1, 2013)
There is a vast number of proposals, strategies and initiatives how to improve food security and agricultural production. Suspiciously, one aspect is missing in these debates: Could import restrictions help to stimulate agricultural production and benefit small-scale farming families? What are the preconditions for a rational and "smart" implementation of trade regulation to achieve these objectives? These questions are taken up by Uwe Hoering in his report "Alternatives to Food Import Dependency" which he wrote for FDCL, a research and documentation institute working on Chile and Latin America. (FDCL)
EU Financial Regulations Fail to Curb Food Speculation (June 28, 2013)
A coalition of NGOs, including Friends of the Earth Europe, Oxfam, the World Development Movement and SOMO have criticized the position EU finance ministers display with regard to financial regulation. They say the EU ignores how financial institutions continue to engage in food speculation, which endangers food security. New regulations are due to be adopted by 2014. (SOMO)
EU Agricultural Reform Misses Opportunity (June 27, 2013)
Two German NGOs, Brot für die Welt and WWF Germany, criticize the recent agreement on the reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, which provides massive subsidies to large agricultural producers in EU countries. Not only does the reform miss the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in terms of environmental protection, but it also ignores export subsidies, which are a crucial issue for farmers in the global South. (Brot für die Welt, WWF Germany)
A coalition of British NGOs as well as the German NGO Misereor have emphasized that African civil society organizations reject the "G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition", according to statements that both groups published. Last weekend, the so-called "Nutrition for Growth" summit was held in London in anticipation of the G8 meeting this month in Northern Ireland. African civil society organizations reject the G8 approach and call into question its legitimacy in terms of deciding about African food security. (World Development Movement, Misereor)
Fourth Largest German Bank Backs Out of Food Speculation (May 13, 2013)
Germany's fourth largest bank, DZ Bank, and its subsidiary Union Investment, have announced that they will no longer engage in speculation with agricultural commodities, according to the NGO foodwatch. DZ Bank confirmed this through a letter sent to foodwatch. DZ Bank is the latest of a number of institutes which have announced their decision to stop the process of food speculation. (Foodwatch)
Drought and a growing population have put a strain on food security in Kenya. In response, the Kenyan government is encouraging rice farmers to adopt an agricultural technique called System of Rice Intensification (SRI), which is widely used in India. The method allows farmers to grow their crops with limited water, whilst producing greater yields. Rice is a staple part of the Kenyan diet, but production in the country does not match demand and it relies heavily on imports from countries in Asia. The rice intensification program aims to make Kenya more self-sufficient, particularly in the face of climate change.
FAO Director-General Praises Trend toward Small-Scale Local Food Production (March 25, 2013)
FAO Director-General Jose Graziono da Silva cites small-scale food production and the recovery of agricultural biodiversity as the path towards increasing food security, particularly in rural areas. At a visit to the University of Gastronomic Sciences, he criticised the Green Revolution of the 1960s for its environmental destruction and detrimental impact on crop varieties that resulted from the heavy weight placed on chemical agrarian methods. He noted the need to “recover traditional crops, support local production and link them to markets, allowing for an increase in their income”. He highlighted the role of crops such as quinoa in the struggle against hunger, referencing the UN’s International Year of Quinoa. Although da Silva’s emphasis on agricultural and food diversity and “rediscovering different foods” is important, it ignores issues related to land grabbing and climate change. (FAO)
Mars, Mondelez, Nestle Are Leaving Women Farmers Behind (March 8, 2013)
Oxfam criticizes Mars, Mondelez and Nestle for their unequal treatment of women. Research into the ethical standards of their supply chain has revealed that female cocoa farmers in the global south often face discrimination. Even though women are crucial in the production system, they often receive unequal pay and are frequently denied access to land, credit, trainings and tools. On International Women’s Day, Oxfam campaigned to encourage the companies to address these issues and urged them to take steps to make their products more sustainable. (Oxfam Press Release)
The Local Food Revolution in Brazil's Schools (March 1, 2013)
Brazil has introduced new initiatives to encourage sustainability and nutrition in the country by promoting the use of locally sourced produce in school meals. The program aims to support the production and consumption of quality food from small-scale farmers and increase their visibility in the local market. The government hopes that it will stimulate economic development, nutrition and food sovereignty in the country. The initiative follows on from the National School Feeding Program which was launched in 1955 as a social assistance program to tackle hunger problems. Today the focus is on creating a local food procurement system and on encouraging transparency and accountability in the school meal program. (Al Jazeera)
Oxfam’s “Behind the Brands” report assesses the ethical behavior of the top 10 food brands. The charity has rated companies such as Nestlé, Mars and Coco-Cola in terms of their conduct towards women’s rights; land and water use; climate change; local communities; small hold farmers and workers’ rights. The report reveals that these companies, which dominate the food market and collectively make over $1 billion a day, are not meeting ethical standards. Associated British Foods (ABF), owner of brands including Kingsmill, Ovaltine and Silverspoon got the lowest score with just 13 out of 70. It scored a poor one out of ten in its treatment of land, women and climate change. Oxfam hope to put pressure on these companies to re-examine how their activities encroach on human rights and the environment. However, the charity is calling on consumers rather than governments to push for this change. (Guardian)
The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food (February 20, 2013)
This article explores how the junk food industry drives the public to over-consume and become addicted to processed food. Colossal amounts of research, money and engineering go into the process of discovering how they can “drive more ounces into more bodies more often.” As well as overloading their products with sugar and salt to encourage addiction, they also create products that are intentionally bland in flavor and that melt when eaten to trick the brain into thinking that it hasn’t consumed any calories, causing the consumer to eat and crave more. They target sections of the population that would be more susceptible to marketing and addiction. Coca-Cola for example, which refers to its biggest consumers as “heavy users,” has big campaigns in poorer and more vulnerable areas such as New Orleans. Transnational companies such as Kraft, Coca-Cola and Nestlé disregard the health dangers of their items, often excusing their behavior by claiming that it is a matter of supply and demand. (New York Times)
As part of the UN initiative Think.Eat.Save, ministers and high-level officials gathered in Nairobi recently to dine on food that would have otherwise been discarded for not meeting EU food aesthetic standards. The event was designed to raise awareness of the campaign which aims to reduce global food waste by changing consumer and retailer attitudes towards food. 1.6 tonnes of food was gathered from Kenyan farms that had been deemed unfit for sale in Europe and served at the dinner. Tristram Stuart, founder of Feeding the 5000, a partner organization to Think.Eat.Save notes that “It’s a scandal that so much food is wasted in a country with millions of hungry people.” However, this food is not being farmed to feed the millions of people who suffer from food shortages in Kenya; it is intended for export to the EU. The campaign doesn’t address the fact that the UK and other EU countries are growing their food in Africa to begin with, a key issue within the modern food system. (UN Press Release)
India's Rice Revolution (February 16, 2013)
In the village of Darvesphura, in India’s poorest state, farmers are growing record-breaking amounts of rice, without the help of GMOs or herbicides. The increase in yield is a direct result of a farming method called System of Rice Intensification (SRI), which was developed by Henri de Laulanie, a French Jesuit priest and agronomist in Madagascar in the 1980s. An American Professor, Norman Uphoff, circulated the method in Asia which has helped to lift many people out of poverty. It has been described as a “new green grassroots revolution,” wholly opposite to the “green revolution” of the 1960s which relied heavily on technology and pesticides. Westerns governments, however, are holding back from investing in the method, preferring to finance technological research. (Guardian)
The UN has designated 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa and has high hopes for its role in the fight against world hunger. The crop is becoming increasingly popular, with health enthusiasts heralding it as a “super-food”; however, the question surrounding this popularity’s impact on quinoa growers in the Andes is also topical, and contentious. Critics claim that the mounting demand for the super-grain increases its price and makes it inaccessible to poor Bolivians who rely heavily on it for nutrients. Others, including the UN, argue that the farmers are benefiting economically from the high demand for the crop. In either case, the responsibility is placed on the consumer: to boycott its sale or to increase it. This article argues that it is not consumer habits that are affecting the lives of the farmers; it is rather the system behind production that really calls for change. Cheap US wheat products saturate the Bolivian market, undermining the local food market and making it difficult for local farmers to compete. Furthermore, the farming of the crop is having harmful effects on the land and ecosystems as the government pushes for the mechanization of the production system. (Common Dreams)
Profits and Pandemics: Prevention of Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Ultra-Processed Food and Drink Industries (February 12, 2013)
The medical journal "The Lancet" has published a series of articles on non-communicable diseases and their role in the Post-2015 debate. This particular article looks at transnational food and drink corporations as drivers of NCDs. It examines their political behavior and how they work to undermine health regulations, drawing a close comparison to the tobacco and alcohol industries. Each year there are more than 9.4 million deaths caused by high blood pressure, 3.4 million from high body-mass index and 2 million from high cholesterol, much of which could be ascribed to the consumption of processed foods and drinks. Despite these health dangers, transnational companies such as Nestle and Coco-Cola have a big influence on public policies designed to fight NCDs and have a powerful position in the global market, in particular in low and middle income countries. The Lancet NCD Action Group calls on governments and civil society to work to protect public health and regulate the actions of these industries. (The Lancet)
Bhutan Set to Plough Lone Furrow as World's First Wholly Organic Country (February 11, 2013)
Bhutan is banning the sale of pesticides and herbicides and promoting traditional agricultural methods to become the world’s first wholly organic country. The government hopes this move will help the nation of small-hold farmers to produce more food and increase exports. The Buddhist country is leading the way in sustainable development, it is carbon neutral, food secure and 95% of the population has clean water and electricity. However, it is also suffering from the effects of globalization, consumerism and climate change. Many Bhutanese are reluctant to pursue an agrarian livelihood and are migrating to neighboring countries. Unpredictable weather has affected farmers’ harvests and growing numbers have come to rely on chemicals to improve their yield. Despite these set-backs, the government is confident that Bhutan will succeed in being agriculturally organic and as a Buddhist country, see this step as both practically and philosophically valuable. (Guardian)Genetically Engineered Meat, Coming Soon to a Supermarket Near You (February 11, 2013)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has plans to approve the “AquAdvantage Salmon,” the first-ever genetically engineered animal. It is being evaluated through the FDA’s “New Animal Drug Approval” (NADA), a procedure intended to assess new animal drugs, not genetically engineered animals. As a drug is inserted at the one-cell stage of development, the animal is considered as a drug and is thus not required to be analyzed in reference to human health, animal welfare or environmental impacts. If this approval goes ahead, the GE meat process is likely to become concealed from consumers and as Friends of the Earth notes, FDA’s approval “will open the floodgates for other genetically engineered animals, including pigs and cows, to enter the food supply.” (Common Dreams)Almost Half of the World's Food Thrown Away, Report Finds (January 10, 2013)
2012
Does the Future of Farming in Africa Lie In the Private Sector? (November 23, 2012)
Q&A: Food Production Accounts for 29 Percent of Greenhouse Gases (October 31, 2012)
Food production represents 29 percent of the greenhouse gases that are causing global warming. Two reports released in Copenhagen by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) confirmed this. A Q&A with the authors of these reports revealed that the emissions footprint of food production involves the combined emissions of all the stages of food production (manufacture of inputs like fertilizers, agriculture itself, food distribution and sales, and managing of food waste). The reports emphasize that the impacts of climate change with regards to food security will fall disproportionately on the people in developing countries, even when these people contribute very little to the global footprint. To reduce emissions, there must be new methods of food production as well as new food consumption patterns. (IPS)
Betting on the Farm: Africa's Drive for Food Self-Sufficiency (October 19, 2012)
In a World Hungry for Biofuels, Food Security Must Come First (October 17, 2012)
Growing crops for food and fuel simultaneously can work, but food security must be a priority. The UN Special rapporteur on the right to food Olivier De Schutter argues thatwhile EU’s plans to revise its biofuel targets downwards failed to go far enough. The remaining productive lands are under increasing pressure for biofuel production. International trade and investment in this field is intensifying this. Lowering targets for biofuel is insufficient and a guarantee of sustainability in agriculture requires domestic case-by-case measures. De Shutter proposes a model where smallholders would organize themselves into cooperatives that intercropped biofuel feedstocks with staple crops that were earmarked for local food markets. In this way biofuel production would in fact strengthen small-scale local food producers and food systems that have a long-term interest in maintaining the natural resource base. (Guardian)
More Fish in the Sea? (October 9, 2012)
Treating Food Like Stocks and Shares is a Recipe for Disaster (October 13, 2012)
Stanford Researchers Show Oil Palm Plantations Are Clearing Carbon-rich Tropical Forests in Borneo (October 8, 2012)
What's the Real Driver of High Food Prices and Hunger? (September 6, 2012)
Food Shortages Could Force World into Vegetarianism, Warn Scientists (August 26, 2012)
Has ‘Organic’ Been Oversized? (July 7, 2012)
In the past decade, US corporations such as Kellogg, PepsiCo and General Mills have bought many small, independent organic companies and profited from the value-added price of organic food, making it a $30-billion-a-year business. Their domination of the board that sets standards for organic foods has also led to an increase in the number of nonorganic materials approved for organic production, from 77 in 2002 to more than 250 today. By turning “organic” into a marketing ploy and corrupting the organic food industry, corporate giants continue to maintain the unsustainable food and farming system that threatens the health of humans and the environment. (New York Times)
How Fairtrade Bananas are Failing Migrant Workers (May 28, 2012)
In the Dominican Republic, the Fairtrade banana industry is reliant on Haitian migrant workers who are paid below living wages and have no access to social security. More than half of the country’s bananas are exported the UK, where supermarkets are the most powerful actors along the supply chain and make high profits based on unsustainably low prices that they pay to suppliers. While fair trade standards are designed to ensure that producers from developing countries have long-term security, in practice, the standards are not helping migrant workers to earn a fair salary and decent living conditions. (Guardian)
Access to Good, Healthy Food Should Be a Basic Right (February 22, 2012)
In this article, author Eric Schlosser argues that the current system of food production must be overhauled in favor of a new diverse, resilient, and democratic system. Schlosser states that the current system is overly centralized, overly industrialized, and “overly controlled by a handful of companies that are overly reliant on monocultures, pesticides, chemical fertilizers.” He says that the current low costs of food are deceptive, but what’s gone wrong in our food system can be reversed if we move towards alternative small scale production systems, such as organic farming. (The Atlantic)
Once a Food Chain, Now a Corporate Supply Chain - Part 2
As consumer markets in the US and Western Europe are shriveling, Walmart , the world's largest corporation, is attempting to enter markets of developing economies. It is estimated that the value of grocery markets in the four BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) will amount to three billion dollars in the next four years. With an 8 percent growth rate, India shines as a lucrative market for retailers. Walmart's entry into the country would not only jeopardize the livelihoods of small farmers but also destroy the entire Indian system of “farm to table” farming. It seems that Walmart poses a bigger threat to small-scale agriculture than seed titan Monsanto. (IPS Terraviva)
2011
Monsanto & Other BioTech Giants Deeply Entrenched in US Politics (December 11, 2011)
Multi-national Biotech company Monsanto spent $2 million in the first quarter of 2009 lobbying the US government that genetically engineered seeds were safe and did not need testing. Leaked cables and internal FDA documents show that FDA scientists believe genetically modified foods could lead to new diseases. Although 30 countries have significant restrictions or bans on GMOs, the US government approves of their use. (UK Progressive)
The GMO Emperor Has No Clothes (October 2011)
This new Global Citizens’ report on the state of GMOs highlights the false promises and failures of genetically engineered (GE) seeds. Contrary to claims by global corporation Monsanto, GE crops do not control pests and weeds, increase crop yields, or lower the levels of chemicals used in food production, writes activist Vandana Shiva. The report calls for a shift towards agroecology, a biological-based, sustainable alternative to the current industrial food production model. (Panna)
Biofuels May Push 120 Million into Hunger, Qatar's Shah Says (September 26, 2011)
In order to feed a growing global population, food output must compete with biofuels production and rise by seventy percent in the next forty years, says Policy advisor to Qatar's food security program Mahendra Shah. According to Shah, biofuels encourage deforestation, increase fertilizer usage, and will inevitably lead to rising agricultural prices and push hundreds of millions of people into hunger. (Bloomberg)
Resisting the Corporate Theft of Seeds (September 14, 2011)
Preeminent land activist Vandana Shiva emphasizes the need to resist the agro-industrial takeover of small farmers and communities. This fundamental shift has played a significant role in denying millions of people their right to food. According to Shiva, it is important to move away from food “dictatorship” and build food “democracies,” which address the challenges of seed monopolies and advocate agroecology. (The Nation)
Why GMOs Won't Feed the World (Despite What You Read in the New York TImes) (August 19, 2011)
This article discusses how “sustainable intensification”—the production of food while reducing agriculture’s negative impacts on the environment—is a better alternative to GMO technology. Unlike GMO crops that rely on synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, sustainable farming increases the capture of carbon in the soil while simultaneously decreasing health risks from exposure to toxic chemicals. In this article Anna Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute, argues that GMOs do not strengthen social networks or up production significantly and they are not the answer to global food needs. (Civil Eats)
Barack Obama Bets on Next Generation of Biofuels Industry (August 16, 2011)
During a campaign tour in the Midwest, Obama announced plans to spend up to $510m building biofuels refineries. These refineries will produce fuel from corn, wood chips, or grasses for the US navy and “[reduce] America’s dependence on foreign oil,” said Obama. Like corn ethanol, another government-backed biofuel, investment in these types of biofuels could further constrict food supplies and hike global food prices, as seen with corn ethanol. (Guardian)
GM Corn Being Developed for Fuel Instead of Food (August 15, 2011)
US farmers have begun growing Enogen-branded genetically modified (GM) corn plants to produce ethanol for commercial purposes. Critics of Enogen believe farmers will be drawn to the new “efficient ethanol form of corn” and consequently produce less food for human consumption. Studies show a well-established relationship between expanding biofuels production and rising global food prices. There is also much worldwide resistance to the introduction of this new GM corn. The EU, South Korea, and South Africa have not approved the import of the new GM corn and food industry groups in the US also oppose the new Enogen corn, citing cross-pollination fears. (Guardian)
Russia Offers Agricultural Land for Southeast Asian Farmers to Grow Crops (August 12, 2011)
In an effort to foster trade and boost exports, Russia is looking to sell about 24 million hectares of arable land, below-market price, to Asian countries seeking to invest in foreign farmland for food security purposes. Currently, a reported 409 million acres of farmland are unused in Russia. The Russian government plans to acquire more land for lending, by annulling ownership rights to land that has not been cultivated for three years. Russia’s focus on Southeast Asia is part of a wider effort to build stronger ties with the fastest growing region in the world. (Bloomberg)
"Africa Can Feed the World" (July 27, 2011)
The neglect of sustainable agriculture in Africa must end says Kanayo Nwaze, president of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The Somali famine serves as a warning to African governments and the international community to invest in small-scale farming. Development assistance for agriculture fell from $20billion (in the 1990s) to $3billion (in the early 2000s) due to an emphasis shift from agriculture to industrialization. Agriculture accounts for approximately 30% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GPD but represents 80% of export earnings in other countries. Nwaze is confident that diversification, rural investment, the stemming of migration, and reduction in the gap between rural and the urban populations can boost food productivity and generate income for countries in Africa. (Guardian)
Targeting Gaps in the Food Supply Chain: Going Beyond Agricultural Production to Achieve Food Security (July 14, 2011)
This article from Nourishing the Planet, a project of the Worldwatch Institute, identifies inefficiencies within the current food system and outlines ways in which producers and consumers can work together to increase food security. Recommendations include using low-cost technology, such as cell phones, to give farmers direct access to market information and ensure fair pricing. Such practices will increase market transparency and allow for the fair distribution of food, says Nourishing the Planet. With a growing global population, it is important to address problems in the current food system, rather than only channeling efforts into producing more crops. (Worldwatch Institute)
EU's Increasing Use of Decoupled Domestic Supports in Agriculture: Implications for Developing Countries (March 2011)
The European Union’s (EU) reform of its Common Agricultural Policy does not include any change for subsidies to EU agricultural producers. The EU argues at the World Trade Organization that its supports are no longer trade distorting, since they are not tied to farmers’ production. According to this analytical note, these distortions have far-reaching implications for developing countries, including impacts on small farmers. The EU’s developing country partners negotiating trade agreements should protect themselves against EU-created distortions in agricultural trade. (South Centre)
China Sees Food Need Rising (March 25, 2011)
China’s increasing domestic demand for food could mean a rise in imports of key grains to feed its growing population. China is usually a large net exporter of grains like corn, rice and wheat, so an increase in imports may affect the price of food commodities worldwide. As China’s population becomes wealthier, dietary changes include more meat consumption. According to the Chinese director of the State Council’s office on rural policy, decision-makers should rethink the notion of food self-sufficiency. (Wall Street Journal)
What Would the World Look Like If We Relied on Industrial Agriculture to Feed Everyone? (March 24, 2011)
Industrial agriculture methods, involving the intensive use of energy, water, machinery, and chemicals to grow crops, cannot be relied upon to feed people in the future. The UN Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter says that the combination of agronomics and ecological science, known as “Agroecology,” best suits the needs of the 21st century. De Schutter believes that resource efficiency should be the prime objective - saving water, preserving soil, and de-linking agriculture from fossil energies. (AlterNet)Is the Common Agricultural Policy Sustainable (March 21, 2011)
The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that subsidizes European farmers is notable because of the harm it causes to producers in the developing world. Now, Eastern European farmers, who do not receive high subsidies as their Western European counterparts, are lobbying for reform to make arrangements “more equitable”. This article highlights the many failings of the CAP, and advocates for changing the system. However, this seems improbable at the present. (L’anglophone)Wheat Seen Rebounding 11% as Global Stockpiles Decline the Most Since 2007 (March 21, 2011)
Global wheat prices have doubled in the past two years due to a combination of factors, including changing weather and grain commodity speculation. Financial market mechanisms create perverse incentives resulting in farmers planting other crops such as soy and cotton chasing higher returns. In order to avoid such problems, governments should better regulate food commodities, particularity grains and cereals. This article analyses the causes of the decline in global stockpiles, such as export bans on farmers in Russia, crop production and increasing food prices resulting in riots. (Bloomberg)UN Report Says World's Food Stocks at Risk as Bee Colonies Dying Out (March 10, 2011)
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, bees pollinate around 71 of the 100 crop species which provide 90 per cent of food worldwide. But bees are dying out rapidly. A new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says that toxic chemicals in pesticides cause a loss in the sense of direction and memory for bees, which they rely on to find food. UNEP advises farmers to take more care when applying insecticides and other chemicals, and restore bee-friendly habitats. (The Australian)
EU Ministers to Ban Fish Discards (March 1, 2011)
Fishermen discard more than 10 per cent of all the fish caught for human consumption. As much as two-thirds of the fish caught in some areas ends up back into the water, usually dead, due to the current EU system of fishing quotas. EU Ministers plan to make the most radical change to fisheries policy in 40 years. A common fisheries policy, reform fishing quotas, means that fishermen do not need to throw away large amounts of their catch. (Guardian)
Food Security and National Security (February 23, 2011)
China's approach to "food security as national security" can offer important lessons for the rest of the world. A policy of maintaining an emergency grain reserve means that China does not play a significant role in global grain markets, despite being the world's largest wheat producer. China also stores foods like pork and edible oils. Many other nations do not follow the same approach. This article argues that given the current volatility of the global food system, more countries should look into the idea of food reserves to feed their own populations. (Foreign Policy In Focus)
Predator Fish in Oceans on Alarming Decline, Experts Say (February 20, 2011)
Humans have caught and consumed over 65 per cent of all large fish species in the last 100 years. Experts say that this ecological imbalance will forever change the oceans, with only small fish such as sardines and anchovies thriving in future decades. Overfishing in East Asia is problematic since almost 50 percent of the increase in the world's fish consumption for food comes from that region. The UN Environment program says international organizations and governments should regulate number of fishing boats and the days they fish in order to stabilize fish populations. (The Washington Post)UN Food Agency Issued Warning on China Drought (February 8, 2011)
China's major agricultural regions are affected by the worst drought in 60 years, threatening crop production and drinking water supplies. Any decision by its government to import large quantities of food will further increase high food prices. The International Rice Research Institute says that the country's grain situation is critical to the entire world. China produces more wheat than any other nation, and is the world's largest importer of soybeans, making them very important to the world food market. (New York Times)
Plundered Fish Stocks: Somalia's Double Piracy (January 31, 2011)
NATO and foreign governments have spent $200 million to flight piracy off the coast of Somalia, but they have failed to address the plundering of Somalia's fisheries by Asian and European fishing fleets. The rapid growth of piracy is linked to the destruction of Somali's local fishing sector. According to the High Seas Taskforce, these illegal fleets break international conventions, destroy marine stocks and deny some of the world's poorest people their source of protein and livelihoods. (The Africa Report)
Emerging Nations Tackle Food Crisis (January 25, 2011)
Developing countries are taking action against rising food prices, including price caps and export bans. Many governments are concerned that speculation on food prices will cause another political crisis, similar to the violent riots in 2008. Indonesia is removing import tariffs on over 50 items including wheat, soybeans, fertilizer and animal feed. India is extending the ban on the export of lentils and cooking oil. The UN and World Bank advise governments to invest more in new production and agricultural infrastructure to match the rising demand for food. (Wall Street Journal)National Food Security Act: Universalisation vs Targeted Approach (January 20, 2011)
In India, two fifths of the population is hungry and 75 per cent of Indians lack adequate food and nutrition. At the same time tones of stored grain decay in warehouses. The government of India is unwilling to reform the system of food distribution to feed hungry people. This article examines the option of an equity-based social framework where agriculture and natural resources are paramount. A legal guarantee through a universal regime of food security is needed to feed hungry people and eradicate poverty in India. (South Asian Citizens Web)
Report: Urgent Action Needed to Avert Global Hunger (January 24, 2011)
The Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures, a study into food security commissioned by the UK government, says that the current world trade and food production system is unsustainable and fails to end hunger. The report recommends the minimization of waste, as well as the sustainable production of food in order for the system to provide good health and nutrition to a growing world population. The report also calls for government intervention to protect poor people from sharp price increases. (BBC)Food Speculation: 'People Die From Hunger while Banks Make a Killing on Food' (January 23, 2011)
An extra 75 million people are malnourished due to recent food price rises. But real supply and demand do not determine prices, instead banks, hedge funds and financiers are making billions of dollars by speculating on food. Staple foods as well as cocoa, fruit juices, sugar, meat and coffee are all now global commodities, along with oil, gold and metals. Olivier de Schutter, UN Rapporteur on the Right to Food, has no doubt that speculators are a major cause of rising prices. ( Guardian)Prices Soar on Crop Woes (January 13, 2011)
The US Agriculture Department reduced its estimates for global harvests of key crops, including corn and soy beans, due to tightening food supplies and rising food prices. Supply constraints reflect the dry weather in South America and Russia and floods in Australia. Another problem is the use of crops by the biofuel industry, which in the US enjoys extensive government incentives. A rising population is putting unsustainable pressures on resources such as water, food and energy, which could cause social and political instability and irreparable environmental damage. (Wall Stret Journal)How the Farm Lobby Distorts U.S. Foreign Policy (January 7, 2011)
Agribusiness companies in the US are recipients of federal farm subsidies that impact the world economy and the environment. This article examines the influence of the US Farm Lobby on Washington's foreign policy. US farmers export goods like cigarettes and pop corn to blacklisted countries under the guise of "humanitarian aid" through legal loopholes. Agricultural protectionism by the US is not only detrimental to foreign policy, but also threatens the world trade and food production system. (Foreign Policy In Focus)
UN Data Notes Sharp Rise in World Food Prices (January 5, 2011)
The price of sugar, grain and oilseed drove world food prices to a record high in December 2010. It is the sixth consecutive month in which the UN food price index has risen. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warn that prices could rise even higher given the droughts in Argentina and floods in Australia affecting crop yields and commodity prices. Grain prices impact significantly on the food budgets of people in poor countries. An increase in food prices would almost certainly increase world hunger and set off another global food crisis. (New York Times)
EU Reforms Should be More Ambitious - UK (January 5, 2011)
UK agriculture and environment minister, Caroline Spelman, recently chastised EU governments for their Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), because of its enormous cost in a time when government finances are looking wobbly. Spelman proposes to replace direct subsidies with income supports tied to enhanced environmental protection. Farm subsidies in the world's advanced economies are inherently unequal, and when viewed within the broader context of rising food prices, climate change, and increasing protectionism, it is clear that the current system urgently needs modification. (Reuters)Bees in Freefall as Study Shows Sharp US Decline (January 3, 2011)
The bumblebee is an important pollinator of many agricultural crops around the world, including most fruits, vegetable and nuts as well as coffee, soya beans and cotton. Ninety per cent of the world's commercial plants are dependent on pollination by bees to increase yield. These insects, along with other pollinators, have been in serious decline in the last few decades. There is concern about the impact this could have on global food production. UN conservation strategies may help to mitigate further losses. (Guardian)2010
Regional Fisheries Stakeholders Urged to Close Ranks (December 14, 2011)
The fisheries sector plays a critical role in reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition for many developing countries. Coastal states particularly should ensure regional collaboration on shared fish stocks. Recent statistics indicate that fish stocks are continuing to declining due to over-fishing, poaching by unlicensed vessels and illegal fishing. The Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission, regional fisheries bodies and others are working on conservation and protect. (Today)Myanmar: Concerns Grown Over Opium and Amphetamine Production (December 13, 2010)
Myanmar is the second largest opium poppy grower in the world, after Afghanistan. Conflict in the north and growing food insecurity is resulting in small-scale farmers growing poppy in order to feed their families. According to this report, 77% of the 1.2 million farmers growing poppy are doing so to pay for food. The production of these drugs is mostly for export within the region and internationally. Without more attention to the human and food insecurity problem, convincing farmers to stop the production of such a lucrative drug will be difficult. (IRIN)Q & A: Revitalizing Agriculture Starts in a Small Field (December 8, 2010)
Small farmers and local food producers all around the world often find themselves driven off their land. When governments do not invest enough in local agriculture, these farmers are left vulnerable and impoverished. UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter says that the most sustainable solution for developing countries is to reinvest in domestic agriculture to feed their own populations. These countries should also diversify their economies in order to decrease dependency on a limited range of export crops. (IPS)
Developing Countries Must 'Double' Food Production (December 6, 2010)
The International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD) have released a report on volatile food prices, the effects of climate change and a range of natural resource constraints which complicate the fight to end rural poverty. IFAD says that food production will have to increase by 70 per cent to feed the expected world population of 9 billion by 2050. Rural poverty rates have dropped over the last decade. However the situation for women farmers has not improved. Women still face limited access to land tenure, credit and equipment, and market opportunities. (IPS)Food Prices May Rise By Up to 20%, warns UN (November 17, 2010)
The prices of wheat, maize and other traded foods have risen by up to 40 percent in a few months. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the food import bills for the world's poorest countries are predicted to rise 11 percent in 2010 and by 20 percent for low-income food-deficit countries. The food prices would then reach a level not seen since the food crisis in 2008. The price inflation is partly fuelled by food commodity speculation. Legal regulations that control global food speculation are needed before to avoid a repetition of the 2008 crisis and millions of more hungry people. ( Guardian)US Corn Prices Surge (October 13, 2010)
FAO estimates that 925 million of the world's people are undernourished. Because of the rising US corn price, that number could now grow higher. Even the smallest increase in bushel prices for corn, grain or wheat can have a devastating impact on food availability for millions of people. A weakened dollar has led to rising speculation in the commodity market and increased price volatility, while climate change is diminishing production. Experts fear another global food crisis. (Countercurrents)The "Green Chomsky" on the Hidden Hunger Crisis (September 27, 2010)
Structural barriers to sustainable development are woven in the malfunctioning neoliberal economic policies. For issues like food security, poverty eradication and reaching a sustainable environment, governments have to think outside the neoliberal box. Neoliberal institutions like the G20 are not looking to help developing countries to become food secure. Instead, developing countries are increasingly dependent on food imports, and the G20 chooses to look the other way since they don't want to hurt the commercial interests of corporate agricultural giants. In this interview, Devinder Sharma explains. (Share the World's Resources)The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Go Hungry (August 20, 2010)
Western lifestyle often literally means taking food from poor people - the harsh truth is "the hunger of the poor is in part a choice of the rich." Putting limits on food speculation, making cut-backs to the global food trade and assisting poor nations in creating food sovereignty are some of the things that have to be made if hunger is ever going to be defeated. The cause of hunger is not so much about a lack of food as unfair allocations of the world's resources. Acknowledging self-sufficiency is critical and by growing our own food, the power of corporate agriculture will be undermined. (Share the World's Resources)AFGHANISTAN: Farmers' dilemma - wheat, fruit or saffron? (May 20, 2010)
About 7 million people in Afghanistan, over 24 percent of the country's population, are food insecure. Afghanistan is largely a food deficit country. But wheat although considered a strategic crop and staple food - is not encouraged by the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture. Instead, it promotes export crops like fruit and saffron because they receive a higher price in international markets. Donors such as USAID condone this trade-oriented food production strategy while Afghani people rely on food aid. This is just one example of the distorted global food system that continues to burden people worldwide. (IRIN)Bill Clinton's Doubletalk on Haitian Agriculture (May 17, 2010)
Bill Clinton has admitted that the US free-market agriculture policy towards Haiti did not work. But the solutions Clinton puts forward, as the UN Special Envoy to Haiti, calls for more of the same failed policies. Clinton's presidential policies toward Haiti deliberately reconfigured the country to fit into the new global division of labor, turning relatively self-sufficient farmers into low-wage workers in assembly plants. Now, Clinton ignores practical ideas put forward by Haitian popular organizations, while the ex-president continues to bolster export-oriented cash crops like coffee, mangos, and avocados. (NACLA)Liberia Invests in Farmers to Feed Nation (May 19,2010)
Liberia's agricultural sector has been suffering from underdevelopment due to fourteen years of civil war. The Liberian government is now investing in its farmers and creating a long-term plan to counter the stagnation. The government's main priority is food security and decreasing the country's dependence on food imports. In conjunction with the United Nations, the Liberian government developed a food and nutrition program that calls for investing in the country's infrastructure so that Liberian farmers are able to increase food production for national consumption. (Reuters AlertNet)Cuba: Sustainable Agriculture Moves to Suburbs (May 3, 2010)
Cuba will bring farming to the suburban areas around cities and towns, providing the science and leadership for alternative, localized models of food production. This approach brings food production closer to the urban areas where 76 percent of the island's population lives. The approach, which will not only provide food but also cultivate carbon sinks, create water basins, and reduce emissions, is based on principles of crop diversity and the use of animals for traction and transport of produce.(IPS)After the Crisis, Is Now the Moment to Cut Western Farm Subsidies? (March 30, 2010)
$100 billion a year in US and EU farm subsidies are distorting world trade and harming exporters in poor countries. This article asks if the global financial crisis presents an opportunity to get rid of these astounding distortions. Many lobbyists and politicians in high income countries obstruct efforts to reform these policies that devastate poor countries. (Africa Report)The True Cost of Cheap Food (March 2010)
Cheap food causes poverty and hunger. This article explains the contradictory nature of food and agriculture under globalization. The demand for low food prices means many farmers are getting less money for their crops and struggle to support themselves. As farmers go out of business, long term food security is also at risk. The author blames the demand for "cheapness "for the food crisis, concluding that there are "some essential things, such as our land and the life-sustaining foods it can produce, that should not be cheapened." (Resurgence)
Agribusines and the Food Crisis: a New Thrust at Anti Trust (March 22, 2010)
The world's largest agribusiness companies squeeze the agriculture system from both the supply and demand side, threatening food security. Seed prices overall have risen 146 percent in the last decade as many farmers in the US and worldwide have no choice but to buy seeds from Monsanto, the world's largest GM seed company. As well, agribusiness mergers in the last two decades have concentrated the industry's buying power in the hands of a small number of corporations, threatening farmers to "get big, or get out." (Triple Crisis)
Colonialism Lives In Biotech Seed Proposal for Africa (March 20, 2010)
Biotechnology is playing an increasing role in African agriculture. As a result, farmers are becoming more dependent on imported technology -a fact that hinders local sustainability. US companies, Monsanto and Pioneer, plan to export more biotech corn seed to Africa - claiming yields will increase to provide more food and profit for all. However, companies sell seed at a great cost to farmers and enforce strict rules to prohibit sowed seeds being used for future seasons. Moreover, the agricultural methods promoted are designed for monoculture production on large scale acreages (like in the US) and are unsuited to the small scale production methods of African farming. (Institute for Agriculture and Trade)Large Agribusiness Hurting Small Landholders, says UN Rights Expert (March 5, 2010)
The global food sector is dominated by transnational corporations and as a result small landowners and farmers are suffering, says Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rappotteur on the Right to Food. De Schutter says that smallholders in developing countries are suffering hunger and poverty because of the tremendous market influence of the companies. He proposes that governments use tax incentives, legal protection of rights of agricultural workers, and action against foreign suppliers that abuse the rights of local producers. (UN News Centre)Reclaiming Rice From Rats and Rot (January 14, 2010)
Experts estimate that in 2009 Liberia lost up to 60% of its harvest due to vermin infestation and poor weather conditions. Resultantly food insecurity has increased. In response, UN officials are calling for donors to invest in pest control and food storage systems. Likewise, FAO and the Liberian Agriculture Ministry have recognized the problem and set up "field schools" to train farmers how to protect their crops from pests. (IRIN)Rwandan Measures to Boost Food Security Bear fruit (January 12, 2010)
Rwanda has recorded a sharp increase in food productivity. In 2009, the Government invested in fertilizer distribution, improving seed stocks and crop husbandry training. Together these investmentshave boosted the output of major food crops such as maize, potatoes, cassava and rice. Rwanda now has sufficient food reserves to meet domestic demands for eight months. (IRIN)2009
People-Centered Resilience (November 16, 2009)
Disagreement Over Goals at U.N. Meeting on Hunger (November 17, 2009)
Global Food Reserves - Framing the Context for a New Multilateralism (October 2009)
Tackling the climate crisis from the ground up (October 2009)
Africa and Global Food Crisis (September 3, 2009)
Food and Energy: An Inflationary Duet (April 6, 2009)
European Subsidies Stray From the Farm (July 17, 2009)
A Food System that Kills (April 2009)
The Soils of War (March 2009)
Voices from Africa; African Farmers and Environmentalists Speak Out Against a New Green Revolution in Africa (March 2009)
Food Speculation the Main Factor of the Price Bubble in 2008 (February 21, 2009)
UN Seeks a Green Revolution (February 19, 2009)
Food Security and Global Warming; Monsanto versus Organic (January 16, 2009)
A 50-year Farm Bill (January 5, 2009)
Agriculture at a Crossroads (2008)
Speculation Undermines the Right to Food (October 23, 2008)
Making Financial Markets Work for Development (October 2008)
The World Food Crisis: What's Behind It and What We Can Do About It (October 6, 2008)
Darfur Withers as Sudan Sells Food (August 10, 2008)
Hoarding Nations Drive Food Costs Ever Higher (June 30, 2008)
Facing Inflation, Asia Gets More Aggressive (June 11, 2008)
The World Food Summit: A Lost Opportunity (June 10, 2008)
Development: 'Food Production Must Rise 50 Percent' (June 4, 2008)
Destroying African Agriculture (June 3, 2008)
Secretary General's Address at High-level Conference on World Food Security (June 3, 2008)
Manufacturing a Food Crisis (June 2, 2008)
In Grip of Financial Markets (May-June 2008)
Why We Face Both Food and Water Crises (May 15, 2008)
What Michael Pollan Hasn't Told You About Food (May 15, 2008)
Artificial Foods and Corporate Crops: Can We Escape the "Frankenstate"? (May 2, 2008)
Seven Reasons Why the Doha Round Will Not Solve the Food Crisis (May 2008)
Cargill – A Corporate Threat to Food and Farming (May 2008)
Making a Killing from Hunger (April 2008)
Agriculture and Development (April 2008)
Grain Companies' Profits Soar as Global Food Crisis Mounts (April 30, 2008)
Europe: Subsidies Feed Food Scarcity (April 25, 2008)
Liberians Drop Rice for Spaghetti (April 22, 2008)
Food Safety on the Butcher's Block (April 18, 2008)
Face It, We All Aren't Going to Become Vegetarians (April 18, 2008)
A Man-Made Famine (April 15, 2008)
A Time of High Prices: An Opportunity for the Rural Poor? (April 2008)
Rising Food Prices, What Should Be Done? (April 2008)
A New Philanthro-Capitalist Alliance in Africa? (March 31, 2008)
Priced Out of the Market (March 3, 2008)
World Food Stocks Dwindling Rapidly, UN Warns (December 17, 2007)
Ending Famine, Simply by Ignoring the Experts (December 1, 2007)
World Cereal Prices to Remain High, Warns UN Report (November 12, 2007)
Global Food Crisis Looms as Climate Change and Fuel Shortages Bite (November 3, 2007)
Unpredictable Weather Patterns, Diversion of Grain for Biofuels, Contribute to Growing Food Shortages (September 28, 2007)
Historic Surge in Crop Prices Roils Markets (September 28, 2007)
US-Korean Food Fight (August 24, 2007)
How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor (April 24, 2007)
Deadly Combination: The Role of Southern Governments and the World Bank in the Rise of Hunger (2007)
