Food 2025 blog
Food insecurity and violent conflict
Check out this great paper by the World Food Programme (WFP), discussing the link between food insecurity and violent conflict. What are the effects of food security on political, social, and demographic conflicts? How does food security contribute to political stability? And most importantly, what can the international community do to assist in breaking this link and build peace?
To read the report, click on the attached file below.
From the report:
Food insecurity – especially when caused by a rise in food prices – is a threat and impact multiplier for violent conflict. It might not be a direct cause and rarely the only cause, but combined with other factors,for example in the political or economic spheres, it could be the factor that determines whether and when violent conflicts will erupt. Changes in food security, rather than levels of food insecurity, are probably most influential. Food insecurity is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for violent conflict. Food price stabilization measures and safety nets are critical instruments to prevent violent conflict. Food assistance can contribute to peace building, restore trust in governments and rebuild social capital.
Violent Conflict and Food Security: Causes, Consequences, and Addressing the Challenges
How Do We Sustainably Feed 8 Billion People by 2025?
All 6, almost 7, billion of us.
But what happens when there are 8 billion of us? Will more and more of us spend our weekends trying to scrape together enough food? Will more and more of us start our own gardens and obsess over our fresh produce? Will farmers markets become the new Ralphs? Will we have enough water to feed ourselves? Will we have enough land? How do we sustainably feed 8 billion people by 2025?
“We’re going to have to produce more food in the next 40 years than we have the last 10,000. Some people say we’ll just add more land or more water. But we’re not going to (be able to) do much of either,” says William Lesher, former USDA chief economist.
This is a global issue. But as Californian's and residents of the world’s top agricultural producer, what is our role in meeting these challenges? On April 9, 2013, producers, geo-politicists, ethicists, economists, humanists and many others from around the world will come together to discuss the challenges surrounding our global food systems at the UCANR Statewide Conference: Global Food Systems Forum.
The Global Food Systems Forum will feature Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and president of the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice, and Wes Jackson, founder and president of The Land Institute, as the keynote speakers. The program will include a Global Panel, discussing key issues such as resource limitations, ethnical quandaries, climate change, responsibilities, etc. A California Panel will also take place, tackling issues such as California responsibilities, productivity, policies, markets and research.
But this conversation isn’t just about UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. It’s about all of us. We all need to take a stand and advocate for our food. If you watch what you eat, you should join the conversation. If you love what you eat, you should join the conversation. If you worry about how you will eat in the future, you should join the conversation.
The public is invited to participate in this one-day event via a live online webcast. You can also join the ongoing conversation on twitter by following the hashtag #Food2025. Make your voice heard. Stand up for your food, and help shape our future global food systems.
Learn more about the Global Food Systems Forum and register to watch the live webcast at food2025.ucanr.edu.
Jim Harkness Discusses Access to Food and Land
Jim Harkness, President of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, discusses fair access to food and land and the issue of land grabbing. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
9 Billion Mouths to Feed: The Future of Farming
The top 100 questions of importance to the future of global agriculture
In preparation for the Global Food Systems Forum, this blog is an opportunity to aggregate the wealth of research associated with sustainably feeding 8 billion people by 2025 (or in some cases, 9 billion by 2050).
In 2010, Jules Pretty, et al wrote, "The Top 100 questions of importance to the future of global agriculture" linked below.
"To meet the expected demand for food without significant increases in prices, it has been estimated that we need to produce 70–100 per cent more food, in light of the growing impacts of climate change, concerns over energy security, regional dietary shifts and the Millennium Development target of halving world poverty and hunger by 2015. The goal for the agricultural sector is no longer simply to maximize productivity, but to optimize across a far more complex landscape of production, rural development, environmental, social justice and food consumption outcomes. However, there remain significant challenges to developing national and international policies that support the wide emergence of more sustainable forms of land use and efficient agricultural production. The lack of information flow between scientists, practitioners and policy makers is known to exacerbate the difficulties, despite increased emphasis upon evidence-based policy. In this paper, we seek to improve dialogue and understanding between agricultural research and policy by identifying the 100 most important questions for global agriculture."
Take a moment to read the Top 100 questions and share your feedback.
100 questions