Food security: The world food situation: new driving forces and required actions

How is the changing world food situation affecting the poor, and what can be done about it?

Authors: J. von Braun
Publisher: International Food Policy Research Institute , 2008

The world food situation is being rapidly redefined, as income growth, climate change, high energy prices, globalisation, and urbanisation transform food consumption, production, and markets. This paper provides an overview of the the key forces driving these changes, and considers what policy responses are required to address the challenges ahead.

The report outlines the key factors that are reshaping the world food situation, which include:

• demand driven by high economic growth and population change, especially in India and China
• world food production and stock developments, including a decline in world cereal stocks
• globalisation and trade developments, such as the stalling of the Doha Round
• changes in the corporate food system, particularly the increasing leverage of food retailers
• biofuel production, which adversely affects the poor through price-level and price-volatility effects.
  

The paper describes how all of the above changes on the supply and demand side of the world food equation have led to imbalances and drastic price changes - including a sharp increase in food prices. It descirbes how these changes in food availability, rising commodity prices, and new producer-consumer linkages have crucial implications for the livelihoods of poor and food-insecure people.

The full text is available for download from the IFPRI website.

Key points include:

• many small farmers are unable to take advantage of the new income-generating opportunities presented by high-value products (meat, milk, vegetables, fruits, flowers), due to high barriers to market entry. Improved capacity is needed to address safety and quality standards as well as the large scales required by food processors and retailers
  
• poor households that are net sellers of food benefit from higher prices, but households that are net buyers, the vast majority of the poor, lose
  
• a number of countries, including in Africa, have made good progress in reducing hunger and child malnutrition, but many of the poorest and hungry are still being left behind
  
• higher food prices will cause the poor to shift to even less-balanced diets
  

The author warns that business as usual could mean increased misery, especially for the world's poorest populations. He concludes by advocating five immediate policy actions to avoid damage and fosters positive responses is required:

• developed countries should facilitate flexible responses to drastic price changes by eliminating trade barriers and programs that set aside agriculture resources, except in well-defined conservation areas
  
• developing countries should rapidly increase investment in rural infrastructure and market institutions in order to reduce agricultural-input access constraints
  
• investment in agricultural science and technology by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and national research systems could play a key role in facilitating a stronger global production response to the rise in prices
  
• the acute risks facing the poor, reduced food availability and limited access to income-generating opportunities, require expanded social-protection measures. Productive social safety nets should be tailored to country circumstances and should focus on early childhood nutrition
  
• placing agricultural and food issues onto the national and international climate-change policy agendas is critical for ensuring an efficient and pro-poor response to the emerging risks.

Wahenga.net: Can hunger be addressed in isolation?

RHVP is now widely known in southern Africa and beyond by its acronym - very rarely do the personnel associated with the programme have to elaborate what it stands for - the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme.

As RHVP approaches the end of a 3-year phase, it is time to stand back and take stock of progress and look to the future. Is the programme name still appropriate? This Comment argues that it's not - that a preoccupation with hunger as an outcome is constraining, and that it should actually be the Regional Vulnerability Programme. It is clearly the case that hunger and food insecurity remain major development problems in many countries, including southern Africa, but following the substantial literature on food security arising out of the paradigm shift brought about by Sen, there is now increasing recognition that vulnerability is the root cause, and hunger merely the outcome. To focus on hunger, therefore, runs a risk of ignoring the root causes of vulnerability and providing misplaced advice.

Find out more at on Wahenga.net.

ODI Opinion: Mitigating climate change: what impact on the poor?

The impact of climate change is of vital importance. But, for the world’s poor, policies to mitigate climate change may, in the short term, have as much impact as climate change itself. This Opinion assesses four mitigation strategies and their possible impacts on the poor: environmental labelling; green growth strategies; biofuel production and food prices; and forest protection.

Download the Opinion piece from the ODI website.

TUFTS: Humanitarian Agenda 2015--The State of the Humanitarian Enterprise

Humanitarian Agenda 2015: The State of the Humanitarian Enterprise describes the challenges faced by humanitarian actors striving to maintain fidelity to their ideals in a globalized world. The report highlights persisting tensions in the relationship between “outsiders” and local communities, encroachments of political agendas – particularly as a result of the war on terror – and the deteriorating security climate for humanitarian workers on the ground. Humanitarian action, the authors argue, needs to be more in sync with the aspirations of the people it aims to help and more open to non-western humanitarian coping strategies and traditions. Talking "principally to the like-minded, shunning different or dissenting voices" ultimately undermines humanitarian principles and causes "misunderstanding, false expectations, and delusions of grandeur."

The report builds on 12 case studies of local perceptions of the work of humanitarian agencies, conducted in as many countries. The country studies and final report are based on interviews with more than 2,000 recipients of humanitarian aid, as well as aid agency, donor and government staff.

Read more on the Tufts website.

Microcon: ‘A Micro Level Analysis of Violent Conflict’

MICROCON, or ‘A Micro Level Analysis of Violent Conflict’ is a five-year research programme funded by the European Commission, which takes an innovative micro level, multidisciplinary approach to the study of the conflict cycle.

Almost one third of the world's population lives in conflict-affected low-income countries. At a fundamental level, conflict originates from people’s behaviour and how they interact with society and their environment - from its ‘micro' foundations. Yet most conflict research and policy focuses on ‘macro' perspectives. MICROCON seeks to redress this balance.

Aim

The programme aims to promote understanding of individual and group interactions leading to and resulting from violent mass conflicts, with the purpose of uncovering much-needed fundamentals for better informed domestic, regional and international conflict policy, which places individuals and groups at the centre of their interventions. It takes an innovative micro level, multidisciplinary approach to conflict, and aims to go beyond merely reactive theorisations of conflict to look at the complete dynamics (across intensities, actors, triggers and effects) of violent mass conflicts.

Outputs

The main outputs of MICROCON will come from 28 different research projects working in over 40 countries, covering eight main themes:

• Group Formation, Identities and Mobilisation;
• Contemporary Conflicts and Ethnic-Religious Tensions;
• Gender Aspects of Violent Conflicts;
• Migration, Displacement and Refugees;
• Risk, Security and Coping Mechanisms;
• Poverty, Inequality and Social Exclusion;
• Violent Conflict and Health Outcomes;
• Governance and Institutions.

These research themes will be complemented by two policy research projects entitled ‘Conflict in the European Neighbourhood’ and ‘Evaluating Conflict Interventions’. The project will be implemented by a team of 60 researchers in 22 partner institutions in 16 different countries.

The first policy briefing, on 'Indicators of Potential Conflict' is now published and available to download from the Microcon website. Microcon notes that the paper;

'focuses on the factors that contribute to the dangers of violent internal conflict erupting, or re-igniting after a peace has been concluded. Three main risk factors are considered: The breakdown of redistributive mechanisms, democratic transitions and lack of economic progress.'

The editors will keep an eye on the website and update the blog with further papers - however you can sign up directly with Microcon for updates.

World Health Day 2008: protecting health from climate change

World Health Day, on 7 April, marks the founding of the World Health Organization and is an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. In 2008, World Health Day focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change.

The theme 'protecting health from climate change' puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. WHO selected this theme in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.

Through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide. Examples of such collaborative actions are: strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies.

Read more about World Health Day on the WHO website.

Characteristics of a Disaster-resilient community

Forwarded by Robert, who notes;

'This is an inter-agency piece of work which we have co-funded. It is in the process of being field tested. The Federation are doing this on our behalf through the DRR2 programme countries, but I am currently looking at how we might pilot elements of it in any new DRR programmes we take on.

It's value isn't confined to DRR, as it is focused on building community resilience. We still have concerns that it is too academic but the trick will possibly be adapting it to more practical usage in our programme work.'

The website explains that the aim was 'to develop a set of ‘characteristics of a disaster-resilient community’ that can be used by local partner organizations to demonstrate the impact of community DRR projects.

'The project’s main output is ‘Characteristics of a Disaster-resilient Community’: a guidance note for government and civil society organisations working on DRR initiatives at community level. It shows what a disaster-resilient community might consist of, by setting out the many different elements of resilience. It also provides some ideas about how to progress towards resilience. It can be used at different stages of project cycle management, particularly in planning and assessment, and monitoring and evaluation. It can also be linked to other tools used in DRR projects and research (e.g. vulnerability and capacity analysis). The guidance note is designed to support processes of community mobilisation and partnership for DRR but the findings of reviews and assessments carried out using the note may also have some value in advocacy work at local and higher levels.

'The first edition of the guidance note, published in October 2007, is a pilot version, which is now being tested in the field. It will be revised in the light of those experiences. Everyone is welcome to use the note, and feedback is similarly welcome.'

The guidance note is available to download from the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre website, which also includes other publications stemming from the project.