The role of the International Financial Institutions in
promoting foreign land acquisition has received little attention.
Through controversial policies that facilitate 'land-grabbing', these organisations are
risking the food security of millions, says a report by The Oakland Institute.
Overseas agriculture investment by developing countries is “on the
rise” due to food security concerns, but similar moves to secure food in the past had been “mostly unsuccessful." Report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
For the first time in history, more than one billion people, or nearly
one in every 6 inhabitants of the planet, are going hungry,
according to a report from the United Nations’ World Food Program.
Caused largely by biofuel demands and record oil prices, the 2007-2008 spike in food prices pushed an additional 115 million people into
chronic hunger. At the same time, the high product prices failed to benefit farmers in developing countries, says a report by the FAO.
The production of biofuels is fuelling poverty, human rights abuses and damage to the environment. A radical overhaul of governments’ multi-billion dollar support for biofuels is urgently needed, says a report by Christian Aid.
Sustainability can serve as
the basis for a fairer and greener food system, geared towards human and environmental well-being. The
transition to sustainable food should go hand-in-hand with
fundamental changes in our patterns of living, working and consumption, says a report by Jim Sumberg.
Despite dynamic economic growth, the Asia and Pacific region is home to 62 percent of the world’s undernourished. Governments should develop social protection schemes to improve access
to food and invest in sustainable, small-scale argriculture, says a report by UN ESCAP.
