Secretary-General's Message on World Food Day 2010 “United Against Hunger” | Global Food Security Crisis

Secretary-General's Message on World Food Day 2010 “United Against Hunger” | Global Food Security Crisis: "For many people, today is not World Food Day. It is another No Food Day. Although the number of hungry people has fallen from last year’s historic high of more than one billion, there are still 925 million hungry people in the world. We are continually reminded that the world’s food systems are not working in ways that ensure food security for the most vulnerable members of our societies."

Minister Oda Unveils CIDA's Sustainable Economic Growth Strategy

Minister Oda Unveils CIDA's Sustainable Economic Growth Strategy: "TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 25, 2010) - The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, today unveiled CIDA's strategy for sustainable economic growth, which will help developing countries reduce poverty through stimulating long-term growth in their economies and providing skills training and job opportunities for their citizens.
'Focusing Canadian development assistance on sustainable economic growth, along with CIDA's two other priorities of increasing food security and securing the future of children and youth, is key to delivering tangible results and helping to better lives in the developing world,' Minister Oda told an audience of students, academics, and aid partners at the University of Toronto's Munk School for Global Affairs. 'Sustainable economic growth is the engine for developing countries to rapidly and sustainably reduce poverty.'"

Lecture 11 - Sustainability II: The Impact of Modern Agriculture on Biodiversity, Genetic Modification and Animal Welfare

Lecture 11 - Sustainability II: The Impact of Modern Agriculture on Biodiversity, Genetic Modification and Animal Welfare

A New Agenda for Agriculture Research | Union of Concerned Scientists

A New Agenda for Agriculture Research | Union of Concerned Scientists: "The development of a sustainable system of agriculture to support the nation's food, feed, fiber, and energy needs requires the federal government to adopt a new agenda for research. Such an agenda would be characterized by a more basic research in ecology of agricultural systems, more interdisciplinary research, and greater farmer involvement in designing and carrying out research projects. In addition, appropriate new technologies must be developed to support a sustainable agriculture."

Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops (2009) | Union of Concerned Scientists

Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops (2009) | Union of Concerned Scientists: "For years the biotechnology industry has trumpeted that it will feed the world, promising that its genetically engineered crops will produce higher yields.

That promise has proven to be empty, according to Failure to Yield, a report by UCS expert Doug Gurian-Sherman released in March 2009. Despite 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialization, genetic engineering has failed to significantly increase U.S. crop yields."

World Bank vs. Nigeria’s Oil of Life - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Contributor - World Bank vs. Nigeria’s Oil of Life - NYTimes.com: "WHEN the World Bank held its annual meeting last weekend, there was much discussion of trade imbalances and currency wars, but nothing about Nigerian palm oil. That’s a shame, because the bank’s loans for plantation agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions — some $132 million of which have gone to palm oil cultivation — have been humanitarian and economic triumphs. Yet now, under misguided pressure from environmental groups, the bank is turning its back on the program."

Hunger may get worse: WTO chief

AFP: Hunger may get worse: WTO chief: "WTO chief Pascal Lamy warned Friday that the food crisis may get worse over the next years as the world's population grows and arable land recedes.
'Today's situation is not good and it may get worse in the coming years because of population growth, dwindling available (farm) land and a change in food habits,' Lamy told a roundtable on the sidelines of a summit of French speaking countries.
'Food security is a moral and political must,' he added.
Lamy called on governments to divert more money to the farming sector and put an end to waste which he said was responsible for a 30-percent drop in worldwide food production."

Footprint Science

Footprint Science - Introduction: "Institutionalizing the Ecological Footprint at the national level requires that statistical offices, policy advisors, academia, and businesses trust the methodology and data underlying the Footprint, which is comprised of 200 National Footprint Accounts; of which 150 countries are regularly published by United Nations source datasets."

WWF - Living Planet Report

WWF - Living Planet Report: "The Living Planet Report is the world's leading, science-based analysis on the health of our only planet and the impact of human activity"

COHAB Initiative : Co-Operation on Health & Biodiversity

COHAB Initiative : Co-Operation on Health & Biodiversity: "COHAB is a community of individuals and organisations working together to address the gaps in awareness, policy and action on the links between biodiversity and human health and well-being. The Initiative supports efforts to enhance human security through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the goods and services it provides. COHAB provides a platform for dialogue, promoting understanding and experience sharing, and working to build partnerships across sectors and cultural divides. The COHAB Initiative works towards a future:"

Complexity, simplification: funding conservation

Cambridge Journals Online - Fulltext - Complexity, simplification: funding conservation: "Conserving biodiversity is complex and costly. The complexity is illustrated by the failure to make much of a dent in the 2010 biodiversity target of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD; Fisher, 2009) and by the negotiations at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the CBD in Nagoya this October (Adams, 2010; McNeely, 2010). To conserve biodiversity we are bound to pay attention to this complexity—whether of an ecosystem or of a political process such as the CBD—but to raise funds we are obliged to simplify. So how can a fundraiser do justice to the work of his or her colleagues?"

Innovation systems for agricultural development - SciDev.Net

Innovation systems for agricultural development - SciDev.Net: "This policy brief, published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), presents an innovation systems approach for agricultural development.

The authors argue that sustainable agricultural development is essential to tackle emerging issues such as high food prices, climate change and demand for biofuels. Achieving this requires knowledge and innovation in technology, institutions, policies and organisations. Fostering innovation, in turn, means investing in agricultural science and technology, research and extension, education and training, and farmer organisations and other local institutions."

Five Steps to Prevent a Repeat of the 2007–08 Food Crisis | International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Five Steps to Prevent a Repeat of the 2007–08 Food Crisis | International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): "The recent volatility of agricultural commodity prices has caused some observers to wonder if another food crisis, similar to the one that occurred in 2007–08, is looming on the horizon. Three years ago, a variety of factors combined to create a “perfect storm” in food prices. This time, natural disasters—amplified by harmful trade policies—are fueling concern."

Food security entitlement act in India to provide food for the ppor | CalcuttaTube

Food security entitlement act in India to provide food for the ppor | CalcuttaTube: "India will soon be the first country in the world ‘to enact a food security entitlement act under which every family below the poverty line will get 35 kg of grain‘, says M.S. Swaminathan who is in Canada to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta.

One of the pioneers of the Green Revolution in India, Swaminathan said India cannot depend on volatile global markets to ensure its food security and it will have to ramp up its own output.

Swaminathan will receive the honorary doctorate for his contribution to food security in the world."

Predictive Power of Air Travel and Socio-Economic Data for Early Pandemic Spread

PLoS ONE: Predictive Power of Air Travel and Socio-Economic Data for Early Pandemic Spread: "Here, we examine the role of travel, trade, and national healthcare resources in predicting the emergence and initial spread of 2009 A/H1N1 influenza. We find that incorporating national healthcare resource data into our analyses allowed a much greater capacity to predict the international spread of this virus. In countries with lower healthcare resources, the reporting of 2009 A/H1N1 cases was significantly delayed, likely reflecting a lower capacity for testing and reporting, as well as other socio-political issues."

EcoHealth Alliance Study Highlights Global Strategies to Halt Pandemic Diseases like H1N1 and SARS - PR Newswire - sacbee.com

EcoHealth Alliance Study Highlights Global Strategies to Halt Pandemic Diseases like H1N1 and SARS - PR Newswire - sacbee.com: "NEW YORK, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A recent study led by Dr. Parviez Hosseini, a senior research fellow from EcoHealth Alliance (formerly Wildlife Trust), explains the importance of identifying global pandemic risk factors as early as possible, in order to predict the spread of diseases like H1N1 'swine' flu and SARS. 'Predictive Power of Air Travel and Socio-Economic data for Early Pandemic Spread,' recently published in the scientific publication PLoS ONE, examines the interplay among travel, trade, and national healthcare resources in predicting the emergence and spread of H1N1 and other viruses."

Food Miles: Starving the Poor?

Food Miles: Starving the Poor? - Ballingall - 2010 - The World Economy - Wiley Online Library: "Food miles measure the distance food travels to reach consumers’ plates. Although substituting local food for imported produce will not necessarily reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the food miles movement is widely supported by consumers and import-competing producers, especially in some parts of Western Europe. We investigate the economic implications of food miles preference changes in the UK, France and Germany on other nations using an economy-wide model."

Crisis conditions breed a virulent form of food insecurity, UN report says - The Globe and Mail

Crisis conditions breed a virulent form of food insecurity, UN report says - The Globe and Mail: "At least 22 countries in unique states of crisis are facing acute hunger issues, according to a new report by the United Nations food agency. These situations, however, are not due to sluggish development but result from what the UN deems “protracted crisis” conditions. Every country that made the list has played host to long-lasting political or civil conflict, been hit by recurring natural disasters, or both. The result? A deep brand of food insecurity that can’t be alleviated through traditional interventions such as delivering food aid or improving access to markets."

Rethinking Global Biodiversity Strategies: Exploring structural changes in production and consumption to reduce biodiversity loss - the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL)

Rethinking Global Biodiversity Strategies: Exploring structural changes in production and consumption to reduce biodiversity loss - the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL)

Further expansion of the global network of protected areas will be necessary, but will not be sufficient to attain a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss, worldwide. Structural changes in consumption and in the efficiency of production are indispensable. Changes in agriculture, forestry, fishery and energy supply are required to slow down biodiversity loss, through reduced expansion of agricultural land, stopping overexploitation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and limiting climate change.

Ellen Gustafson: Obesity Hunger = 1 global food issue | Video on TED.com

Ellen Gustafson: Obesity Hunger = 1 global food issue | Video on TED.com: "Ellen Gustafson says hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin. At TEDxEast, she launches The 30 Project -- a way to change how we farm and eat in the next 30 years, and solve the global food inequalities behind both epidemics."

PR-USA.net - The UOC and the FAO Unite to Offer Online Programs on Food Security

PR-USA.net - The UOC and the FAO Unite to Offer Online Programs on Food Security: "The Joint FAO-UOC Certificate in Food Security: Assessment and Action was launched in March 2010 with 49 students from 26 countries including Sudan, Ethiopia, the United States and the Netherlands. Students who successfully complete the course in July 2010 will be awarded a certificate and 15 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits.

The FAO centres its attention on international activities aimed at eradicating hunger by helping developing countries to modernize and improve their agricultural, forestry and fishing practices with the aim of ensuring good nutrition for all. It pays special attention to rural areas, where 70% of the world’s poor population lives."