World hunger best cured by small-scale agriculture

World hunger best cured by small-scale agriculture: report | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "A move from industrial farming towards local food projects is our healthiest, most sustainable choice, says Worldwatch Institute"

PAHO: Advocating for Ecohealth: International Development Research Centre

PAHO: Advocating for Ecohealth: International Development Research Centre

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Can domestication of wildlife lead to conservation? The economics of tiger farming in China

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Can domestication of wildlife lead to conservation? The economics of tiger farming in China

Tigers are a threatened species that might soon disappear in the wild. Not only are tigers threatened by deteriorating and declining habitat, but poachers continue to kill tigers for traditional medicine, decoration pieces and so on. Although international trade in tiger products has been banned since 1987 and domestic trade within China since 1993, tigers continue to be poached and Chinese entrepreneurs have established tiger farms in anticipation of their demise. While China desires to permit sale of tiger products from captive-bred tigers, this is opposed on the grounds that it likely encourages illegal killing. Instead, wildlife conservationists lobby for more spending on anti-poaching and trade-ban enforcement

ScienceDirect Spatial wildlife-vehicle collision models: A review of current work and its application to transportation mitigation projects

ScienceDirect - Journal of Environmental Management : Spatial wildlife-vehicle collision models: A review of current work and its application to transportation mitigation projects

In addition to posing a serious risk to motorist safety, vehicle collisions with wildlife are a significant threat for many species. Previous spatial modeling has concluded that wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) exhibit clustering on roads, which is attributed to specific landscape and road-related factors. We reviewed twenty-four published manuscripts that used generalized linear models to statistically determine the influence that numerous explanatory predictors have on the location of WVCs. Our motivation was to summarize empirical WVC findings to facilitate application of this knowledge to planning, and design of mitigation strategies on roads. In addition, commonalities between studies were discussed and recommendations for future model design were made.

World Bank`s Shantayanan Devarajan on Africa - The AfricaNews articles of smajek

AfricaNews - World Bank`s Shantayanan Devarajan on Africa - The AfricaNews articles of smajek: "Mr. Shantayanan Devarajan, the Sri-Lankan-born Chief Economist of the World Bank's (WB) Africa Region whose research covers public economics, trade policy, natural resources, the environment, and general equilibrium modeling of developing countries is a sought after authority on Africa.

Although there are many “unofficial authorities” on Africa at the WB, his name is the only one listed on the World Bank’s website as their expert on Africa."

Horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2011

ScienceDirect - Trends in Ecology & Evolution : Horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2011

This review describes outcomes of a 2010 horizon-scanning exercise building upon the first exercise conducted in 2009. The aim of both horizon scans was to identify emerging issues that could have substantial impacts on the conservation of biological diversity, and to do so sufficiently early to encourage policy-relevant, practical research on those issues.

Disease-related conflicts in mammal conservation

CSIRO PUBLISHING - Wildlife Research: "Diseases pose a major direct or indirect threat to the conservation of endangered species, and can be a source of conflict among the stakeholders in conservation efforts. We aim to provide examples of disease-related conflicts in conservation, and information that can be used to identify means to reduce existing conflicts and avoid potential new ones. After introducing how diseases can affect conservation efforts, we have provided examples of different types of disease-related conflicts,"

Research Areas & Approach: International Development Research Centre

Research Areas & Approach: International Development Research Centre: "IDRC has been contributing to building the field of ecohealth since 1996. Results include improved health and ecosystems, improved research capabilities in developing countries, and in many cases, positive changes in policies and common practices.
The Program supports many Communities of Practice in Ecohealth (COPEH) and other networks, the International Association for Ecology and Health and its journal, EcoHealth. It has also organized two international Forums to share knowledge between different groups,while strengthening and challenging the field."

East Africa gets ready for looming famine in 2011

The East African: - News |East Africa gets ready for looming famine in 2011: "During a meeting in Arusha last week that brought together senior officials from the five East African Community governments and the private sector that deal with agriculture and climate change, it was established that the big three — Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania — have common problems mitigating against maximising production and distribution of food."

How can Africa grow more food?

How can Africa grow more food? | Global development | guardian.co.uk: "African agriculture has become the focus of extraordinary attention and interest. Yesterday a big report was launched by the Harvard academic Calestous Juma with the backing of several African presidents, and next week Chatham House in London is hosting a major conference on food security where the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (Ifad) is launching a new report on rural poverty."

Food security, farming, and climate change to 2050 | International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Food security, farming, and climate change to 2050 | International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): "As the global population grows and incomes in poor countries rise, so too, will the demand for food, placing additional pressure on sustainable food production. Climate change adds a further challenge, as changes in temperature and precipitation threaten agricultural productivity and the capacity to feed the world’s population. This study assesses how serious the danger to food security might be and suggests some steps policymakers can take to remedy the situation."

Is Climate Change Too Scary?: Scientific American Podcast

Is Climate Change Too Scary?: Scientific American Podcast: "When it comes to persuasion, doom and gloom doesn't work. If that wasn't clear from the morass that is international climate change negotiations starting this week or the constant reports of extinction of plant and animal species worldwide, new research [pdf] from the University of California, Berkeley shows it's so."

Hunger in America

Hunger in America: "Some 15 percent of US households, 17.4 million families or about 50 million people, were too poor to buy adequate food last year, according to a new report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). More than a third of these households, with as many as one million children, were missing meals on a regular basis, the study found.

The number of families classified as “food insecure” according to the USDA, which administers the food stamp program, has more than tripled since 2006, before the current economic slump which has brought near double-digit unemployment. Because most people are reluctant to admit they have a problem putting food on the table, particularly when they have children, “food insecurity” was calculated from survey questions about skipping meals or running out of food stamps, combined with comparisons of income and food prices."

The Trouble With Billionaires: Amazon.ca: Linda Mcquaig: Books

The Trouble With Billionaires: Amazon.ca: Linda Mcquaig: Books: "The glittering lives of billionaires may seem like a harmless source of entertainment. But such concentrated economic power reverberates throughout society, threatening the quality of life and the very functioning of democracy. It's no accident that the United States claims the most billionaires--but suffers among the highest rates of infant mortality and crime, the shortest life expectancy, as well as the lowest rates of social mobility and electoral political participation in the developed world.
Our society tends to regard large fortunes as evidence of great talent or accomplishment. Yet the vast new wealth isn't due to an increase in talent or effort at the top, but rather to changing social attitudes legitimizing greed and government policy changes that favour the new elite. Authoritative and eye-opening, The Trouble with Billionaires will spark debate about the kind of society we want."

Earth System Science for Global Sustainability

Earth System Science for Global Sustainability: Grand Challenges -- Reid et al. 330 (6006): 916 -- Science: "Tremendous progress has been made in understanding the functioning of the Earth system and, in particular, the impact of human actions (1). Although this knowledge can inform management of specific features of our world in transition, societies need knowledge that will allow them to simultaneously reduce global environmental risks while also meeting economic development goals. For example, how can we advance science and technology, change human behavior, and influence political will to enable societies to meet targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid dangerous climate change? At the same time, how can we meet needs for food, water, improved health and human security, and enhanced energy security? Can this be done while also meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and ensuring ecosystem integrity?"

Vision of Humanity

Our Vision « Vision of Humanity: "We are in an epoch different to any other epoch in human history. The problems we are facing are global in nature. They include climate change, ever decreasing biodiversity, full use of the fresh water on the planet and underpinning all these – overpopulation. Without peace we will be unable to achieve the levels of cooperation, inclusiveness and social equity required to begin solving these challenges, let alone empower the international institutions needed to regulate them."

ScienceDirect - Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability : Food production, crops and sustainability: restoring confidence in science and technology

ScienceDirect - Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability : Food production, crops and sustainability: restoring confidence in science and technology

By 2050, the global food requirement will increase significantly, driven by a population increase to more than nine billion and by a richer diet. There is a need for agricultural and food systems that are not only more productive, but also sustainable. Currently, progress is hampered by a lack of understanding how to close the yield and sustainability gap. The consequence is stagnation in implementing policies and regulations that meet future needs. The challenge of meeting global food security in a sustainable way requires a knowledge-intensive approach and the use of advanced technologies.

The Global Economy: Finding Common Ground Between National Interests and Global Stability | Centre for International Governance Innovation | Centre pour l'innovation dans la gouvernance internationale

The Global Economy: Finding Common Ground Between National Interests and Global Stability | Centre for International Governance Innovation | Centre pour l'innovation dans la gouvernance internationale: "With the G20 in agreement that fiscal stimulus will shift to fiscal consolidation over the medium term, the question of how to address the risk of another downturn in global demand will be on everyone’s mind during the G20 summit in Seoul.

In this context, there has been a recent focus on the risk that currency market swings could result in competitive devaluations and protectionist measures. Such actions could deal a serious blow to the hope for a strengthening global economy."

Breathingearth - CO2, birth & death rates by country, simulated real-time

Breathingearth - CO2, birth & death rates by country, simulated real-time

Natural disaster costs set to rise sharply - new report | Global | Aid Policy | Early Warning | Environment | Governance | Natural Disasters

IRIN Global | In Brief: Natural disaster costs set to rise sharply - new report | Global | Aid Policy | Early Warning | Environment | Governance | Natural Disasters: "A new report by the World Bank and the UN says the cost of coping with natural disasters could triple to US$185 billion per year by the end of the century.

The report - compiled mainly by economists over two years - said the projection did not include climate change impact costs. But added more frequent and intense tropical cyclones because of climate change could raise total costs by an additional $28-$68 billion a year by 2100.

Entitled Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters: The Economics of Effective Prevention, the report makes four main policy suggestions to governments:"

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations: "Human well-being relies critically on ecosystem services provided by nature. Examples include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination and flood control, all of which are dependent on biodiversity. They are predominantly public goods with limited or no markets and do not command any price in the conventional economic system, so their loss is often not detected and continues unaddressed and unabated. This in turn not only impacts human well-being, but also seriously undermines the sustainability of the economic system.

It is against this background that TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project was set up in 2007 and led by the United Nations Environment Programme to provide a comprehensive global assessment of economic aspects of these issues. This book, written by a team of international experts, represents the scientific state of the art, providing a comprehensive assessment of the fundamental ecological and economic principles of measuring and valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, and showing how these can be mainstreamed into public policies."

U.S., India plan food security push in Africa - source - The Economic Times

U.S., India plan food security push in Africa - source - The Economic Times: "MUMBAI: The United States and India plan to work together to promote food security in Africa, a part of the world where China has been expanding its presence.

A senior administration official said the initiative, which will harness know-how and technology, was being worked out during President Barack Obama's visit to India, where he arrived on Saturday at the start of a 10-day tour of Asia."

Food Security Conference In The Hague Concludes With Suggestions For U.N. Climate Negotiations To Incorporate Agriculture - Kaiser Global Health

Food Security Conference In The Hague Concludes With Suggestions For U.N. Climate Negotiations To Incorporate Agriculture - Kaiser Global Health: "The conference, featuring delegates from 80 countries and a total of about 800 participants, 'ended with a call to invest in new farming practices that will curb greenhouse gas emissions and will better use currently available land to feed a global population of 9 billion by 2050,' the news service writes. 'Producing what it called a 'roadmap for action,' the conference called for governments to provide access to financing, markets and technology, while acknowledging that private business will play a huge role. Among its list of recommended actions was the restoration of degraded land, new systems of water conservation and harvesting, and better management of animal waste that produces powerful greenhouse gases.'"

Feeding Africa at a Time of Climate Change - a Major... -- THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Feeding Africa at a Time of Climate Change - a Major... -- THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --: "Mr. Annan will argue: 'Feeding Africa, at a time of climate change, is one of the major development challenges of our time. Africa today needs new investment in agriculture on a par with that which Asia and Latin America received in the 1960s and 1970s. According to the World Bank, every development dollar invested in agriculture in Africa has two to three times the positive impact on poverty than the same dollar invested in other economic sectors.'
'Africa is the only continent which fails to grow enough food to meet its own needs. It alone has failed to see agricultural productivity keep pace with its growing population. One in three of those without sufficient food live in Africa. The continent also faces the greatest threat from climate change. Rising temperatures and changes to rainfall patterns will have a devastating impact because of heavy reliance on rain-water for crops.'"

Living Planet Report 2010 | marketspace

Living Planet Report 2010 | marketspace: "The 2010 edition of the Living Planet Report presents new analyses on the health of our only planet. It shows populations of tropical species are plummeting while humanity’s demands on natural resources are sky-rocketing. At this dates we are using 50% more natural resources than the earth can sustain."

How Big is the Human Footprint on Earth?

How Big is the Human Footprint on Earth?: "Humanity is now using nature's services 50 percent faster than what Earth can renew, reveals the 2010 Living Planet Report, released Oct. 13 in Bristol, UK. Produced by WWF in collaboration with Global Footprint Network and the Zoological Society of London, the report examines the state of our natural world, and our impacts upon it."

From around the world, lessons in 'climate smart' agriculture

FAO Media Centre: From around the world, lessons in 'climate smart' agriculture: "4 November 2010, Rome - Farmers around the world are adopting new ways of producing food that both help cope with climate change and reduce farming's greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new FAO website on 'climate-smart' agriculture published today."

Biosciences for Africa: Fuelling africa’s agricultural revolution from within

Biosciences for Africa: Fuelling africa’s agricultural revolution from within ILRI News: "A world-class research facility, the Biosciences eastern and central Africa�Hub,�was officially opened in Nairobi, today, by Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki. This opening follows a scientific conference, Mobilizing Biosciences for Africa’s Development, which was held the day before at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which hosts and manages the new facility.

The BecA Hub is open for use by researchers from Africa and around the world who are working to improve African agriculture. The BecA Hub puts Africa’s research capacity on par with some of the world’s most advanced research institutes."

IN WORLD OF PLENTY, GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS FAILING MOST VULNERABLE, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL AT WORLD FOOD DAY COMMEMORATION, CALLING FOR ‘FIX’

ReliefWeb Document IN WORLD OF PLENTY, GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS FAILING MOST VULNERABLE, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL AT WORLD FOOD DAY COMMEMORATION, CALLING FOR ‘FIX’: "Food and Agriculture Organization Says Hunger Deep, Profound; World Food Programme Says 1 Billion Wake Up Daily Unable to Fill Even One Cup with Food

At a special ceremony today in observance of the 2010 World Food Day on the theme 'United against Hunger', Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that in a world of plenty, the world's food systems were failing the most vulnerable.

Calling for the world's food systems to be 'fixed' in order to meet that internationally agreed development target, he said achieving that would lift up whole societies and help achieve all of the other Goals."

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."

Hunger Set to Become a Key Issue in Global Politics -- BERLIN, September 28, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

Hunger Set to Become a Key Issue in Global Politics -- BERLIN, September 28, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --: "The prices of wheat and other agricultural commodities have risen yet again, following the already significant price increases of 2007 and 2008. According to the Humboldt Forum for Food and Agriculture, these are the early indicators of a latent food crisis, which will hit the world within the next ten years.
'If no decisive action is taken, the prices of key food commodities are likely to be 50 to 100 per cent higher by 2020 than they were at the turn of the millennium. This would dramatically increase the level of hunger and malnutrition, around the world,' says Harald von Witzke, president of the Humboldt Forum for Food and Agriculture, an international think tank, headquartered in Berlin, Germany."

Globally scanning for "Megatrends of the Mind": Potential futures of futures thinking

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details: "The paper first identifies new ways of thinking within several disciplines such as science, philosophy, religion and education. New knowledge patterns are then identified in discourses that traverse disciplinary boundaries through transdisciplinary approaches such as futures studies and planetary/global studies. The paper then discusses evolution of consciousness, identifying research that theorises new ways of thinking as being related to individual psychological development and/or socio-cultural evolution. Finally, evolutionary concepts are discussed that attempt to meta-cohere the new knowledge patterns via the terms postformal, integral and planetary."

Cambridge Journals Online - Fulltext - Reduced Expectations: the political and institutional challenges of REDD

Reduced Expectations: the political and institutional challenges of REDD: "Development and environmental policies in developing countries are often based on narratives that provide an argument for a particular action or intervention based on a simplification of the world’s complexity (Hirschman, 1968; Roe, 1991). Strong narratives can become convincing arguments for change, particularly when supported by powerful agencies such as national governments, donors and international organizations, and can lead to blueprints for action that may or may not be based on effective implementation elsewhere. However, history tells us that great ideas designed to improve human societies can sometimes fail with startling results (Scott, 1998). Great ideas are not necessarily doomed to failure but they should avoid unduly simplifying the social, economic, political and institutional complexity of the problem."

Millennium development goals in an age of fear and loathing | Jeffery Sachs | Global development | The Guardian

Millennium development goals in an age of fear and loathing | Jeffery Sachs | Global development | The Guardian: "The world's continuing dedication to a set of global goals to fight poverty, hunger and disease is no small triumph in an era marked by cynicism, the fraying of social bonds and the widespread fears of economic dislocation. The millennium development goals have come through a week of UN summitry not only intact but invigorated. The goals, it turns out, are doing double duty: helping the poor countries to fight poverty and the rich countries to preserve a sense of social solidarity."

Sustainable Prosperity Research and Policy Network | Sustainable Prosperity

 

The operating system of our modern world – the capitalist market – is an incredible tool.  It links billions of producers and consumers every day, generating price signals that help people around the world decide what to make and what to buy.  But when it comes to conserving Earth’s natural environment, our markets are badly broken: we don't pay the true environmental costs of making, using and getting rid of stuff.

Sustainable Prosperity Research and Policy Network | Sustainable Prosperity

We Can End Poverty, Millennium Development Goals, 2015: UN Summit, 20-22 September 2010, New York

We Can End Poverty, Millennium Development Goals, 2015: UN Summit, 20-22 September 2010, New York: "With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), world leaders are meeting at a summit in New York (20-22 September) to accelerate progress towards the MDGs."

Trade-offs in Conservation: Deciding What to Save: Amazon.ca: Nigel Leader-Williams, William M. Adams, Robert J. Smith: Books

Trade-offs in Conservation: Deciding What to Save: Amazon.ca: Nigel Leader-Williams, William M. Adams, Robert J. Smith: Books

Science: what has it done for the Millennium Development Goals? - SciDev.Net

Science: what has it done for the Millennium Development Goals? - SciDev.Net: "When the United Nations published the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, with aspirations including the ending of poverty and hunger; the promotion of gender equality and a reduction in child mortality, there was little mention of science. Yet most people involved in working towards the goals accepted that achieving them would rely on the successful application of science. Now, five years before the deadline, and on the eve of a gathering in New York to discuss progress,"

World must rethink poverty fight: U.S. aid chief | Reuters

World must rethink poverty fight: U.S. aid chief | Reuters: "The world must rethink strategies for fighting global poverty, with new emphasis on economic growth, accountability and governance key if basic goals for helping the world's poorest by 2015 are to be met, the U.S. aid chief said.

With leaders gathering in New York on Monday for a United Nations summit on the anti-poverty fight, USAID head Rajiv Shah said the Obama administration was pushing for a new approach in a battle that thus far has brought mixed results."

Maplecroft | Home | About Maplecroft | Media Room | News

Maplecroft | Home | About Maplecroft | Media Room | News: "The Food Security Risk Index 2010, released by risk analysis and rating firm Maplecroft, evaluates the risks to the supply of basic food staples for 163 countries. It uses 12 criteria developed in collaboration with the World Food Programme, to calculate the ranking including: the nutritional and health status of populations, cereal production and imports, GDP per capita, natural disasters, conflict, and the effectiveness of government."

Water security & climate change - SciDev.Net

Water security & climate change - SciDev.Net: "Climate change will certainly impact global and regional water resources, but the exact consequences for water security remain unclear. How well can scientists predict the problems? And what can policymakers do to prepare?"

UN Says Global Hunger Remains 'Unacceptably High' | News | English

UN Says Global Hunger Remains 'Unacceptably High' | News | English: "A report from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, on Tuesday says global hunger has fallen this year but remains 'unacceptably high.' The FAO estimates that there are 925 million undernourished people in the world this year, compared to a little more than a billion last year.

Can the World Meet its Promise to Halve Hunger by 2015? - Ecocentric - TIME.com

Can the World Meet its Promise to Halve Hunger by 2015? - Ecocentric - TIME.com: "A new report released by Oxfam this week has some good news and some bad news for the state of world hunger. The good news: last year, the FAO recorded the first significant dent in world hunger in 15 years, with a decrease from a record 1.02 billion people going hungry in 2009 after the global food crisis down to 925 million this year.

The bad news: 925 million people on the planet are still hungry, a fact that represents what is quickly shaping up to be a basic failure on the part of nations who met ten years ago to establish the UN Millennium Development Goals."

The Hindu Business Line : Mobiles on health call

The Hindu Business Line : Mobiles on health call "A recent initiative by a global consortia consisting of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University's Auton Lab, LIRNEasia, University of Alberta, Respere Lanka, Lanka Jathika Sarvodhaya Society and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), called the Real Time Biosurveillance Program (RTBP), has attempted to use the power of the mobile phone in developing a healthcare model."

ScienceDirect - Ecological Modelling : An interregional ecological approach for modelling sustainability in a globalizing world—Reviewing existing approaches and emerging directions

ScienceDirect - Ecological Modelling : An interregional ecological approach for modelling sustainability in a globalizing world—Reviewing existing approaches and emerging directions - In recent decades international trade has become a major source of supplying the need and wants of billions of people around the world. Virtually everyone now consumes resource commodities and manufactured products imported from ‘elsewhere’. In effect, globalization and trade enable consuming populations to support themselves on the output of distant ecosystems half a world away. However, while economic integration implies greater ‘connectivity’ within the global village, the spatial separation of material production (including resource extraction) from consumption eliminates some of the signals i.e., the negative feedbacks coming from supporting eco-systems from reaching those who depend on these ecosystems for their sustainability. At present, despite increasing global connectedness, most environmental studies and models apply to a single spatial scale: local, national or global; analysing diverse pressures on human well-being and ecosystems integrity. This paper argues that both economic globalization and global ecological change should force us to add an interregional scale for quantifying and modelling sustainability. Such an approach recognizes that, in a globalizing world, the sustainability of any given region increasingly depends, directly and indirectly, on the sustainability of many other regions.

Renewed instability in global food markets requires urgent response – UN expert

Renewed instability in global food markets requires urgent response – UN expert: "7 September 2010 – An independent United Nations human rights expert today called on governments and the international community to promptly tackle the renewed instability of global food markets, noting the related social unrest that has hit some countries in recent weeks.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is convening a special meeting in Rome on 24 September to examine the recent spike in wheat prices and help avoid any repeat of the recent global food crisis.

Wheat prices experienced their biggest monthly rise in almost a year in August, according to the FAO’s Food Price Index, climbing by 5 per cent following persistent drought in Russia – a major producer – and that country’s subsequent restriction on sales.

Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, called on the Rome meeting to “move beyond words” and prepare measures on speculation and food reserves. He also urged donors to step up their support to poor food-deficit countries."

Livestock background paper for World Development Report 2010: Development in a changing climate � ILRI News

Livestock background paper for World Development Report 2010: Development in a changing climate � ILRI News: "The inter-linkages between rapid growth in livestock production, climate change, and the impacts on water resources, land use, and deforestation'—was prepared as a background paper to the World Bank’s acclaimed�World Development Report 2010: Development in a Changing Climate"

Canadian honour for MS Swaminathan - Hindustan Times

Canadian honour for MS Swaminathan - Hindustan Times: "MS Swaminathan, one of the pioneers of the Green Revolution in India, will receive an honorary doctorate from Canada's University of Alberta for his contribution to food security in the world. The Edmonton-based university, which has forged strong relationship with India thanks to its Sri


Lankan-born president Indira Samarasekera, said the world-renowned Indian agriculture scientist will receive the honorary degree Oct 7.
He will also deliver the annual Bentley Lecture on Sustainable Agriculture and the Lester Pearson Memorial Lecture the same day.

Described as 'the father of economic ecology' by the UN Environment Programme, Swaminathan will speak on 'Food Safety and Security in an Era of Climate Change' at the university."

AgWired � Blog Archives � Former UN Sec’y General Awarded World Food Prize Medallion

AgWired Blog Archives Former UN Sec’y General Awarded World Food Prize Medallion: "Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has picked up the World Food Prize Foundation’s Norman E. Borlaug Medallion, recognizing world leaders whose actions have benefited mankind but who would not normally be eligible for the World Food Prize.

This World Food Prize Foundation press release says Annan was befittingly awarded the medallion during the first-ever African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in his home country of Ghana:"

6th International Conference on Emerging Zoonoses - WELCOME

6th International Conference on Emerging Zoonoses - WELCOME: "We take great pleasure in inviting you to join us for the 6th International Conference on Emerging Zoonoses, which will take place in Cancun, Mexico,
February 24 – 27, 2011.

Events in the last year have shown us that we are still very vulnerable to fatal zoonotic diseases such as pandemic swine-origin influenza virus H1N1. Since we met in Limassol, Cyprus in November 2007 avian and swine influenza has captured the world’s attention, and we have witnessed the emergence and/or re-emergence of many zoonotic diseases such as the Reston ebolavirus in pigs. Furthermore, new zoonotic pathogens with potential of causing severe human disease have been discovered such as a new arenavirus, Lujo virus, and a new lineage of HIV in Africa."

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Applying methodological pluralism to wildlife and the economy

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics : Applying methodological pluralism to wildlife and the economy

Methodological pluralism is important when we study complex systems. We aim to show that methodological pluralism yields additional insight by applying it to a specific question: how are the economy and wildlife related in developed and developing countries? We identify three possible ingredients of methodological pluralism: (1) using both qualitative and quantitative information; (2) tapping the potential of history to illuminate slow-moving variables; and (3) explicitly synthesizing either individually or in groups, by thinking about the corresponding system. We illustrate with examples.

Bringing agriculture and health back together - SciDev.Net

Bringing agriculture and health back together - SciDev.Net: "Agriculture and health experts must work together to tackle disease, poverty and malnutrition, says development expert Jeff Waage.

The relationship between agriculture and health may seem intuitive and simple — grow more crops and people will have more food and live healthier lives. But because agriculture and health policies are rarely coordinated, the reality is far more complex.

The truth is that despite a huge increase in agricultural productivity and food availability over the past 50 years, and falling food prices, about a billion people remain chronically undernourished.

At the same time, production of cheap refined cereals, sugars and fats is contributing to urban diets that are energy dense and nutrient poor, leading to rapidly growing rates of obesity and diabetes, and associated chronic diseases. This dietary transition is now being seen in countries like China, India and Mexico."

Improving African food security in the face of climate change » ILRI News

 

Scientists, policymakers and farmers from across Africa are meeting this week in Windhoek, Namibia to discuss how to improve food security in Africa in the face of climate change. (Photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann)

Improving African food security in the face of climate change » ILRI News

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details

Scopus preview - Scopus - Document details: "Human appropriation of net primary production in the United Kingdom, 1800-2000. Changes in society's impact on ecological energy flows during the agrarian-industrial transition"

CGIAR Livestock and Fish Mega Program

CGIAR Livestock and Fish Mega Program: "As explained in the 1st week of this e-consultation, we propose to focus our efforts on working with development partners to transform and upgrade selected livestock and fish value chains in a few countries to increase their production and benefits to the poor. A significant share of our resources will therefore be devoted to gaining a systemic understanding of each value chain, evaluating its performance, and identifying opportunities that add value and improve their efficiency and benefits. In some cases, we will be able to respond to these opportunities by applying readily available technologies and strategies and support our development partners to build the needed capacity for their uptake. In many cases, though, specific long-standing constraints will limit the response to an opportunity– e.g., poor feed availability during the dry season–and research will be needed to propose better solutions."

Does infectious disease cause global variation in the frequency of intrastate armed conflict and civil war? - Letendre - 2010 - Biological Reviews - Wiley Online Library

Does infectious disease cause global variation in the frequency of intrastate armed conflict and civil war? - Letendre - 2010 - Biological Reviews - Wiley Online Library: "Geographic and cross-national variation in the frequency of intrastate armed conflict and civil war is a subject of great interest. Previous theory on this variation has focused on the influence on human behaviour of climate, resource competition, national wealth, and cultural characteristics. We present the parasite-stress model of intrastate conflict, which unites previous work on the correlates of intrastate conflict by linking frequency of the outbreak of such conflict, including civil war, to the intensity of infectious disease across countries of the world. High intensity of infectious disease leads to the emergence of xenophobic and ethnocentric cultural norms. These cultures suffer greater poverty and deprivation due to the morbidity and mortality caused by disease, and as a result of decreased investment in public health and welfare. Resource competition among xenophobic and ethnocentric groups within a nation leads to increased frequency of civil war. We present support for the parasite-stress model with regression analyses. We find support for a direct effect of infectious disease on intrastate armed conflict, and support for an indirect effect of infectious disease on the incidence of civil war via its negative effect on national wealth."

The Meat Crisis

The Meat Crisis: "Meat and dairy production and consumption are in crisis. Globally 60 billion farm animals are used for food production every year. It is well accepted that methane emissions from cattle and other livestock are major contributors to greenhouse gas levels and to climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) predicts a rough doubling of meat and milk consumption by 2050, with particularly rapid growth occurring in the developing economies of Asia. This could raise the number of farm animals used annually to nearer 120 billion. What will this mean for the health and wellbeing of those animals, of the people who consume ever larger quantities of animal products, and for the health of the planet itself?"

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics, Volume 69, Issue 11, Pages 2045-2302 (15 September 2010)

ScienceDirect - Ecological Economics, Volume 69, Issue 11, Pages 2045-2302 (15 September 2010): "Special Section - Payments for Ecosystem Services: From Local to Global
Edited by Joshua Farley and Robert Costanza"

Forum: Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development

Forum: Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development: "The Forum on Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development is an attempt to outline the burgeoning field. Rather than looking broadly at sustainability, the Forum focuses on the way in which science and innovation can be conducted and applied to meet human needs while preserving the life support systems of the planet. It highlights people and programs that are studying nature-society interactions and applying the resulting knowledge to create a sustainability transition around the world."

Sustainability Unpacked

Sustainability Unpacked: "Sustainability Unpacked
Food, Energy and Water for Resilient Environments and Societies
By Kristiina A. Vogt, Toral Patel-Weynand, Maura Shelton, Daniel J. Vogt, John C. Gordon, Cal Mukumoto, Asep S. Suntana and Patricia A. Roads
�

‘What is ‘sustainability’? Taking a comprehensive yet simple approach, this book discusses the inter-linking and complex elements of sustainability and how they influence and are influenced by our society when it comes to making decisions about resource use. A must-read book for everyone interested in conservation, the environment and development.’"

Animals Ethics and Trade - The Challenge of Animal Sentience

Animals Ethics and Trade - The Challenge of Animal Sentience: "Modern urban life cuts us off from direct connection with the animal world yet daily the lives of millions of animals are affected by what we consume and wear and what we trade in. The use of animals for food labour and pleasure pursuits has long been justified with the assumption that unlike humans animals aren’t fully sentient beings."

Animal Breeding, Welfare and Society

Animal Breeding, Welfare and Society: "This book discusses the methods, the motivations and the consequences of human intervention in animal breeding in terms of animal health, behaviour and well-being. It explores where we are now and the choices ahead, and looks to a future where we have more respect for animals as sentient beings and where we could loosen the reins of reproductive control."

Environmental eScience — Philosophical Transactions A

Environmental eScience — Philosophical Transactions A: "The Internet has changed not only the way society operates but also how scientists work. There has also been a step change in the quantity of data that scientists routinely amass and need to analyse. These technologies have transformed our working lives as researchers.

The way we can store and retrieve complex and often heterogeneous data makes new types of analysis possible for the first time. The growth in the raw power of computers, as well as in the ways in which this power can be harnessed, allows new problems to be modelled and old issues to be studied in greater detail. But the speed of technological innovation has been so great that the full power of these technologies has yet to be realized across all scientific fields. National research agencies have an important role in supporting scientists as they adapt to this changing landscape"

Genetically Manipulated Crops: The GMO Catastrophe in the USA. A Lesson for the World

Genetically Manipulated Crops: The GMO Catastrophe in the USA. A Lesson for the World: "Recently the unelected potentates of the EU Commission in Brussels have sought to override what has repeatedly been shown to be the overwhelming opposition of the European Union population to the spread of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in EU agriculture."

Livestock production: recent trends, future prospects — Philosophical Transactions B

Livestock production: recent trends, future prospects — Philosophical Transactions B: "The livestock sector globally is highly dynamic. In developing countries, it is evolving in response to rapidly increasing demand for livestock products. In developed countries, demand for livestock products is stagnating, while many production systems are increasing their efficiency and environmental sustainability. Historical changes in the demand for livestock products have been largely driven by human population growth, income growth and urbanization and the production response in different livestock systems has been associated with science and technology as well as increases in animal numbers. In the future, production will increasingly be affected by competition for natural resources, particularly land and water, competition between food and feed and by the need to operate in a carbon-constrained economy. Developments in breeding, nutrition and animal health will continue to contribute to increasing potential production and further efficiency and genetic gains. Livestock production is likely to be increasingly affected by carbon constraints and environmental and animal welfare legislation. Demand for livestock products in the future could be heavily moderated by socio-economic factors such as human health concerns and changing socio-cultural values. There is considerable uncertainty as to how these factors will play out in different regions of the world in the coming decades."

Navigating your way around a REDD story - SciDev.Net

Navigating your way around a REDD story - SciDev.Net: "This guide, published by Panos London, explains why forests are a vital and controversial issue in global climate change negotiations and provides journalists with tips on how to report about REDD — reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

REDD is a proposed mechanism to slow the loss of forests — and therefore climate change — by paying forest nations, often developing countries, to stop deforestation."

About the NBII Wildlife Disease Information Node

About the NBII Wildlife Disease Information Node: "WDIN is a collaborative project working to develop a Web-based monitoring and reporting system to provide state and federal resource managers, animal disease specialists, veterinary diagnostic laboratories, physicians, public health workers, educators, and the general public with access to data on wildlife diseases, mortality events, and other critical related information. Data are contributed voluntarily, with partners deciding which data they choose to share.

The Node is a dynamic and evolving Web resource, reflecting the expanding and continually changing face of wildlife disease. As more partners come together as part of this collaborative project, the resulting distributed wildlife disease data warehouse can be a valuable resource for all to share and use to enhance the understanding, surveillance, management, control, and prevention of wildlife diseases around the world."

Michael Pollan: The Mighty Rise of the Food Revolution | Food | AlterNet

Michael Pollan: The Mighty Rise of the Food Revolution | Food | AlterNet: "Until very recently, food was invisible as a political issue. Something is stirring. Pollan reviews five books that address the heart of the food movement."

Conference at onsustainability.com

Conference at onsustainability.com: "Welcome to the website of the Seventh International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability. The 2011 Conference is to be held at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand From 5 to 7 January. The Conference will work in a multidisciplinary way across the various fields and perspectives through which we can address the fundamental and related questions of sustainability."

Solving the world's hunger and obesity crises together - CNN.com

Solving the world's hunger and obesity crises together - CNN.com

The “Green” Assault on America Continues � Publications � Family Security Matters

The “Green” Assault on America Continues � Publications � Family Security Matters: "At the end of the Cold War, there was an influential sentiment in academic and business circles that the nation-state was going to lose its central position in world politics that it had held since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The nation would be assaulted from both above and below. Globalization would shift authority to “higher” planes like the United Nations, while sub-national interest groups would pursue their own agendas indifferent or hostile to society. Allegiances would shift. Corporations would follow profits, not the flag, and non-government organizations (NGOs) would place ideology above country"

eBooks.com - Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present eBook

eBooks.com - Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present eBook: "Big History represents a new kind of history, one that skillfully interweaves historical knowledge and cutting-edge science. In an age of global warming, when the fate of the earth hangs in the balance, scientific advances permit us to see the universe as never before, grasping the timescales that allow us to understand the history of mankind in the context of its ecological impact on the planet. Cynthia Brown’s lucid, accessible narrative is the first popularization of this innovative new field of study, as thrilling as it is ambitious."

International food security situation is not optimistic about this year or even more serious | Tom Wilt News

International food security situation is not optimistic about this year or even more serious | Tom Wilt News: "Since the latter half of 2007 around the world have emerged as the basis Food prices Inflation caused by rising global food reserve has dropped to its lowest level in 35 years. FAO researchers said: “In the past, this food market panic soon subsided, but this does not seem as in the past. The current serious imbalance in supply and demand, can not find easy solution.” In this Food crisis , From the Caribbean to the south of the Sahara, more than 30 countries and regions in conflict and unrest due to hunger."

How to feed a hungry world : Nature : Nature Publishing Group

How to feed a hungry world : Nature : Nature Publishing Group: "Producing enough food for the world's population in 2050 will be easy. But doing it at an acceptable cost to the planet will depend on research into everything from high-tech seeds to low-tech farming practices."

Global network needed to monitor world's agriculture - SciDev.Net

Global network needed to monitor world's agriculture - SciDev.Net: "Writing in Nature, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Jeffrey Sachs, and 24 agricultural experts call for a global network to monitor the effects of agriculture on the environment.

Evaluating the social, environmental and economic effects of different farming systems is a key step towards making agriculture sustainable and ensuring food security"

Food Prices Soar (again) – Governments Starved Ag Research of Funding for Last 20 Years � Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist

Food Prices Soar (again) – Governments Starved Ag Research of Funding for Last 20 Years � Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist: "A billion people go hungry every day, food prices have climbed 30 to 40 percent, climate change is reducing agricultural production – and for the past two decades, the world has slashed investments in publicly-funded agriculture until it is a pittance in most countries."

With Enough Land plus Biotechnology to Feed Us All Why do People Still Go Hungry? | Sustainable Shelter

With Enough Land plus Biotechnology to Feed Us All Why do People Still Go Hungry? | Sustainable Shelter: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care according to article 25 of the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights."

Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Health | International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Health | International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): "Agriculture impacts poor people’s nutrition and health, and people’s nutrition and health in turn affects their productivity. As a supplier of food, a source of income, and an engine of growth, agriculture has the potential to significantly and sustainably improve poor people’s nutrition and health."

ScienceDirect - Futures : Science, technology and future sustainability

ScienceDirect - Futures : Science, technology and future sustainability "The sustainability debate can be characterized as being between advocates of modifications to currently dominant forms of development, so as to reduce pollution and resource use, and those advocating more fundamental global reform, encompassing issues as diverse as equity and humanity's relationship with nature. The former views are challenged by critics that regard the exploitative attitude to nature, integral to them, as pivotal to our present unsustainable predicament. Science and technology play a decisive role in legitimating this exploitative relationship, with this outlook integral to the western scientific tradition. Serious consideration of alternatives requires a reappraisal of the application and practice of science and technology, focusing on the instrumental perception of nature at present central to them. "

ScienceDirect - Futures : Future sustainability and images

ScienceDirect - Futures : Future sustainability and images: "Ambitions for sustainable development invariably lead to pondering the future, because sustainability issues require a future oriented transition of existing, unsustainable systems and practices. Working towards transition requires thorough experimentation with a broad range of innovation projects. However, in the public arena, many such projects are met with stereotypical images, which influence their innovative potential in often unpredictable ways. What is the role of multiple images in complex sustainable development issues, and what are promising approaches to deal with their associated problems? "