As the world faces an increasingly severe climate crisis, investing in agricultural research and international development is more important than ever to help the world “avoid a collision” and bolster global food and nutrition security, according to a panel of speakers at a World Food Prize side event.
International development and research investments create benefits on multiple fronts, including improving climate resilience, food trade, infrastructure, farmers’ access to finance, and global nutrition, particularly for women, according to speakers at the event on Wednesday, hosted by Farm Journal Foundation on the sidelines of this year’s World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. The event, titled Avoiding a Collision: How We Can Both Nourish and Preserve Our World, covered the tension between how farmers and the agricultural industry can continue to nourish a growing global population while also helping to mitigate climate change. This tension makes up the central question of a new book by author and journalist Roger Thurow, who served as a keynote speaker at the event.
“In reporting the book, I found farmer after farmer said their agriculture is turning against itself with depleted soils, diminishing water, fleeing pollinators, shrinking biodiversity, more mercurial rains and hotter temperatures, which underscores the need to address the climate change challenges in order to feed our global population,” Thurow said.
The panel of experts on Wednesday’s panel also included Dr. Lindiwe Sibanda, Chair, CGIAR System Board; Dina Esposito, Assistant to the Administrator for the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security, USAID; and former World Food Prize Laureate Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Following the discussion, Roger Thurow was available to sign copies of his latest book, Against the Grain: How Farmers Around the Globe Are Transforming Agriculture to Nourish the World and Heal the Planet.
Wednesday’s discussion revolved around protecting food and nutrition security in low- and middle-income countries, how agricultural research and development can create more sustainable and safer food systems with less food loss and waste, how leaders can think about food systems more holistically all along the value chain to reverse negative malnutrition trends, and how the climate crisis impacts nutrition for women and children, in particular.
Currently, about 10 percent of the global population is experiencing hunger, with three billion people unable to afford a well-balanced, healthy diet, according to a Farm Journal Foundation report. Those in low- to middle-income countries are more greatly affected, especially women – who make up almost half of the world’s smallholder farmers and produce approximately 70% of Africa’s food.
“The impact of climate change on agriculture is an issue that we must collectively prioritize and address if we want to help smallholder farmers around the world improve their food security and livelihoods,” said Farm Journal Foundation CEO Tricia Beal. “I’m glad we are able to partner with these esteemed organizations – CGIAR, USAID, and GAIN – to work together to advance solutions for feeding our growing population with climate-friendly practices.”
Farm Journal Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to advance global food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture, and rural economic development. The Foundation believes in a future where food systems work for everyone – farmers, consumers, economies, and the environment. Achieving this vision starts with conversations – bringing all voices to the table to discuss challenges to our global food systems and how we can create tangible, innovative solutions that serve us all. To learn more, visit www.farmjournalfoundation.org.
