State of the World 2011 - Innovations Can Nourish the Planet
WorldwatchInstitute today released its report State of the World 2011:
Innovations that Nourish the Planet, which spotlights
successful agricultural innovations and unearths major successes in
preventing food waste, building resilience to climate change, and
strengthening farming in cities.
The report provides a roadmap for increased agricultural
investment and more-efficient ways to alleviate global hunger and
poverty. Drawing from the world’s leading agricultural experts and
from hundreds of innovations that are already working on the
ground, the report outlines 15 proven, environmentally sustainable
prescriptions.
“The progress showcased through this report will inform
governments, policymakers, NGOs, and donors that seek to curb
hunger and poverty, providing a clear roadmap for expanding or
replicating these successes elsewhere,” said Worldwatch Institute
President Christopher Flavin.
governments, policymakers, NGOs, and donors that seek to curb
hunger and poverty, providing a clear roadmap for expanding or
replicating these successes elsewhere,” said Worldwatch Institute
President Christopher Flavin.
“We need the world’s influencers of
agricultural development to commit to longstanding support for
farmers, who make up 80 percent of the population in
Africa.”
agricultural development to commit to longstanding support for
farmers, who make up 80 percent of the population in
Africa.”
State of the World 2011 comes at a time when many
global hunger and food security initiatives-such as the Obama
administration’s Feed the Future program, the Global Agriculture
and Food Security Program (GAFSP), the United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP), and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Programme (CAADP)-can benefit from new insight into
environmentally sustainable projects that are already working to
alleviate hunger and poverty.
global hunger and food security initiatives-such as the Obama
administration’s Feed the Future program, the Global Agriculture
and Food Security Program (GAFSP), the United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP), and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Programme (CAADP)-can benefit from new insight into
environmentally sustainable projects that are already working to
alleviate hunger and poverty.
Nearly a half-century after the Green Revolution, a large
share of the human family is still chronically hungry. While
investment in agricultural development by governments,
international lenders and foundations has escalated in recent
years, it is still nowhere near what’s needed to help the 925
million people who are undernourished. Since the mid 1980s
when agricultural funding was at its height, the share of global
development aid has fallen from over 16 percent to just 4 percent
today.
share of the human family is still chronically hungry. While
investment in agricultural development by governments,
international lenders and foundations has escalated in recent
years, it is still nowhere near what’s needed to help the 925
million people who are undernourished. Since the mid 1980s
when agricultural funding was at its height, the share of global
development aid has fallen from over 16 percent to just 4 percent
today.
In 2008, $1.7 billion dollars in official development
assistance was provided to support agricultural projects in Africa,
based on statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), a miniscule amount given the vital return
on investment.
assistance was provided to support agricultural projects in Africa,
based on statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), a miniscule amount given the vital return
on investment.
Given the current global economic conditions, investments are
not likely to increase in the coming year. Much of the more
recently pledged funding has yet to be raised, and existing funding
is not being targeted efficiently to reach the poor farmers of
Africa.
not likely to increase in the coming year. Much of the more
recently pledged funding has yet to be raised, and existing funding
is not being targeted efficiently to reach the poor farmers of
Africa.
“The international community has been neglecting entire
segments of the food system in its efforts to reduce hunger and
poverty,” said Danielle Nierenberg, co-director of Worldwatch’s
Nourishing the Planet project.
segments of the food system in its efforts to reduce hunger and
poverty,” said Danielle Nierenberg, co-director of Worldwatch’s
Nourishing the Planet project.
“The solutions won’t necessarily come from producing more
food, but from changing what children eat in schools, how foods are
processed and marketed, and what sorts of food businesses we are
investing in.”
food, but from changing what children eat in schools, how foods are
processed and marketed, and what sorts of food businesses we are
investing in.”
Serving locally raised crops to school children, for example,
has proven to be an effective hunger- and poverty-reducing strategy
in many African nations, and has strong parallels to successful
farm-to-cafeteria programs in the United States and Europe.
has proven to be an effective hunger- and poverty-reducing strategy
in many African nations, and has strong parallels to successful
farm-to-cafeteria programs in the United States and Europe.
Moreover, “roughly 40 percent of the food currently produced
worldwide is wasted before it is consumed, creating large
opportunities for farmers and households to save both money and
resources by reducing this waste,” according to Brian Halweil,
Nourishing the Planet co-director.
worldwide is wasted before it is consumed, creating large
opportunities for farmers and households to save both money and
resources by reducing this waste,” according to Brian Halweil,
Nourishing the Planet co-director.
State of the World 2011 draws from hundreds of case
studies and first-person examples to offer solutions to reducing
hunger and poverty. These include:
studies and first-person examples to offer solutions to reducing
hunger and poverty. These include:
- In 2007, some 6,000 women in The Gambia organized into the TRY
Women’s Oyster Harvesting producer association, creating a
sustainable co-management plan for the local oyster fishery to
prevent overharvesting and exploitation. Oysters and fish are an
important, low-cost source of protein for the population, but
current production levels have led to environmental degradation and
to changes in land use over the last 30 years. The government is
working with groups like TRY to promote less-destructive methods
and to expand credit facilities to low-income producers to
stimulate investment in more-sustainable production.
- In Kibera, Nairobi, the largest slum in Kenya, more than 1,000
women farmers are growing “vertical” gardens in sacks full of dirt
poked with holes, feeding their families and communities. These
sacks have the potential to feed thousands of city dwellers while
also providing a sustainable and easy-to-maintain source of income
for urban farmers. With more than 60 percent of Africa’s population
projected to live in urban areas by 2050, such methods may be
crucial to creating future food security. Currently, some 33
percent of Africans live in cities, and 14 million more migrate to
urban areas each year. Worldwide, some 800 million people engage in
urban agriculture, producing 15-20 percent of all food. - Pastoralists in South Africa and Kenya are preserving
indigenous varieties of livestock that are adapted to the heat and
drought of local conditions-traits that will be crucial as climate
extremes on the continent worsen. Africa has the world’s largest
area of permanent pasture and the largest number of pastoralists,
with 15-25 million people dependent on livestock.
- The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis
Network (FANRPAN) is using interactive community plays to engage
women farmers, community leaders, and policymakers in an open
dialogue about gender equity, food security, land tenure, and
access to resources. Women in sub-Saharan Africa make up at
least 75 percent of agricultural workers and provide 60-80 percent
of the labor to produce food for household consumption and sale, so
it is crucial that they have opportunities to express their needs
in local governance and decision-making. This entertaining and
amicable forum makes it easier for them to speak openly.
- Uganda’s Developing Innovations in School Cultivation (DISC)
program is integrating indigenous vegetable gardens, nutrition
information, and food preparation into school curriculums to teach
children how to grow local crop varieties that will help combat
food shortages and revitalize the country’s culinary traditions. An
estimated 33 percent of African children currently face hunger and
malnutrition, which could affect some 42 million children by 2025.
School nutrition programs that don’t simply feed children, but also
inspire and teach them to become the farmers of the future, are a
huge step toward improving food security.
The State of the World 2011 report is accompanied by
other informational materials including briefing documents,
summaries, an innovations database, videos, and podcasts, all of
which are available at
target=”_blank”>http://www.nourishingtheplanet.org/.
The project’s findings are being disseminated to a wide range of
agricultural stakeholders, including government ministries,
agricultural policymakers, farmer and community networks, and the
increasingly influential non-governmental environmental and
development communities.
other informational materials including briefing documents,
summaries, an innovations database, videos, and podcasts, all of
which are available at
target=”_blank”>http://www.nourishingtheplanet.org/.
The project’s findings are being disseminated to a wide range of
agricultural stakeholders, including government ministries,
agricultural policymakers, farmer and community networks, and the
increasingly influential non-governmental environmental and
development communities.
In conducting this research, Worldwatch’s Nourishing the
Planet project received unprecedented access to major international
research institutions, including those in the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research(CGIAR) system. The team also
interacted extensively with farmers and farmers’ unions as well as
with the banking and investment communities.
Planet project received unprecedented access to major international
research institutions, including those in the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research(CGIAR) system. The team also
interacted extensively with farmers and farmers’ unions as well as
with the banking and investment communities.
Source: www.worldwatch.org
