Food security

Food security is a term used in development and humanitarian aid. It does not have one agreed definition; but is often used broadly to mean a situation in which people have continuity of food supply, or the methods by which this aim is achieved. Around 828 million men, women and children are chronically hungry while 2 billion people lack food security because of poverty (source: FAO, 1998).

Achieving food security

From The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2003 http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/006/j0083e/j0083e00.htm

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:'In general the countries that succeeded in reducing hunger were characterised by more rapid economic growth and specifically more rapid growth in their agricultural sectors. They also exhibited slower population growth, lower levels of HIV and higher ranking in the Human Development Index'.

Related Topics:
Economic growth - Agricultural sectors - Population growth - HIV - Human Development Index

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USAID http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/agriculture/food_security.htm proposes several key steps to increasing agricultural productivity which is in turn key to increasing rural income and reducing food insecurity. They include:

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• Boosting agricultural science and technology. Current agricultural yields are insufficient to feed the growing populations. Eventually, the rising agricultural productivity drives economic growth.
• Securing property rights and access to finance.
• Enhancing human capital through education and improved health.
• Conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms and democracy and governance based on principles of accountability and transparency in public institutions and the rule of law are basic to reducing vulnerable members of society.

Biotechnology for smallholders in the (sub)tropics

Genetically enhanced crops are not as widespread in the third world as they are in the North. In 2001, the $2.5 billion genetically manipulated seed market was dominated by five corporations that sell GM seeds for four major crops (soybeans, maize, cotton and canola) in three countries (the United States, Canada and Argentina). The GM seed market share of these corporations are as follows: Monsanto (80%), Aventis (7%), Syngenta (5%), BASF (5%), and DuPont (3%). At this moment, there are some institutes and research groups that have projects in which biotechnology is shared with contact people in the third world on a non-profit basis. These institutes make use of soft biotechnological methods, such as conservation and multiplication of germplasm and phytosanitation.

Related Topics:
Genetically manipulated - Soybeans - Maize - Cotton - Canola - United States - Canada - Argentina - Monsanto - Aventis - Syngenta - BASF - DuPont - Germplasm - Phytosanitation

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