There is a joke circulating among development agencies in Uganda that updates the ‘give a man a fish’ slogan: “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll feed himself forever. Teach a woman to fish, and she’ll feed herself, her family, her neighbors and her … Continue reading
Category Archives: Food Security
The spirit of Montpellier
The first Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development in Montpellier, France, provided a special opportunity to engage with partners and stakeholders of the CGIAR. An estimated 1,000 participants gathered in Montpellier, including researchers, policymakers, farmers, donors, and members of civil society from every region of the world. We would like to thank our partners, … Continue reading
New program aims to mitigate climate threats to food security
A new multimillion dollar research program by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research aims to alleviate climate-related threats to the food security, livelihoods and environment of people living in the developing world. One of the key intellectual forces behind this initiative has been the International Research Institute for Climate and Society’s Jim Hansen. He’ll … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / CGIAR / Food Security / Research
Are Gates and CGIAR a good mix for Africa?
International agricultural development acquired a significant new player last December when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — the biggest private foundation in the world, with US$37 billion under its control — announced that it was joining the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). When the Gates Foundation launched its own agricultural programmes a … Continue reading
A voice for agriculture in the International Year of Biodiversity
Now that agriculture is regaining its rightful place on the international development agenda, it’s time for agricultural biodiversity to become the center of attention as well, particularly in view of its vital importance for coping with the intricately linked issues of global food security and climate change. The United Nations has designated 2010 as the … Continue reading
How food and water are driving a 21st-century African land grab
An Observer investigation reveals how rich countries faced by a global food shortage now farm an area double the size of the UK to guarantee supplies for their citizens. Read more … (The Guardian) Continue reading
Livestock, feed and food security
Tara Garnett of the FCRN examines “some of the arguments surrounding the relationship between what we feed and how we rear farm animals, and the availability and accessibility of food for human consumption. Does livestock production foster or hinder food security? In what ways are the contributions of intensive and extensive systems to food security … Continue reading
Smallholder farmers hold the key to global food security
Sustainably increasing production in mixed crop-livestock systems is essential to ensure food security, write M. Herrero and colleagues in Science. Mixed crop-livestock systems are home to two-thirds of the global population and produce almost half the world’s cereals and most of the staple crops, meat and milk consumed by poor people. But to cope with … Continue reading
Smallholder farmers hold the key to global food security
While a lot of money is being pumped into agriculture in a bid to boost production and alleviate hunger in the world, these efforts are unlikely to succeed without focusing on mixed smallholder farmers, a new study has warned. The study, which puts countries like Kenya––long criticised for neglecting the smallholders––on the spot, says smallholders … Continue reading
Food security under threat
A new science paper, published on Thursday, has warned that plans to fund programmes to boost small-scale agriculture in developing countries with billions of dollars are unlikely to succeed. This is due to increasing populations, changing environments and “intellectual commitment” to ubiquitous small-scale and mixed farmers who raise both crops and animals. “In most regions of … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 