DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE Food
Putting food security back on the table ©Str Old/Reuters
Kanayo F. Nwanze President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
T
he food crisis of 2008 was a stark warning that the world cannot afford to overlook agricultural development. The number of people living on our planet is rising rapidly. Food production will need to increase by 50% by 2030 to meet growing demand. The impact of climate change and urban expansion means that demand will have to be met using less land and water, and without cutting down more forests for agriculture.
The good intentions of governments and donors to ensure long-term food security for all may be melting away in the face of the current global financial and economic crisis.
Support to agriculture should not be an emergency intervention only exercised in times of crisis. OECD Observer
No 273 June 2009
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