The Politics of Hunger

Paul Collier, author of the book The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It, has written an article in Foreign Affairs on how to end the global food crisis. His strategy consists of overturning nostalgic ideas of peasant agriculture and the long-term feasibility of biofuels, supporting the development of genetically modified crops and getting rid of agricultural subsidies. While the article focuses on economics it also provides practical solutions coupled with coherent explanations that you will find useful when considering your own policy arguments. He also explains why countries have been so slow to move on the rising food prices which many delegations representing developed countries will find instructive when shaping their policies.

WORLD FOOD SECURITY: THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIOENERGY

This is the Declaration adopted by the High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the
Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy, on 5 June 2008. It reaffirms the conclusions made at the World Food Summit in 1996, but specifically seek ways of achieving world food security and, in this context, to address challenges of higher food prices, climate change and bioenergy.

In addition to the World Food Summit in 1996, another summit occurred in 2002 (a summit occurs every 5 years). Here is the conclusions that came out.

Bioenergy and genetically modifed foods are big topics for this issue. Be sure to recognize what your countries stand is in relation to these two issues.

Hello

My name is Aggar Frias. I am from Puebla, Mexico, and I am in my second year of BSc Agriculture. I am an intervention staff attache in SOCHUM. Below is an interesting piece on food shortages in Mexico:

Global Food Security Crisis Link

A good place to look for issues pertinent to sustainable solutions to global food shortages is the High Level Task-Force on the Global Food Security Crisis.