| Feeding the Billions |
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| Written by John Berthelsen | |
| Monday, 23 November 2009 | |
 A new study seeks to determine what methods will work to avoid mass starvation
In a world where as many as a billion people are starving, has the global agricultural system failed? That is the question asked by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in an exhaustive study in conjunction with the International Food Policy Research Institute, of what has worked and not worked over the past 50 years in keeping people alive. Is it possible to take what has worked and to replicate it across the planet? The answer, according to Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development, seems to be less in the magic of science than in slogging through long-tried solutions. The book is an in-depth analysis of 20 case studies of what has worked, and why. The study was co-edited by David J. Spielman and Rajul Pandy-Lorch and was timed to be released in conjunction with the World Summit on Food Security sponsored in Rome last week by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. According to the IFPRI-Gates study, across the globe scientists, policymakers, farmers, and concerned individuals initiated a concerted push to boost agricultural production and productivity in developing countries which, together with development agencies and civil society organizations pursued a range of interventions in agriculture, partly by applying modern science to crop and livestock production, constructing irrigation systems, developing new cultivation practices to conserve natural resources, introducing policies to encourage farmers to grow and sell more food, and launching many other agricultural development programs. Some of these successes emerged in just a few years and triggered long episodes of growth and development while others have resulted years of dogged persistence that yielded returns despite substantial risks, uncertainties, and doubts, the book says. Others emerged when communities took action to ensure their own survival. In other case, leaders and organizations marshaled the resources needed to contain the spread of crop and livestock diseases that know no boundaries. The study looked at successes in six different areas:
"These successes in agricultural development provide valuable insights for the future—insights that are important to those directly involved in policy, programs, and investments in agriculture., the authors write. "They include policymakers designing progressive legislation, donors investing in projects and programs, nongovernmental organizations working with vulnerable farm communities, scholars studying growth and development, scientists breeding new crops in labs and fields, farmers' associations promoting their members' voices and interests, and people wanting to help ensure that agricultural development translates into reduced hunger. In all, eight key elements emerge from these successes. They also include sustained investment in agricultural research and development , which is vital to assuring and maintaining successes in agricultural development that address chronic hunger and persistent malnutrition; Complementary investments to improve the chances that science and technology will make a real contribution to improving food security as well as sustained public investment in the hardware and software of agricultural development is also critical --irrigation schemes, rural road networks, rural education, market infrastructure, and regulatory systems. Even with sustained public investment in science, technology, and complementary investment areas, policies must be put in place that encourage farmers, entrepreneurs, and companies to invest in agriculture. Partnerships among diverse actors in the agricultural sector— research institutes, community-based organizations, private companies, government agencies, and international bodies—are evident in almost all successes. Many successes, the authors write, result from good timing, whether by chance or design. Often, successes emerge from localized experiments that allow participants to learn from their mistakes, adapt to changes in the landscape, evolve as the playing field becomes more complex, and pursue incremental, step-by-step approaches to scaling up. By vesting communities with a stake in ownership of a development process, grassroots participation contributes much to the long-term sustainability of a success. Often, the solutions needed to address agricultural development challenges require dedicated individuals to make the difference—champions to push the issue to the forefront of the public's consciousness, demonstrate what can be done in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, or mobilize the political and financial capital to overcome inertia. Some of these individuals are well known, such as Norman Borlaug, who received the Nobel Prize for his contributions to agricultural development. Others may be less well known, such as Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer from Gourga in Burkina Faso who contributed significantly to the spread of soil fertility management techniques in the barren fields of the Sahel, according to the study. "Agriculture is increasingly driven by market demand forces, consumer preferences, regulatory scrutiny, and ethical considerations," the authors write. "Agriculture is far more commercial and far more globalized through domestic market growth, international trade, and global finance than ever before. The tools needed to address these evolving realities have changed during the past five decades. But how can the successes of the past help inform and influence agricultural investments that will contribute to substantially reducing hunger in the future? Ultimately, the essentials remain unchanged: "increasing the production of, access to, and quality of food to end hunger and feed millions," according to the study. "All of the lessons learned here must be applied and adapted for the future, but with a greater sense of urgency and commitment." The magnitude of the problem is nearly overwhelming, and it is questionable whether any agricultural breakthroughs can cut into widespread starvation. Thomas Robert Malthus, a British clergyman, famously argued at the turn of the 19th century that rising population eventually would overpower the earth's ability to produce subsistence because population, when allowed to grow unchecked, increases geometrically while the ability to feed it increases only arithmetically. The last 50 years of immense productivity gains have held Malthus in check. Now, however, the question is whether political mismanagement as in much of Africa and other parts of the world, population overload and global warming, whether either man-caused or natural, will cut drastically the amount of food that is available per person, no matter how assiduously the world's agricultural community follows the principles laid out in the study. The question is whether anything can be done at this point, no matter how closely the problems are studied, or how successfully the Gates Foundation's principles can be applied. It ultimately is a question of how many people the planet can support, a question few seem to be asking.
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mbt
written by mbt shoes , November 28, 2009
Even with sustained public investment in science, technology, and complementary investment areas, policies must be put in place that encourage farmers, entrepreneurs, and companies to invest in agriculture.
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Manna maketh the Man
written by 7th Son , November 25, 2009
So what's the big deal? Everyone knows that to banish hunger forever all you need is:
Votes: -1
(1) 5 loaves (2) 2 fishes (3) 1 Messiah. Alternatively, the governments of N. Korea and Burma with the merciless management skills of Singapore will be pleased to show you how to manage the desperation of millions merely on a wing and a prayer. There, job done. Now then, to more important matters - anything good on TV tonight? report abuse
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Hungry
written by Mamakthir , November 24, 2009
So far, the West have managed to distort food pricings and marketing to such an extent that many poors are forced to leave their lands. As such, the hungry multi-national agribusinesses are rubbing with glee the impending food crisis will hand over to them a bigger paycheck. The hungry in Africa and India (with half the world's poors) will have to go to bed hungry every nite.
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