Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Averting food crisis
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 13 - 08 - 2012

It is not often that Olympics is followed by a world summit where pomp and spectacle gives way to some sober assessment of the harsh and painful realities of our world. We don't know what made British Prime Minister David Cameron time the hunger summit held at 10 Downing Street yesterday to tie in with the close of the London Olympics. But it was a wise decision, especially in the context of the UN food agency's latest warning that the world could face a new food crisis of the kind seen in 2007/08 if countries resort to export bans.
The Food and Agriculture Organization last Thursday recalled how a mix of high oil prices, growing use of biofuels, bad weather, restrictive export policies and soaring grain futures markets pushed up prices of food in 2007/08, sparking violent protests and political instability in some countries, including Tunisia, Egypt, Cameroon and Haiti.
“There is a potential for a situation to develop like we had back in 2007/08," the organization's senior economist and grain analyst Abdolreza Abbassian told Reuters.
Statistics are frightening. An unparalleled number of severe food shortages have added 43 million to the number of people going hungry worldwide this year. And millions of children are now at risk of acute malnutrition — the focus of discussions at yesterday's summit. Save the Children warns that a sharp price rise would push millions of more children into hunger as many of the world's poorest families already spend two-thirds of their income on basic staples. Higher food prices mean higher import bills for the poorest countries, which do not produce enough food domestically. This would affect development in other sectors of the economy.
Even in the best of times, our global food system is stretched to the breaking point by growth in population, especially in poor or underdeveloped countries, higher energy costs, and vagaries of weather. Experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization estimate global agricultural productivity must double by 2050 to keep pace with increased demand.
The situation calls for renewing long-neglected investments in agriculture assistance across the developing world by the United States and other developed countries, targeting small farmers as the fundamental drivers of economic growth. Most countries still lack adequate investment in agricultural and road infrastructure to facilitate the development of value-added products and new markets. They deserve UN help. At the same time, Group of 20 leading developed and developing nations must uphold their pledges of $22 billion to enhance global food security.
While the United States provides more than half of the world's food aid, agriculture assistance today stands at only 3.5 percent of overall US development aid, down from 18 percent in 1979. Not surprisingly, agricultural productivity growth in developing countries is now less than 1 percent annually. These countries can reap lasting results by focusing on soil and water conservation and improved crop varieties.
Equally important is sending emergency food aid to prevent famine and needless deaths in Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and northern Nigeria.


Clic here to read the story from its source.