Policies, Institutions, and Global Initiatives

The recommendations of the 2012 G20 Agriculture Ministers have focused, among other topics, on the importance of increasing agricultural productivity throughout the developing world. Different regions of the world, however, present different challenges and opportunities for agricultural growth. In particular, tropical areas can have a very high potential for increasing agricultural productivity and, consequently, reducing poverty and improving food security; however, such productivity is limited by a lack of access to information and weak capacities.

Economic growth in developing countries is often constrained by a lack of access to regional and global markets. Without reliable access to fair, transparent markets, the poor in developing countries stand little chance of escaping poverty and hunger. In recent years, the call for structural reforms of global markets has increased, focusing largely on protectionist trade policies such as export restrictions and tariffs.

Food security and economic growth are closely linked through global markets, trade, and investments. The actions of global businesses, particularly in developed countries, play a crucial role in creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, encouraging investment and innovation in the agricultural sector, and reforming the structure of international markets to ensure economic stability.

Global food security is constantly impacted by many issues at the local, national, regional, and international levels - politics, agricultural market changes, fuel prices, weather conditions, war, speculation and trading, and many more. Keeping track of all of these developing issues is an overwhelming, but crucial, task for policymakers to appropriately address the needs of the world's food insecure populations.

On Friday November 4, G20 leaders issued a Cannes Summit Final Declaration , wrapping up the 2011 G20 Summit. Among the issues addressed at this year's summit was the challenge posed by food price volatility and its impact on global food security, as well as the need to create an international emergency humanitarian food reserve system. In this final statement, G20 leaders welcomed the plan of the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) to set up a regional emergency food reserve system as a pilot program.