Blog Category

Policy-related

Urbanization Poses Challenge, Opportunity for Food Security

Jan 23rd, 2024 • by Sara Gustafson

An estimated 122 million more people around the world faced hunger in 2022 than in 2019, according to the 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, released in December. While progress in reducing hunger was made in Asia and Latin America between 2021 and 2022, hunger continued to rise in Africa, as well as in Western Asia and the Caribbean.

If these trends continue, the report’s authoring organizations[1] warn, the world will not be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030.

Global and Regional Trends

Global Food Policy Report 2023 Latin America launch: Policies to build resilience to shocks

Jul 7th, 2023 • by Brian McNamara

Food systems have experienced a multitude of shocks in recent years that threaten food and nutrition security around the world. The Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC), which plays an important role in ensuring the stability of the global food system, has been hit hard by these disruptions. The region has accounted for 30% of deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet makes up only 8% of the global population.

When Policy Responses Make Things Worse: The Case of Export Restrictions for Agricultural Products

Jun 30th, 2023 • by Abdullah Mamun and David Laborde

When the global prices of staple commodities surge, some governments react immediately by imposing trade-restricting measures in order to insulate domestic prices from rising world prices. During the global food price crisis of 2007–2008, such behavior was observed among many governments, particularly in net food-exporting countries, in response to the impending food security shock. As many as 16 countries imposed some form of export restriction, such as a ban or export tax, on commodities including rice, wheat, maize, other grains, and vegetable oils.

How Digital Technologies Can Drive Food System Transformation

Feb 25th, 2023 • by S. Gustafson

New technologies like remote sensing, digital advisory services, and digital financial tools have the potential to dramatically transform agricultural value chains in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). But are these countries able to truly take advantage of this potential? Not without further investment, says a chapter in the recent book titled Science and Innovations for Food System Transformation.

COVID-19 pandemic offers rare chance for food systems transformation

May 2nd, 2021 • by Johan Swinnen and John McDermott

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions of social interactions, affecting both the supply and demand for food. These disruptions to jobs, income and food supply magnified and exacerbated existing inequalities. While the emerging urban middle class suffered greater income losses, the poor and vulnerable in rural and urban areas experienced the worst livelihood impacts. Many social programs, including cash transfers, nutrition and education were interrupted, delayed, or halted, setting back decades of process in reducing poverty, hunger, malnutrition and illiteracy.