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Increasing global agricultural productivity faces many challenges, including a growing global population, increasing incomes (and thus increased demand for more labor- and resource-intensive foods such as meat and dairy), and climate change. Finding ways to sustainably increase agricultural production, particularly in developing countries, is crucial for food security.

The importance of global food security is being reinforced in various global venues, from the G8 summit last week to the upcoming Rio+20 conference . The upcoming G20 meetings in Mexico will also bring increased attention to the challenge of food security, addressing ways to increase food production and agricultural productivity on a sustainable basis to promote food security and foster economic growth worldwide.

The global economic environment has been characterized in recent years by high debt levels, financial volatility, high levels of risk, and a persistent development gap. With the world still reeling from the recent economic downturn, achieving sustainable economic growth remains a formidable challenge for developing countries. Worldwide economic growth in 2012 is expected to remain moderate, with weak growth in most developed countries and slowing growth in the developing world.

It is being increasingly recognized that real, sustainable economic growth and food security requires input from both the public and the private sectors. However, much of the private sector in developed countries has historically been hesitant to invest in developing nations, particularly in riskier ventures such as agriculture.

A major challenge to food security worldwide is a dearth of accurate, timely information. Without reliable information regarding world agricultural markets, production, and stocks, policymakers may engage in harmful policies such as export bans or panic buying, only serving to further drive up food prices and price volatility.