A new report from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) finds that millions of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) source directly from millions more smallholder farmers across Africa South of the Sahara. These SMEs, often led by women, include food processors, wholesalers, and retailers. SMEs provide a range of services, from transport and logistics to the sale of inputs such as fertilizer and seed to farmers.

The way we produce, consume and discard food is no longer sustainable. That much is clear from the newly released UN climate change report , which warns that we must rethink how we produce our food—and quickly—to avoid the most devastating impacts of global food production, including massive deforestation, staggering biodiversity loss and accelerating climate change.

Regional Policy Dialogue on Early Warning Early Action Mechanisms for the Prevention of Food Crises

Accra, Ghana
5 September 2019 from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm

Register on our Facebook event page to watch the livestream.

Background

To end hunger once and for all, we have to increase investment in sustainable agriculture and rural development.

When I took over as EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, I had to face head on the cold, hard facts: nearly a billion people worldwide experiencing chronic food shortage and many millions of children stunted from malnutrition.

Written by Joe Glauber, Senior Research Fellow in IFPRI's Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, and Seth Meyer, Professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri.

This post first appeared on the IFPRI Event Blog by Ahdi Mohammed and Katarlah Taylor.

After decades of steady decline, the trend in world hunger—as measured by the prevalence of undernourishment—reverted in 2015, remaining virtually unchanged in the past three years at a level slightly below 11%. As a result, more than 820 million people globally were still hungry in 2018, the latest UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report finds, underscoring the immense challenge of achieving the Zero Hunger target by 2030.

Poor diets are now the No. 1 risk factor in the global burden of disease (GBD) , accounting for one in five deaths globally. Too much sugar, fat, and red meat increase the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—all killers in later life (mostly in higher income countries). Too little nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, and fish are associated with wasting, stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies in early childhood—all killers in early life (mostly in lower income countries).

Written by Joseph Glauber , Senior Research Fellow, Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division, IFPRI

Price volatility in maize and wheat futures markets has increased in recent days, based on uncertainty over planting progress and conditions affecting grains and oilseeds in the United States and hot and dry weather in Europe and the Black Sea Region during the grain fill stage which has potentially affected wheat yields. Despite recent price increases, global stock levels remain relatively high and should sufficiently buffer the impact of potential production shortfalls.

In June 2019, the FAO Food Price Index fell a marginal 0.3 percent from May and was at a similar level as that seen in June 2018. This decrease was driven by the end of dairy and vegetable oil prices’ continuous rise of five months and balanced by a new surge in cereal, sugar, and meat prices.

Around the world, more than 70% of child labor is found in the agriculture sector—an estimated 108 million boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 17, according to estimates from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).