See on Scoop.it – Agriculture, Climate & Food security

BLOG by Dr. Shenggen Fan director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Although many notable commitments to agriculture and food and nutrition security have been made in recent years by various actors—including developing country governments, members of the international community, and other key stakeholders—progress in fulfilling these commitments remains mixed.  It will be essential for actors to “walk the talk” and move from rhetoric to action. Several important actions will be needed including:

–Investing in agricultural science and technology. These investments should include technologies for improved crop and livestock breeding; advanced biofuels derived from non-food feedstock; low carbon agriculture; resource-use efficiency which saves water and energy, as well as reductions in food losses and waste; and safe food systems. Technologies must be smallholder friendly and regionally applicable.

–Advancing a “nexus” approach in policy planning and implementation that takes into consideration the agriculture, nutrition, and health nexus and the food, water, and energy nexus. Sectoral synergies must be explored that promote win-win solutions while minimizing trade-offs at the same time. Environmental sustainability goals, for example, should not come at the expense of achieving food and nutrition security.

–Strengthening the capacities of developing countries through increased technical and financial support. These efforts should build the capabilities of national institutions to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate programs, initiatives, and policies. Experiences from Asian countries, like China and India, have shown that returns from these types of efforts are high.

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