By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent NEW YORK, N.Y. — Improving agricultural techniques globally would help reduce hunger while aiding in the fight against climate change, according to authors of a new report from the Worldwatch Institute.
The institute’s report, State Of The World 2011: Innovations That Nourish The Planet, said current economic conditions offer the perfect chance for the world’s attention to be refocused on food, agriculture and rural areas. Another area of importance is the re-establishment of food security as a global priority. The report was released Jan. 12.
More than 925 million people go hungry each day, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. “We produce more food than ever yet one in six members of our human family go hungry,” said Brian Halweil, a co-director of the project and senior researcher with Worldwatch. “There’s an untapped potential to reduce hunger and transform communities.”
To complete the report, its authors visited 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. They spoke with farmers, farm groups, researchers and members of the local business communities.
While that part of the world is normally associated with bad news, the trip and subsequent report give everyone a chance to see the area in a better light, said Danielle Nierenberg, also a co-director of the project and senior researcher with Worldwatch. “We’re focusing on how agriculture has been able to help alleviate poverty and reduce malnutrition. What we tried to do is work with local groups and organizations to get their stories out to a wider audience. This can show another side of success, another side of hope and another side of self-reliance.”
Halweil noted four areas where improvement could reduce hunger and transform communities. A reduction in food waste could be simple and inexpensive, he explained, adding waste can total from 25 percent to 50 percent of a harvest.
A focus on feeding children in schools could save households as much as 10 percent of the budget they would have spent on feeding their children, he stated. A program similar to the farm-to-cafeteria programs in the United States could also be an incentive for children to attend school, he said. With some estimates saying that by 2020, 40 million Africans living in cities will depend on urban agriculture to meet their food needs, planning should be under way to increase farming in the cities, Halweil said. Cities that want to feed themselves better will need to make massive investments, he added.
Farmers in Africa should also be paid for storing carbon in their soils, he stated.
When looking at agriculture and its affect on climate change, it’s important to consider impact, mitigation and adaptation, said Anna Lappé, founder of the Small Planet Institute and a best-selling author.
U.S. agriculture is highly resource intensive and emissions heavy, she noted, adding a switch to more knowledge intensive agriculture could help lessen any negative impacts agriculture has on the environment.
As food and agriculture are brought into the climate conversation, we need to be sure our federal policies help promote activities that are beneficial to the environment, Lappé explained, noting we should also be aware of international policies regarding emission reductions.
How much agriculture can transform itself will be crucial to the world’s environmental health, said Christopher Flavin, Worldwatch president.
“How we move forward in agriculture with soil conservation and reducing water pollution is a key. The accelerating climate change has greatly complicated the task of farmers around the world.”
The Worldwatch Institute, based in Washington, D.C., is an independent research organization focusing on energy, resource and environmental issues.
For more, visit www.worldwatch.org |
