The Lubin Files

New FAO publication: “The Impact of Climate Change and Bioenergy on Nutrition”

The recent FAO/Springer publication “The Impact of Climate Change and Bioenergy on Nutrition” examines the effects of climate change, bioenergy, and the economic crises of 2007-2010 on food and nutrition security. It shows how climate changes could affect food production through declines in crop yields, aquatic populations and forest productivity, proliferation of invasive insect and plant species and increases in desertification, soil salinization and water stress.

Similarly the pathways by which increased demands for biofuels can negatively affect food and nutrition security including by reducing physical availability and economic access to food and by increasing the risk of disease are described. Biofuel production may reduce women’s control of resources, which may in turn reduce the quality of household diets.

The book provides a unique collection of nutrition statistics, climate change projections, biofuel scenarios and food security information and offers explicit examples of adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change and biofuel production within the agricultural sector.

World Water Day, how much do you know about the world's water supply?

CNN posted a quiz for World Water Day asking how much you know about world water security.  Take the quiz and learn a little more about water security here:

World Water Day Quiz

Farming fish and rice together in China, benefits productivity of both.

A study shows that cultivating fish and rice together provides several benefits in China.  The fish provide fertilizer for and protection from disease and insects to the rice, while the rice provides shade and attracts insects that the fish eat.  The dual crops of rice and carp (a delicacy in China) could double farmer's incomes as well as greatly increase food production.  Learn more from the article in Nature, entitled "Fish and rice flourish together in paddies."

 

Could algae crops help fight hunger?

An interesting article in Scientific American discusses several uses for algae, one being its use as a food source.  Where others have searched for an algae that can produce large quantities with few inputs, no one has found it yet.  The scientist in this article discusses genetically modifying algae in order to create the algae desired and achieve the necessary outputs.  His hope is to create algae that might provide not only food, but also fuel while also helping to combat Carbon Dioxide content in the atmosphere.  See more on the subject here.

Can "in vitro" meat contribute to FAO's mission in the future?

The BBC recently published an article entitled "Grow your own meat", that discusses the use of stem cells from farm animals to grow meat for human consumption.  Much of the article focuses on the benefits to the environment and eliminating the cruel treatment of animals raised for food.  If this "growing" of meat becomes a viable and inexpensive way of providing food, it could contribute greatly to the growing desire for meat as the world's population continues to grow.  The technique could be used on cows, pigs, chickens, fish, and presumably on any indigenous animal eaten around the world.

Javier Blas, 2011 FAO Boerma Prize winner.

Javier Blas, a commodities editor for the Financial Times, has won the 2011 FAO A.H. Boerma Award.  The prize is awarded to journalists around the world who raise awareness of the fight against hunger in the world.  His reporting since 2007 has frequently addressed issues of core concern to FAO, such as hunger and food security, the impact of food prices in developing countries, the role of speculation and bioenergy production in the food price matrix, and overseas investment in agricultural land.  (You will need to create a free account with Financial Times to read some of the articles above.)

In this video clip, Mr. Blas responds to the FAO's giving the global food market "critical status" and talks about what must be done to avoid a repeat of the Food Crisis of 2007/2008.

Biofuels as discussed at the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) meetings.

The Committee on World Food Security meetings held last week called for action against food price volatility.  Biofuel price policies in the US and Brazil were targeted as one contributing factor to the rise of food prices worldwide.  The FAO had noted in 2008 that the continued expansion of biofuel production might affect food prices as shown in this newsroom report.  You can read more about biofuel and how it can affect food prices in the Price volatility and food security report assembled by a panel of experts in July of 2011.

"Farming First" is working toward many similar goals as FAO!!!

Unlike FAO, Farming First is not an organization, but a coalition.  It is supported by 131 different organizations who all hope to further sustainable agricultural development worldwide.  Farming First was developed in response to the global challenges posed at the 2009 United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-17).

Together, this coalition highlights the importance of improving farmers’ livelihoods and agriculture’s potential contribution to global issues such as food security, climate change, and biodiversity. It also aims to build synergies amongst its supporters in promoting Farming First’s mission.

On their website, you can learn more about the six principles of their action plan: Safeguarding natural resources, Sharing knowledge, Building local access and capacity, Protecting harvests, Enabling access to markets, and Prioritising research imperatives.  Go to their Case Studies page for an interactive map that leads to links about what Farming First is doing worldwide.

On World Food Day, small farmers may be the key to feeding the world.

The following article in the Financial Times is particularly relevant today.  It provides hope that it is possible to feed the world, but steps must be taken now by world governments and leaders with a commitment to achieving the goal of feeding the world's hungry.  The author sees the role of small farmers as critical, but their contributions will depend on the leaders in their countries and on technology.  See the article here. (You will have to register for a free account in order to have access.)

The legacy of Addeke Hendrik Boerma, FAO DG (1968 - 1975)

We recently received a reference question from a researcher who was trying to find information about the legacy left to FAO by Addeke Boerma, FAO's Director General from 1968- 1975.

Boerma was Director General during an interesting time for our organization, which was also a critical moment in the history of food security.  He presided over FAO during the food crisis of the 1970s, as a response to which FAO hosted the first World Food Conference.  The World Food Conference led to the founding of the World Food Council, and galvanized international attention on the subject of food security.

In his last public speech in the role of Director General, Boerma said that he was, "not satisfied with the progress being made on the food problem. But neither am I discouraged."

The library has a collection of all Director General speeches, amongst which are the following 3, that correspond to this researcher's question.

 DG1     DG2     DG3

We also received assistance from our colleagues in the FAO archives, who supplied us with this "history card" of information pertaining to this director general:

 BOERMA



We supplied this to the researcher, along with a scanned copy of FAO in the front line of development, which was written by subsequent Director General, Edouard Saouma (1976-1993).