Following World Food Week in October, and the recent arrival of the world’s seventh billion citizen, Kristi York Wooten published an article in the Huffington Post on 05 November 2011, bringing together the thoughts of an expert panel on how to feed the growing population.
Cherae Robinson, CIMMYT Development Officer, highlighted the importance that women play in agriculture: “women produce nearly 90 percent of food on the African continent,” she said. Robinson also emphasized the need for innovation, with systems such as conservation agriculture becoming increasingly important for increasing yields and creating buffers against climate change. Whilst these issues might have the greatest impact in the developing world, it is vital that the rest of the population takes action in advocating policy changes, through lobbying, social media, and publicizing initiatives like ‘Feed the Future‘, added Robinson.
Other contributors also spoke of the need to assist smallholder famers, who produce much of the world’s food, and the importance of not only increasing the amount of food produced, but making sure that it is nutritious. The potential positive influence of the private sector was also highlighted as a method of increasing global food security.
Read the full article here.
