Food and nutrition security

The document addresses the challenge of achieving global food and nutrition security amidst resource constraints and population growth. It highlights successful interventions in China, Brazil, and Mozambique as evidence that science, technology, and targeted programmes can reduce hunger and malnutrition. The author calls for an end to 'silo' approaches, urging that food security be integrated into all sustainable development strategies and supported by increased technical and financial aid for developing countries.

• Global food and nutrition security is hindered by several factors, including increasing constraints on natural resources, rising energy costs, population growth, rapid urbanization, fragmented sectoral approaches, and limited policy capacity in developing nations.
• Hunger and malnutrition remain widespread, with over 900 million people hungry globally and 26 countries experiencing 'alarming' or 'extremely alarming' hunger levels according to the 2011 Global Hunger Index. Additionally, billions suffer from 'hidden hunger' due to micronutrient deficiencies in vitamin A, iron, iodine, and zinc.
• Targeted investments in technology and infrastructure have yielded significant results: hybrid rice in China increased production by 44% and yields by 68%, Brazil's Zero Hunger programme reduced child malnutrition by 61%, and bio-fortified orange sweet potatoes in Mozambique nearly doubled vitamin A intake for women.
• To scale successes, food security must be integrated into all sustainable development strategies rather than treated in isolation. This requires supporting agricultural practices that balance productivity and farmer income with sustainability, such as Brazil's ABC Low Carbon Agriculture programme.
• Improving global food security requires new public-private partnerships, such as the collaboration between PepsiCo and the World Food Programme in Ethiopia, as well as increased technical and financial support for countries to build institutions capable of designing and monitoring agricultural policies.

APA

Fan, D. S. (2012). Food and nutrition security. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/food-and-nutrition-security/

Chicago

Fan, Dr Shenggen. Food and nutrition security. World Economic Forum, 2012. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/food-and-nutrition-security/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fan |first1=Dr Shenggen |title=Food and nutrition security |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=4 June 2012 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/food-and-nutrition-security/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fan2012food, author = {Fan, Dr Shenggen}, title = {{Food and nutrition security}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/food-and-nutrition-security/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }