World hunger is not new. Before the current price increase, 850 million people – 13% of the world’s population – were chronically hungry. The number of under-fed people has steadily climbed over the past decade. Now, the World Food Programme estimates that the crisis has driven another 100 million people into hunger, including even urban middle class people in Indonesia and Mexico. Katarina Wahlberg discusses strategic approaches against starvation. >>> more
More on the current food crisis
Food Crisis: In Grip of Financial Markets The current price hike in food markets, some say, is caused by increasing demand, be it from emerging economies or for the production of biofuels, by rising input prices, such as oil and fertilizer, and by low stocks. Others consider food speculation the culprit. No doubt, agflation as the phenomenon has been dubbed, can partially be explained by speculation. >>> more
Livestock: Contracted in Global Value Chains In times of rising food prices, not only agrofuels but also industrial livestock production is under scrutiny. It is based on concentrate feed that competes directly with food and fuel, and indirectly for land and water resources. In addition, the livestock’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increasing human health costs and animal welfare concerns are calling for a change. >>> more
Are We Approaching a Global Food Crisis? By the end of the 1990s, food prices had plummeted to historic lows. But after the turn of the millennium, prices began to increase. And since 2006, food prices have escalated dramatically, raising fears of a global food crisis. The rapid price increase will worsen the already dire situation for the world's poor and hungry. >>> more
Financial Volatility and Food Crisis at UNCTAD XII Limiting the impact of financial volatility and soaring food prices on the world's poorest and ensuring that the global economy benefits developing countries are among the key topics of the XII Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XII), held in Accra, Ghana, from 20 to 25 April 2008. >>> more
Bob Zoellick's Newest Blueprint for the World Bank In the run-up to the Spring Meetings, Bob Zoellick, the President of the World Bank, outlined last week, during a major policy speech at the Center for Global Development four strategic areas where he sees a need for immediate World Bank action. These are the global food policy, the Doha Trade Deal, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) investment in Africa. >>> more
Agro-Fuels and Social Movements in Brazil A heated international debate has been triggered by fuels derived from plants. Brazil plays an important role in this discussion. The social movements of landless, agricultural workers and small farmers have now intensified their efforts to initiate a dialogue about the conflict-charged future of agro-fuels. >>> more
The Superiority of the Financial Transaction Tax + Global Unemployment on Record Levels + New Beginning in European Development Policy? + Clean Development for the South
Global Economic Prospects for 2010 + Does Copenhagen Really Matter? + Quo Vadis, German Development Cooperation? + Mapping Social Protection in South Asia
EU Presidency outlook for development + Luxembourg: Tax haven or financial centre? + Moyos book as an opportunity + Crisis in South Asia + New LDC report
The G20's unfinished business: The potential of SDRs + Compensating poor food importers + EU strategy on aquaculture + World Bank suspends labour indicator
In December 2010 the Lisbon Treaty came into force. What difference will this make for European Union development co-operation and humanitarian assistance? Mirjam van Reisen identifies the changes in the legal framework and interprets what difference this will make for the policy in practice.
"Ideas matter, people matter" - and powerful ideas "become embedded in institutions" said two authors of the United Nations Intellectual History Project series, Sir Richard Jolly and Thomas G. Weiss, at a meeting at UNCTAD's headquarter this month arguing that the UN, despite its shortcomings, has had a massive positive influence on the world.
The 2009 State of Food and Agriculture report was delayed for several months. After the disaster of Copenhagen, one could have expected it to provide the necessary guidance to policy changes for saving the Planet from further increases of greenhouse gases emitted from livestock. But FAO's suggestions are comparable to rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.
There is an extraordinary strong support of civil society in Europe for the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT). This reflects a general trend in public opinion. Not only many politicians - Merkel, Sarkozy, Brown, Barroso - have supported the FTT, there is - like all opinion polls show - an overwhelming majority of people in favour of stricter regulation and taxation.
The number of jobless worldwide reached nearly 212 million in 2009 following an unprecedented increase of 34 million compared to 2007, on the eve of the global crisis, the International Labour Office (ILO) says in its recent annual "Global Employment Trends" report.
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