FAO.org

A timely publication as world leaders deliberate the causes of the latest bouts of food price volatility and search for solutions that address the recent velocity of financial, economic, political, demographic, and climatic change. As a collection compiled from a diverse group of economists, analysts, traders, institutions and policy formulators – comprising multiple methodologies and viewpoints - the book exposes the impact of volatility on global food security, with particular focus on the world’s most vulnerable. A provocative read.

Le nombre de personnes sous-alimentées dans le monde, qui avoisine le milliard en 2010, se maintient à un niveau inacceptable malgré une baisse attendue – la première en 15 ans. Cette baisse s'explique dans une large mesure par un environnement économique plus favorable en 2010 – notamment dans les pays en développement – et par la diminution des prix des denrées alimentaires sur les marchés intérieurs et internationaux depuis 2008. Selon les estimations de la FAO, le nombre de personnes sous-alimentées s’élève à 925 millions en 2010, contre 1,023 milliard en 2009. C’est l’Asie qui a contribué le plus fortement à [...]

The rural sector’s lack of resilience to climatic accidents seems to be one of the main reasons for the transformation of climatic accidents into environmental, economic and social disasters for local communities. Thus, the integration of activities geared towards the improvement of community resilience seems to be of utmost priority. This can be achieved by integrating prevention and risk-management tools into already existing social safety-nets within the framework of food security and poverty reduction strategies. “Social protection initiatives are as much at risk from climate change as other development approaches. They are unlikely to succeed in reducing poverty if they do [...]