What Influenced Food Policy in 2011?
Most spectacular in 2011 was the turn of events on world wheat markets from price spike to near collapse: In the spring the media expected a second world food crisis, pos- sibly worse than 2007–08. Until July, and particularly head of the meeting of G20 agricultural ministers, speculators and index funds were being accused more than ever of causing hunger. But then wheat prices dropped, and aten- tion to speculation waned, hopefully making room for policy atention to larger, more long-term issues, such as rural finance.
—Michiel A. Keyzer, Director, Centre for World Food Studies, VU University, Amsterdam
Amid drought in the Horn of Africa, floods in South East Asia, and rain shortfalls in the Sahel, 2011 has clearly shown the devastating impact of climate-related shocks on food security. Tese crises have focused policy atention on the urgent need to build the resilience of smallholder agri- culture and poor rural people’s livelihoods. Going forward, and in light of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dur- ban, resilience is likely to remain a critical component of food security policies, initiatives, and development efforts at all levels.
—Kanayo F. Nwanze, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome
Te Arab Spring posed the biggest challenge to food policy in 2011—and showed why it maters. Arab countries are squeezed on all sides by high imported food prices, spiral- ing costs of food subsidies, and the dual burdens of mal- nutrition and obesity, which will rise with population growth. Te region is also the most vulnerable to global warming, water scarcity, and export bans. Without good policy and research, feeding the Arab world will grow ever more challenging.
—John Parker, Globalization Editor, Economist, London
When food prices rose in 2008, hasty responses like ban- ning food exports helped drive 100 million people into poverty—the first increase in decades. When food prices rose again in 2011, the world avoided poor policy responses and invested instead in long-term food security. During the world’s worst drought in 60 years, this approach was validated by Kenya and Ethiopia’s ability to avoid famine, thanks in part to President Obama’s Feed the Future initia- tive and its emphasis on building resilience through agri- cultural development.
—Rajiv Shah, Administrator,
United States Agency for International Development, Washington, DC
In 2011 two events were important: one was the eighth consecutive year of bumper harvest of Chinese grains at a record of 571 million tons, which surely contributes to a more stable world grain market; and the other was the G20 Agriculture Ministers Summit in Paris. A new era of inter- national cooperation on global food security is approaching and emerging countries such as Brazil, China, India, and Indonesia will play increasingly important roles.
—Jiayang Li, President, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing
Te developing world was again hit by food price and sup- ply volatility in 2011. In contrast to 2008, the demand for effective actions to advance food and nutritional security was front and center. Te Commitee on World Food Secu- rity explicitly stated that agricultural policies and pub- lic investment should prioritize nutrition and sustainable small-scale food production and increase the resilience of local and traditional food systems and biodiversity, a goal we are fully commited to implementing.
—Kathy Spahn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Helen Keller International, New York
WHAT INFLUENCED FOOD POLICY IN 2011? 11
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