low baseline, and African markets account for 34 percent of African agricultural exports.6 Although conflicts still plague parts of the Mid-
dle East and North Africa, some countries, such as Egypt and Tunisia, experienced more stability, atracting domestic and foreign investment. Many countries in the region—including Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, and Yemen—cut fuel subsidies, saving money that could be reinvested in development. Some of these same countries supported increased production of staple grains (such as wheat) and built up their strategic grain reserves, potentially bolster- ing their resilience in the face of future price, trade, or production shocks. East Asia grew rapidly in 2014, at 5.7 per-
cent,7 and countries in the region took actions to strengthen food security and agricultural devel- opment. China’s 2014 Number 1 Central Document signaled a shiſt away from the country’s traditional emphasis on food self-sufficiency and toward heavier reliance on international trade to achieve food secu- rity aims, and also strengthened farmers’ property rights. Indonesia reformed its rice safety-net pro- gram to reduce inefficiencies and waste, and the Philippines, Tailand, and Vietnam have also imple- mented extensive agricultural policy reforms. In Sep- tember the region’s food and agriculture ministers adopted the Beijing Declaration on APEC (Asia-Pa- cific Economic Cooperation) Food Security, reaf- firming the region’s commitment to cooperating on food security and food safety. Latin America and the Caribbean, the world’s
largest net food-exporting region, remained a food production powerhouse in 2014. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay play large roles in global wheat, maize, and soybean markets. Still, although agricul- tural productivity has grown rapidly in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru, productivity growth across the region overall has lagged behind that in the United States. At the same time, several countries in Latin America have excelled in implementing policies to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition. Examples include Brazil’s Zero Hunger and Bolsa Família pro- grams and Mexico’s Oportunidades. Tese successes have led to opportunities for South–South learn- ing initiatives, such as United Nations (UN) Secre- tary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Zero Hunger Challenge.
Rich countries also unveiled initiatives and
funding commitments in 2014 designed to help cut hunger and undernutrition. For example, the govern- ment of Germany, announced plans to spend €1 bil- lion a year on food security and rural development through its new initiative titled One World, No Hun-
The EU has pledged to help reduce stunting in 7 million children under five years of age by 2025 and to mobilize €3.5 billion between 2014 and 2020 to contribute to this goal.
ger.8 Te government of the Netherlands commited to develop initiatives on global food security, specif- ically eradicating hunger and malnutrition, promot- ing inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth, and achieving ecologically sustainable food systems.9 Similarly, the European Union (EU) has made food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture top priorities for development cooperation in the com- ing years. For instance, it has pledged to help reduce stunting in 7 million children under five years of age by 2025 and to mobilize €3.5 billion between 2014 and 2020 to contribute to this goal.10 As part of a major overhaul to its development
cooperation system, the Italian parliament autho- rized the formation of a development agency and financing facility.11 US funding for global health programs reached unprecedented levels, with US$9.1 billion—an increase of more than $400 mil- lion12—allocated for fiscal year 2014. And at the first-ever US–Africa Leaders’ Summit held in Wash- ington, DC, the US Agency for International Devel- opment (USAID) launched a $100 million Global Resilience Partnership with the Rockefeller Founda- tion to help vulnerable people withstand shocks and crises.13 Progress was also made in reforming global trade
rules, which can have large impacts on agriculture and farmers worldwide. World Trade Organiza- tion (WTO) negotiations in Bali in December 2013
FOOD POLICY IN 2014–2015 3
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