Food politics Archives - Page 21 of 22

UN warns food output could fall, prices rise

By Martin Roberts February 5, 2009

“While arguments for supporting small farms are sometimes dismissed as based on a romantic attachment of peasant agriculture, the evidence shows that with the right policy framework, small farming can be a viable route out of poverty.” – CHATHAM HOUSE REPORT A recent drop in food prices could discourage farmers from sowing crops and cut

Cereals, Opinion

How the West can be wooed

By John Beckham January 15, 2009

“…being poor is not a watertight compartment. The relatively well off this year may be next year’s poor.” Michael Ignatieff, the newly minted leader of the Liberal party, is on record as wanting to re-establish a political presence in the form of elected members from Western Canada. He seems to want to do this through

News

Climate warming means food shortages: study

By Maggie Fox January 15, 2009

The warming climate is likely to put stress on crops and livestock alike and could cause serious food shortages for half the world’s population, U. S. researchers predicted Jan. 8. The worst effects will be in the regions where the poorest people already live – the tropics and subtropics, the researchers wrote in the journal

Cereals, Opinion

Supply response to high prices is a lasting one

By Daryll E. Ray January 8, 2009

The steep ramp-up of grain and oilseed prices over a couple of years only to drop by one-half in a matter of three or four months has been extremely confusing to lots of folks. The fact that the 50 per cent drop took place so quickly was a surprise – it usually takes a couple

Country Crossroads

Nearly a billion hungry, food prices high

January 8, 2009

High food prices helped push another 40 million people into hunger this year, the U. N.’s food agency said Dec. 9, raising the number of undernourished people in the world to 963 million. A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that said fewer and fewer people can afford decent meals, especially in Asia

Cereals, Crops, International news

Seed shortage hits Afghan wheat farmers

By Jonathon Burch December 18, 2008

“…we’re promoting the use of certified seed, which means we’re only promoting about 12,000 tonnes, which is all there is available in the country.” – LOREN STODDARD, USAID Thousands of tonnes of wheat seed are being distributed across Afghanistan, but this will meet only a quarter of demand so Afghans will rely heavily on imports

International news

Zambia wants to import farmers

By Shapi Shacinda December 18, 2008

Zambia will award farmland to foreign investors in 2009 to improve agricultural production and curb food shortages, the country’s finance minister says. Situmbeko Musokotwane said the mineral-rich country would grant foreign and local investors land in farm blocs for them to grow more white maize for export to countries in southern Africa. Speaking at a

News, Oilseeds

Cuba reported ready to authorize GM corn crop

By Esteban Israel December 11, 2008

Cuba could soon authorize the planting of 124 acres of genetically-modified corn for the first time to help reduce its dependence on costly food imports, Cuban scientists said Dec. 2. Regulators are expected to approve this initial crop of biotech corn, which would provide enough seed to expand to 14,830 acres next year, said Carlos

News, Oilseeds

World food system exploits consumers: activist

By Ron Friesen December 4, 2008

Raj Patel held up a Snickers bar, examined the list of ingredients and proclaimed it the key to understanding the world’s food system. The list included cocoa, likely from the Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer and an employer of child labour. It also included lecithin, an emulsifier made from soybean oil, found in

News

UN calls food summit in 2009, hopes for fair trade

By Robin Pomeroy December 4, 2008

The world should hold a food summit in the first half of next year to seek fairer trade and help farmers in poor countries make a decent living, the head of the United Nations food agency said Nov. 19. Jacques Diouf, head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said the summit would seek to

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rise on first WASDE since September

U.S. export sales include only small soybean business to China

U.S. corn and soybean yields revised down by USDA

Tag Archives Food politics