Land and water ‘grabbing’ affects 62 countries

As world food and energy demands grow, nations and some corporations increasingly are looking to acquire quality agricultural land for food production. Some nations are gaining land by buying up property — and accompanying water resources — in other, generally less-wealthy countries. Sometimes called “land grabbing,” this practice can put strains on land and water

Investing in the future

Pedro Medrano Rojas, acting assistant executive director, partnership and governance services of the World Food Program (WFP), offers a sobering observation on the Millennium Goal commitment to reduce by half the number of malnourished people in the world by 2015. “We’re not going to make it,” he says as he begins an interview. In fact,



Food self-sufficiency no longer option for China, farm official says

Reuters — China’s pursuit of self-sufficiency in food output is no longer possible as soaring demand and rapid urbanization stoke appetites, a top government farm official said, in comments that appear to be the most direct yet to rule out achieving this aim. China’s soaring imports of agricultural products remain a sensitive topic for the


Apply what we already know works

The drought-prone South Gansu province of China suffers from limited water and severe soil erosion. It is not a hospitable environment for food production. Yet, despite these harsh conditions, farmers are producing and selling more food. They are feeding themselves and their families. And their incomes are steadily rising. In degraded areas of Burkina Faso,



Climate threat to world’s poor is underestimated

london / reuters Climate change will greatly increase the suffering of the world’s poor, says Oxfam. More frequent extreme weather events will create shortages, destabilize markets, and cause price spikes on top of projected structural price rises of about 100 per cent for staples such as maize over the next 20 years, the charity said

France to seek September grain talks if crisis looms

paris / reuters France will convene in the first half of September a rapid reaction forum of G20 countries if upcoming data on grain markets points to serious tensions following drought in the United States and Russia, a Farm Ministry official said July 30. The French government announced July 28 it was ready to call


Agricultural research funds escape austerity cuts

Reuters / Public spending on agricultural research is on the rise, despite austerity drives in many countries, as price spikes and problems linked with climate change propel food security towards the top of government agendas, the head of a leading research body said. “People have realized that feeding the world without destroying the environment is

UN envoy says Canada needs a “right to food strategy”

The special rapporteur on the right to food's visit marks the first time the UN has 
dispatched an official to investigate food insecurity in a developed country

If everyone using a food bank in Manitoba lived in one place, it would be the province’s second-largest city. There are approximately 56,000 Manitobans who lack access to food because they either can’t afford it, or have nowhere to produce any themselves — or both. They are the Manitobans that Winnipeg Harvest has been trying