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World warned of ‘food crunch’ threat
Javier Blas in London, Financial Times
The world faces “the real risk of a food crunch” if governments do not take immediate action to address the agricultural impact of climate change and water scarcity, according to an authoritative report out on Monday.
Chatham House, the London-based think-tank, suggests that the recent fall in food prices is only a temporary reprieve and that prices are set to resume their upward trend once the world emerges from the current downturn.
“There is therefore a real risk of a ‘food crunch’ at some point in the future, which would fall particularly hard on import-dependent countries and on poor people everywhere,” the report states. “Food prices are poised to rise again,” it adds.
(26 January 2009)
You can access the full Chatham House report here. KS.
Over 25 millions Kenyans face starvation
Claire Wanja, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
An estimated 17 million people are in need of emergency assistance while over 25 million others face starvation in the Horn of East and Central African regions.
In a report released Monday by Oxfam, an international Aid agency, Kenya has nearly 10 million people faced with famine due to the poor rains and the escalating food prices.
The report dubbed “A Billion Hungry People” shows poor government policies that have been short-term in dealing with the food crisis as one of the main cause.
“Leaders have a window of opportunity to prevent worse situations due to the economic crisis, climate change, energy and water scarcity. They must act urgently to turn their plan into co-ordinated actions that address immediate needs and begins to implement long-term reforms in tackling the issues. Failure to act will see millions of people face hunger.” Oxfam Kenya Country Director Phillippa Crosland-Taylor said.
On the global food price fluctuation, the report shows that although the prices have fallen in the last few months they are not back to their previous levels and are likely to rise sharply in the near future.
(26 January 2009)
Also at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation: Climate change to blame for food shortage says Diplomat. The Oxfam report is available here.
World Must Double Food Production by 2050: FAO Chief
Agence France Presse via Common Dreams
Global food production, already under strain from the credit crunch, must double by 2050 to head off mass hunger, the head of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation said on Monday.
That brought the global number of undernourished people to 973 million last year out of a total population of around 6.5 billion, he said.
“We face the challenge now of not only ensuring food for the 973 million who are currently hungry, but also ensuring there is food for nine billion people in 2050. We will need to double global food production by 2050,” he said.
(26 January 2009)
Hospitals will take meat off menus in bid to cut carbon
Juliet Jowit, The Guardian
Meat-free menus are to be promoted in hospitals as part of a strategy to cut global warming emissions across the National Health Service.
The plan to offer patients menus that would have no meat option is part of a strategy to be published tomorrow that will cover proposals ranging from more phone-in GP surgeries to closing outpatient departments and instead asking surgeons to visit people at their local doctor’s surgery.
Some suggestions are likely to be controversial with patients’ groups, especially attempts to curb meat eating and car use. Plans to reuse more equipment could raise concern about infection with superbugs such as MRSA.
Dr David Pencheon, director of the NHS sustainable development unit, said the amount of NHS emissions meant it had to act to make cuts, and the changes would save money, which could be spent on better services for patients.
(26 January 2009)
Watch for the fireworks with the release of this report. They have already started with the comments under the article. You can find the report and make up your own mind here. KS
