This document outlines 10 action issues related to ensuring global food security to 2050. It begins by defining food security and reviewing progress made towards UN goals. It then discusses the need to [1] speed up eliminating hunger and malnutrition, [2] incorporate nutrition into food policies, [3] use nutrition as an indicator of economic policy success, [4] manage food price volatility, [5] adapt food systems to climate change, [6] manage amplifying factors of volatility, [7] expand food production to meet demand, [8] sustainably intensify production, [9] consider full environmental costs, and [10] find sustainable solutions. Priority actions proposed include agricultural research, risk management, and context-specific

1. Food Security to 2050:
Action Issues
Per Pinstrup-Andersen
University of Adelaide
February 13, 2012

2. Action Issue 1
Rhetoric
Declarations
Plans Action
Targets

4. What is “Food Security”?

5. Progress Towards Meeting the
WFS Goal Globally
1100
1020
1000
842 923 925
900 863
848
Millions
800
Data
700
91-04
600
WFS
500
421
400
Source: FAO 2006

6. Progress Towards Meeting the
MDG Globally
25%
20% 20%
18% 17% 18% 17%
15% 16% 16%
10%
5%
0%
1990-92
1995-97
2000-02
2005-07
2008
2009
2010

7. Action Issue 2
Speed up eradication of food
insecurity and malnutrition.

8. The Triple Burden of
Malnutrition
1. Energy and protein deficiencies: Hunger
2. Specific nutrient deficiencies: Hidden
Hunger
3. Excessive net energy intake: Overweight
& Obesity

9. Action Issue 3
Incorporate nutrition goals
into food system policies and
programs.

10. Action Issue 4
Use nutrition impact as
indicator of success in
economic policy.

11. Action Issue 5
Manage food price volatility.

12. Maize Weekly Price Minus
12-Month Moving Average
100
80
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80

13. Rice Weekly Price Minus
12-Month Moving Average
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
-50
-100
-150

14. Wheat Weekly Price Minus
12-Month Moving Average
150
100
50
0
-50
-100
1998 1999 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

15. Volatility in Weather Patterns
Irregular
Drought Flooding Rainfall Strong Winds
Patterns
Production
Volatility

16. Action Issue 6
Adapt the food system to
climate change.

17. Priority Action (1)
 Agricultural research
 Risk management
 Production systems
 Water management

18. Production Volatility
Supply Responses Speculation
Government Policy Government Policies
Market Information Energy Prices
Demand Changes
Price Volatility

19. Action Issue 7
Manage amplifying factors.

20. Priority Action (2)
 Infrastructure
 Institutional innovation
 Domestic and international markets
 Protect the effectiveness of price signals
 Promote effective price transmission
 Compensatory measures
 Alternative energy sources

21. Action Issue 8
Expand food production to
meet future demand.

27. Priority Action (3)
 Specific policy interventions context specific
 Likely to include:
 Infrastructure investments
 Institutional innovation
 Input and output market development
 Pre- and post harvest focused research
 Facilitation of small-scale agri-business

28. Action Issue 9
Sustainable intensification.

29. Environmental Kuznets Curve

30. Hypothetical Relationships Between
Income and Deforestation/Soil Mining

31. Action Issue 10
Full costing

32. Hypothetical Relationships Between
Income and Deforestation/Soil Mining