Agriculture and Food Security
Introduction
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The New Vision for agriculture: Transforming agriculture through collaboration
In order to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050, the world will need a New Vision for Agriculture - delivering food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity through agriculture. This will require producing more food with fewer resources while reinvigorating rural economies. It can be achieved through collaboration, investment and innovation among all stakeholders.
The World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture initiative engages leaders of business, government, civil society, farmers organisations, development partners and other groups to work together to achieve sustainable agricultural growth. The initiative works at the global level with the G8 and G20, and facilitates national-level partnerships in 11 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This includes seven African countries engaged in the Grow Africa partnership, jointly convened by the African Union, NEPAD and the World Economic Forum. The initiative has published a Roadmap to achieve the vision, and a Transformation Framework outlining steps toward national-level agriculture transformation
The Issue
Over the past three years, food security and economic crises have highlighted both the urgent need and the potential for developing sustainable agricultural systems. Nearly one billion people – one out of six globally – lack access to adequate food and nutrition. By 2050, the global population will surpass 9 billion people, and demand for agricultural products is expected to double. At the same time, the world’s agricultural systems will be increasingly challenged by water scarcity, climate change and volatility, raising the risk of production shortfalls. Substantial gains in agricultural productivity can be realized through investment, innovation, policy and other improvements. However, realizing these gains will require an exceptional level of collaboration among stakeholders in the agricultural value chain, including governments, companies, multilateral and civil-society organizations, farmers, consumers and entrepreneurs. Stakeholder alignment around shared priorities and large-scale initiatives is therefore key to success.
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A New Vision for Agriculture
The New Vision for Agriculture initiative, led by the Consumer Industries Community of the World Economic Forum, works to develop a shared agenda for action and foster multistakeholder collaboration to achieve sustainable agricultural growth through market-based solutions. The initiative has defined a vision that highlights agriculture’s potential as a positive driver of food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity worldwide. The group believes that achieving this vision will require the leadership and capacity of all stakeholders – government, business, civil society, academia, farmers and consumers.
The project is led by 29 global partner companies of the World Economic Forum who provide strategic leadership and championship of the initiative. These include: AGCO Corporation, A.P. Møller-Maersk A/S, BASF SE, Bayer CropScience AG, Bunge Limited, Cargill Incorporated, CF Industries Holdings Inc., Diageo Plc, DuPont, General Mills Inc., HEINEKEN, METRO AG, Mondelez International, Monsanto Company, Nestlé SA, Novozymes A/S , PepsiCo Inc., Rabobank International, Royal DSM NV, SABMiller Plc, Sinar Mas Agribusiness & Food, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd., Syngenta International AG, The Coca-Cola Company, The Mosaic Company, Unilever, United Phosphorus Ltd, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Yara International ASA.
A diverse network of global and local stakeholders are engaged in initiative activities, including governments, international organisations, civil society, farmers organisations, research and academia. The Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Food Security, a high-level multi-stakeholder group, provides advisory and leadership support to the initiative.
Project Activity
The initiative has catalysed four major public-private partnerships to date, including country-level initiatives in Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India, as well as a regional partnership platform called Grow Africa which engages seven countries.
At the country level, action-oriented partnership initiatives engage the private sector in active collaboration with governments, global organizations, farmers and other leading stakeholders to accelerate sustainable agricultural growth within specific regions or food value chains. The partnerships support countries in realizing their agriculture-sector goals by aligning investments, programmes and innovations around shared priorities for agricultural growth.
At the global level, the initiative facilitates public-private dialogue with the G20, through the B20 Food Security Tas Force, as well as through informal networks such as the Global Agenda Council on Food Security.
The New Vision for Agriculture initiative offers a platform through which stakeholders can create a shared agenda for action on sustainable agricultural development. It engages leaders in defining joint priorities, recommendations and opportunities for collaboration. Areas of focus include increasing investment, improving environmental sustainability, strengthening markets (particularly to expand opportunities for smallholder farmers), and improving access to nutritious food.
The Grow Africa partnership, convened jointly by the African Union, NEPAD and the World Economic Forum, works to accelerate sustainable investment in African agriculture to improve food security. The partnership collaborated with the G8 in 2012 to help mobilize agriculture-sector investment commitments by 49 companies, valued at over USD $3 billion, as part of the G8 New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition. The G8 and Grow Africa have formed a Leadership Council to monitor and report progress of these commitments.
What rural India can learn from Silicon Valley
This week, I’ll be in Palo Alto to take part in a series of World Economic Forum workshops, bringing together members of the Technology Pioneer and Global Growth Company communities. Of the many topics we’ll be looking at, the one I’m most excited about is the session on “Disrupting Markets”.
Palo Alto is at the core of Silicon Valley’s technological innovation, which is a driving force behind the disruption of many traditional markets. With so many industries in a state of disruptive change, how will companies be able to evolve to compete? And for companies that are driving market disruption...
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June 28, 2013
Insight: Partnering for a New Vision for Agriculture
Dang Kim Son, Director-General, Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), Vietnam discusses the session Partnering for a New Vision for Agriculture
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June 7, 2013
Partnering for a New Vision for Agriculture
These insights were written by Dang Kim Son, Director-General, Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), Vietnam.SynopsisFood security for a country starts with the farmer, who produces the food. In South-East Asia, the majority of farming is undertaken by smallholder farmers – who often lack access to credit, training and markets for their produce. As a result, farmers productivity often falls short of what it could be. “The potential for smallholder-led agriculture is huge,” emphasized Rusman Heriawan, Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Indonesia....
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June 6, 2013
Finding new ways to feed Indonesia’s booming population
Two years ago, the Indonesian government and business leaders joined with global partners at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Jakarta to launch the Partnership for Indonesia’s Sustainable Agriculture (PISAgro). Supported by the Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture initiative, this partnership has grown to engage over 20 organizations working to create sustainable growth and opportunities for farmers in Indonesia.
PISAgro aims to support the Indonesian government to address national food security by increasing agricultural production in a sustainable manner and improving the livelihoods...
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June 6, 2013
Invest in smallholder farmers
The economy of the Philippines grew 7.8% in the first quarter of this year, outperforming China and the rest of Asia. The media announced the news proudly and happily because this is the third quarter in a row that the country’s GDP exceeded 7%.
However, for those of us working in the agriculture sector, an important aspect of this news is that agriculture contributed only 0.4% of the 7.8% growth, compared to 35% contributed by industry and services. Agriculture accounts for almost a third of the labour force, and it is from the agricultural/rural sector that most of our poor emanate. Thus,...
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June 6, 2013
Achieving food security in South-East Asia
This week at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Myanmar, global and regional leaders explore ways to accelerate sustainable agricultural growth and achieve food security in South-East Asia.
Agriculture has been an engine for robust economic growth and development in South-East Asia, lifting millions out of poverty and positioning the region as a critical source for global food security. Home to 600 million people, the region has considerable precious resources and a strong rural workforce, yet continues to suffer from hunger and malnutrition, which affect a significant portion of its...
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June 4, 2013
One smallholder’s warning for farming in Africa
Mama Sara is a farmer in Mbola in the Tabora region of western Tanzania. I visited Mama Sara in late March of this year. Like other smallholder farmers in the area, her farm plots were covered with a patchwork of stunted, sad-looking maize. She told me that the rains have become so unpredictable in recent years that she no longer knows when to plant. Moreover, the soils on her farm have been degraded from years of growing the same crop in the same place with few to no inputs. To hedge her bets, this year Mama Sara planted four maize crops in the hopes that one might yield a healthy crop, a...
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May 13, 2013
Africa must add value to its vast natural resources
Although a number of African countries have experienced rapid economic growth over the past decade, substantial developmental challenges remain.
According to the World Bank’s latest World Development Indicators, Africa has recorded almost 20 years of continuous decline in extreme poverty, from 60% in 1993 to 48% in 2010, yet the region is still home to a third of the world’s extreme poor, defined as people who live on US$ 1.25 per day or less.
That being said, the economic outlook for the continent remains positive, underpinned by improving political stability and governance, the growing...
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May 10, 2013
Growth in rural Africa is possible through innovative financing
I believe we are about to energize the agricultural sector in Africa, creating sustainable and inclusive growth. However, we are not there yet.
Last year, close to 100 investment commitments were made by private sector companies under the respective frameworks of the Grow Africa partnership and the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. These were framed to support African-led, country-specific strategies for inclusive agricultural growth. In less than one year, all commitments have seen progress; 40% of these have progressed to an actual investment phase on the ground. This represents...
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May 10, 2013
Alcanzar la Nueva Visión para la Agricultura
Para alimentar a 9 mil millones de personas para el año 2050, el mundo tendrá que adoptar nuevas estrategias destinadas a aumentar la producción agrícola de manera sustentable. Cumplir con este desafío requerirá de un aumento significativo de la inversión, la innovación y la colaboración entre todas las partes interesadas. La Nueva Visión para la Agricultura del Foro Económico Mundial sirve como una plataforma para promover la colaboración entre las partes interesadas para lograr una visión de la agricultura como motor de la seguridad alimentaria, la...
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April 22, 2013
The New Vision for Agriculture
To feed 9 billion people by 2050, the world will need to adopt new strategies aimed at sustainably increasing agricultural production. Meeting this challenge will require significant increases in investment, innovation and collaboration among all stakeholders.The World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture serves as a platform to build collaboration among stakeholders to achieve a vision of agriculture as a driver of food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity.
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April 15, 2013
Will biotechnology provide food security?
According to David Lawrence biotechnology, like all technologies, is not in itself good or bad. It’s what we do with it that decides
The way we human beings behave can be strange. For at least 30 years I used to give talks which included a slide showing how population increase was reducing the land available to feed an individual, pointing out that unless we changed something, at some point we would run the risk of not being able to feed everyone on the planet. Every few years I would update it, and while the trends continued as predicted, no one seemed to want to pay any attention....
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March 1, 2013
Planting the seeds of a bio economy
Feike Sijbesma and Steen Riisgaard discuss how agriculture will become central to the economyIn a bio-based economy, the agricultural and biotech sectors together will be able to provide the world with food and fuel, with both product streams enhancing each other instead of competing.World leaders are currently meeting at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos to discuss “Resilient Dynamism”. Both resilience and dynamism will be needed indeed if we are to build a new economy that provides the right solutions and technologies to ensure decent living standards for all, while...
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January 24, 2013
Fuelling Africa’s bright future
Graham Mackay, CEO of SABMiller, on the water, food and energy challenges that need to be addressed to ensure Africa’s future. He is participating in the Annual Meeting session, De-risking Africa.
There are currently 2 billion middle-class consumers in the world and the number is projected to reach 5 billion by 2030. Much of the increase will come from developing markets.
This growth is an exciting opportunity for the many people whose lives and livelihoods will improve; but it will place further demands on the world’s finite resources such as water, energy and agricultural inputs,...
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January 23, 2013
Can partnerships feed the world?
Global food systems are increasingly at risk. Rising demand, scarce resources and increased volatility are putting new pressures on agriculture and food systems. More than 870 million people are chronically hungry, many of whom are small farmers.
Farmers are not the only ones struggling. Governments, companies, international agencies and civil society groups are looking for new approaches to food security and agricultural growth, leveraging new investments while ensuring sustainability for communities and the environment.
A new partnership model developed by the World Economic Forum’s New...
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January 18, 2013
Achieving the New Vision for Agriculture: New Models for Action
To feed 9 billion people by 2050, the world will need to adopt new strategies aimed at sustainably increasing agricultural production. Meeting this challenge will require significant increases in investment, innovation and collaboration among all stakeholders.The World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture serves as a platform to build collaboration among stakeholders to achieve a vision of agriculture as a driver of food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity.In the past three years, governments, business, farmers and ...
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January 16, 2013
Grow Africa 2012
The Grow Africa partnership is an African-led and country-owned multistakeholder platform, seeking to accelerate investments and transformative change in African agriculture. It is jointly convened by the African Union, NEPAD and the World Economic Forum, and actively engages all stakeholders.
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May 18, 2012
Putting the New Vision for Agriculture into Action: A Transformation Is Happening - Spanish
In order to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050, the world will need a New Vision for Agriculture - delivering food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity through agriculture. This will require producing more food with fewer resources while reinvigorating rural economies. It can only be achieved through collaboration, investment and innovation among all stakeholders. This report outlines the concrete actions that can be taken to achieve such a vision, and the tools we can use to measure progress. A number of countries are now undertaking ambitious efforts to...
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April 16, 2012
Putting the New Vision for Agriculture into Action: A Transformation Is Happening
In order to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050, the world will need a New Vision for Agriculture - delivering food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity through agriculture. This will require producing more food with fewer resources while reinvigorating rural economies. It can only be achieved through collaboration, investment and innovation among all stakeholders. This report outlines the concrete actions that can be taken to achieve such a vision, and the tools we can use to measure progress. A number of countries are now undertaking ambitious efforts to...
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January 23, 2012
Big Data, Big Impact: New Possibilities for International Development
The amount of data in the world is exploding - large portion of this comes from the interactions over mobile devices being used by people in the developing world - people whose needs and habits have been poorly understood until now. Researchers and policymakers are beginning to realize the potential for channeling these torrents of data into actionable information that can be used to identify needs & provide services for the benefit of low-income populations. This discussion note is a Call-to-action for stakeholders for concerted action to ensure that this data helps the individuals and...
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January 22, 2012
Multiplying Agriculture by the Power of Mobile
The revolution in mobile communications is providing a lifeline to agricultural communities around the developing world. Mobile technology is already demonstrating its potential to provide farmers with the services and information they need to grow both their production and their standard of living. By taking steps to make mobile financial services accessible to smallholder farmers, policy makers, enterprises and development organizations can play a role in empowering them with the tools they need to reap the return their hard work deserves.
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January 22, 2012
Desarrollar una nueva visión para la agricultura: una guía para las partes interesadas
El Foro Económico Mundial se complace en presentar esta guía para desarrollar una Nueva visión para la agricultura, la cual es resultado del trabajo de 18 meses que involucró a las partes interesadas a nivel mundial y regional de todo el mundo.La iniciativa del Foro Económico Mundial denominada «Nueva visión para la agricultura» está dirigida por 17 empresas mundiales que son Socios Industriales del Foro. La iniciativa aborda los principales retos de sostenibilidad alimentaria y agrícola a nivel mundial y se basa en una visión de la agricultura como un factor contribuyente positivo para la...
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November 10, 2011
Realizing a New Vision for Agriculture: A roadmap for stakeholders
The World Economic Forum is excited to present this roadmap to realizing a New Vision for Agriculture. This strategy urges increased investment in agriculture to boost food security and spur economic growth. It spotlights innovative models for collaboration that can spark the necessary step-change we need in agriculture. It highlights the vital contributions the private sector can make to implementing sustainable agriculture systems globally.
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January 28, 2011
Harnessing Private-Sector Capabilities to Meet Public Needs
Harnessing Private-Sector Capabilities to Meet Public Needs: The Potential of Partnerships to Advance Progress on Hunger, Malaria and Basic Education outlines action the private sector can take to help meet the Millennium Development Goals on hunger, malaria and basic education.
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November 14, 2010
The Business Role in Achieving a Green Revolution for Africa
This report outlines the Business Alliance Against Chronic Hunger’s work in Kenya and its implications for the role of business in bringing about a Green Revolution for Africa.
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November 14, 2010
The Next Billions: Business Strategies to Enhance Food Value Chains and Empower the Poor
This report focuses on business models along the food value chain - from agricultural production through food processing, retailing and consumption – outlining innovative strategies companies are using to do business in poor regions while imrpoving incomes and food supplies in partnership with local communities.
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November 14, 2010
The Next Billions: Unleashing Business Potential in Untapped Markets
This report outlines business strategies for effectively engaging the Bottom Of the Pyramid across all industry sectors.
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November 14, 2010
World Economic Forum on Africa 2010
Africa is forecast to grow at a respectable 5% in 2010, 5.5%-6% in 2011 and 6% thereafter with certain economies reaching well beyond these figures. The theme for this year’s meeting, “Rethinking Africa’s Growth Strategy”, provided an opportunity to delve into the key drivers behind this future growth and the remaining obstacles to economic and social development.
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November 4, 2010
Food Security: A Sustainable Strategy
Driven by tensions in global food markets, the Middle East and North Africa region is pursuing large-scale public investments in agricultural production at home and increasingly in breadbasket countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
What are the production and trade models that deliver win-win solutions for both food-importing and breadbasket countries?
Simultaneous interpretation in English and French
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October 28, 2010
Managing our Future Water Needs for Agriculture, Industry, Human Health and the Environment
Significant business disruptions due to water scarcity – across all sectors and geographies, and with all the associated technical, economic, political, environmental and social implications – are a reality today, and are projected to worsen in the future, as a result of climate change and demographics. Governments play an important role in helping to mitigate and adapt to the challenge, but so does the private sector, through individual company actions and through innovative public-private and multistakeholder partnerships. CEOs are called to catalyse holistic...
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October 24, 2010
A New Vision for Africa's Agriculture
Agriculture is a key component of African economies, providing up to 70% of employment in countries such as Tanzania, but climate change may reduce production by up to 25% in the coming years, threatening both food security and potential economic gains.How can stakeholders work together effectively to drive sustainable growth in the agriculture sector and capture the region's considerable agricultural potential?Key Points• Agricultural development is the most effective strategy for boosting economic growth in Africa• While Africa’s agriculture is plagued by low productivity and ...
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May 6, 2010
Food Security for Latin America's Future
Food Security for Latin America’s Future• Marc Alan Clouse • Domingo Lastra • Nikhil da Victoria Lobo• David WilliamsModerated by • Elizabeth Farina Thursday 16 April09.00-10.45 Moderator Elizabeth Farina, Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Economics, University of São Paulo, Brazil, sketched out five major points on food security in Latin America:• The debate must involve not just farmers but all members of the supply chain, including the providers of raw materials such as seeds and fertilizers, food processors, trading companies, wholesalers and ...
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April 16, 2009
Fresh Solutions for Food Security
Fresh Solutions for Food Security• Kofi Annan • William H. Gates III • Irene B. Rosenfeld• Michael Treschow • Abhisit VejjajivaChaired by • Josette Sheeran Friday 30 January17.15-18.15Famine is no longer confined to brief events in isolated pockets of the world; it is becoming a chronic and growing global threat to peace and prosperity, participants agreed.Last year’s spike in food prices expanded the ranks of the world’s “urgently hungry” by 10%, afflicted one in six humans, caused widespread riots and toppled one national government, observed Josette Sheeran, Executive Director, ...
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January 30, 2009
Fears about Food Security: A New Backlash to Globalization?
Fears about Food Security: A New Backlash to Globalization?• Daniel J. Bryant • Frank Ning Gaoning • Maqbool Ali Sultan • Niu DunFacilitated by • Raju NarisettiSaturday 27 SeptemberThe global community faces a number of daunting challenges in regard to food security. The world’s population is expected to top nine billion by 2050, an increase of almost three billion. A mass migration of people into urban areas, combined with rising consumption and consumerism will also strain food supplies. Many have blamed globalization for instability in food supplies. Moderator Raju Narisetti, Editor of ...
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September 27, 2008
