Results for: Food Security

The northern Saskatchewan village of Cumberland House has declared a state of emergency due to deteriorating road conditions on Highway 123, the only road connecting it to the outside world. The highway is riddled with potholes and ruts, making it impassable for vehicles without four-wheel drive. The community is facing food insecurity as road access has been cut off, and fuel supplies are dwindling. The community is calling on the provincial government to address the long-term need for road repairs.

Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin, instrumental in creating the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, will receive the 2024 World Food Prize for their crucial role in preserving global crop diversity and safeguarding against future food crises.

Nearly 282 million people in 59 countries are facing acute hunger in 2023, a sharp increase from 2022. The Global Report on Food Crises warns that 705,000 people in five countries are at Phase 5, the highest level of hunger, with over 80% of these cases occurring in war-torn Gaza. Conflict and climate change continue to drive food insecurity, with South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali also facing catastrophic hunger. The report urges urgent action to address the underlying causes of hunger and malnutrition.

Five individuals in northern China have been detained by police for their alleged involvement in a major corn theft scheme, siphoning an estimated 10,000 tonnes of corn valued at approximately 25 million yuan (US$3.45 million) over two years. The incident highlights the heightened focus of Beijing on food security amid geopolitical tensions and global supply chain disruptions.

Family farms are a dominant business model in Europe and play a significant role in the food and agricultural systems, promoting inclusivity, sustainability, resilience, and efficiency. However, they face challenges such as decreasing numbers, structural and societal issues, demanding workload with low pay, and denigration of the farming profession. Despite these challenges, younger generations show enthusiasm for farming, driven by a desire for stimulating and environmentally conscious work. To ensure the sustainability of family farms, many are diversifying their activities, embracing entrepreneurial spirit, and seeking a balance between traditional practices and modern innovations.

The British Columbia government has announced a $25 million investment in the expansion of a milk production plant in Abbotsford, B.C. The expansion is expected to increase local milk production by 50% to 1.4 billion liters annually and create up to 100 new jobs. The investment aims to boost the supply of locally sourced food products and reduce the reliance on imports from Eastern Canada.

The European Union (EU) and China have significant opportunities to boost their agri-food trade despite strained relations, according to Wojciechowski, the EU’s chief agricultural official. The EU exports a substantial amount of agri-food products to China, while China provides a substantial amount of food imports to the EU. To protect the quality and origin of agricultural products, the EU and China have agreed on geographical indications (GIs) for 100 European and 100 Chinese products. The EU delegation, led by Wojciechowski, is focusing on expanding its presence in the Chinese market, leveraging the growing demand for high-quality food among Chinese consumers. The delegation will also attend a major food and beverage trade fair in Shenzhen. Wojciechowski highlighted the importance of excluding food products from political disputes and emphasized the need for China to increase its purchases from Ukraine to stabilize the global market.

Vietnam is transforming its rice sector to address climate change and increase profits, employing new techniques like alternate wetting and drying and drone fertilization. These methods reduce water consumption, methane emissions, and labor costs while maintaining crop yields. The country aims to expand climate-resilient rice farming to 300,000 hectares by 2030, with support from the World Bank and other international organizations. Vietnam’s efforts serve as a model for other rice-producing nations facing climate change challenges, highlighting the vital need to mitigate methane emissions and secure food security.

Food waste is a major global problem that has serious environmental and social consequences. Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted globally, which is enough to feed over three billion people. This waste contributes to nearly eight to 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, which is on the scale of what a large country would produce. The greatest contributors to food waste are high-income countries, where the average consumer wastes between 95-115 kilograms of food per year. In Canada, approximately 60 percent of food produced is lost or wasted per year, costing an estimated $49.5 billion. This figure constitutes about half the annual food purchase costs in Canada and three percent of Canada’s 2016 GDP.