Hunger

Since the first World Food Summit in 1996 leaders have been committed to decreasing the number of hungry people. By June 2009, however, the world’s hungry had increased to 1.02 billion.

In the aftermath of high global food prices in 2008, and amid growing concern about the damage climate change will wreak on agriculture, much of the focus is now on finding ways to boost food production. Increasing meat and dairy consumption in the fastest growing economies are seen to ratchet up the pressure on supplies.

Ethical argument

However, hunger was a tragic problem even before the 2008 food price rises and it is well-known that hunger can exist amid plenty. In practice, people go hungry because they cannot afford to eat rather than because there is no food available. Although many of the people suffering from hunger live in farming communities, agricultural investment could exacerbate their problems unless it is focused on reducing economic inequalities.

The role that biofuel production and financial speculation played in the 2008 price rises – both thought to be more influential in reality than changes in diet in fast-growing economies – shows how the consumption and spending power, not simply production, are crucial to tackling hunger globally.

Priorities

• Efforts to limit consumption should focus on rich countries with the highest per capita consumption rates
• Measures to tackle urban hunger should focus on social welfare, including well-targeted social protection programmes in poorer countries
• Policy makers should boost demand by rebuilding public stocks, an important buffer against price volatility.
• Agricultural investment should follow the principles set out in the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development.