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Food Security and Agriculture

Millions fed: One billion hungry

Presentation to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Development

John Barrett, Deputy Director (Food and Livelihoods)Policy Division

20 January 2010

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Across the world, high levels of hunger and malnutrition have persisted for the last 20 years

2004

1992

2008

% of Population Undernourished versus MDG 1

17

16

20

0 5 10 15 20 25

Affordability • Poor spend an average of 70% of their income on food • Hunger a function of poverty but agricultural growth necessary to improve food security

Availability• Food production increasing though gains in Sub-Saharan Africa low and static • Volatility in production increases risks faced by the poor• Chronic underinvestment in agriculture

Access• Lack of rural infrastructure and access to financial and other services, lack of or inequitable land tenure systems etc • Trade increasingly global but many markets for food in developing countries remain local and low value

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Then the food price spike in 2008 made food even less affordable and less available

Supply side: Harvest failures pushing down crop yields, stocks low and further declined due to bad weather and low yields in exporting countries

Demand side: Rising incomes which increase overall demand for grain; biofuels

…resulting in riots and humanitarian disasters….

Policy responses exacerbated the problem further

• Export restrictions to protect domestic supplies • Over 30 countries reduced cereal import taxes and more than half applied price controls or consumer subsidies

….and the economic downturn is exacerbating the problem…

Over 1 billion now hungry and there are warnings that a food crisis could happen again in the near future (FAO food price index is rising in 2009)

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The crisis pushed food security and agriculture up political agendas and is being tackled at the international level by the L’Aquila process

The international debates have focused on: • Improved co-ordination and country-led processes • New financing mechanisms• Reform of the international architecture (including CGIAR)• How to harness and control global markets • Self sufficiency and the right to food • How the world will feed itself in the future in the face of climate change and population growth

Prime Minister wrote to G8 April 2008. Led to creation of UN-led High Level Task Force, and the CFA

G8 Summit in Japan. Donor commitments of $10 bn. Established Experts’ Group on Food Security.

“Food Security for All” conference in Madrid

The G8 Plus meeting at L’Aquila in July 2009. Five principles agreed, and commitment to spend up to $20 billion over the next three years. UK’s contribution at least £1.1

G20 at Pittsburgh and UNGA In New York – side event on food reinforces ‘L’Aquila

World Food Summit supports L’Aquila and agreement reached to work harder to meet MDG target

April 08 July 08 Sept 08

UNGA 63 focuses on Food Security

Sept 09July 09 Oct 09Jan 09 Nov 09Aug 08

Comprehensive Framework for Action agreed

CFS reform agreed

WB Annual Meeting considers new multilateral funding mechanism

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Food security is now top of Washington’s agenda

• The US Global Food Security Act• Special Coordinator for Global Food Security • New food security strategy• Provide additional resources for agricultural productivity, nutrition and rural

development. • Emergency Food Assistance Fund that can make local and regional

purchases of food

• New legislation on commodity market financial transactions in congress

• US leading push on food security internationally• Key asks

• Increase spending for agriculture productivity • Support for CAADP• New Financing mechanism – GAFSP

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…and there is a locus of activity led by the UN agencies in Rome in delivering the Global Partnership

• World Summit on Food Security 2009• ‘Rome Principles’

• FAO• Reform of the Committee on Food Security• Collaboration with IFAD and WFP

• UN High Level Policy Experts Group

• Enhanced role for private sector (e.g. Foundations) and civil society

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…..and the upcoming Spanish Presidency give high priority to food security

• Spain has prioritised food security• announced €1 billion for agriculture and food security over 5

years at UNGA 2008 • Focus on West Africa and ECOWAS

• Support + contribute to US led Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP)

• Looking to work with DFID for guidance on good policy and practice

• Spanish Presidency will focus on MDG Review• Presidency will lead consultation on agriculture and food

security policy for approval by Council

1 BILLIONHUNGRY

OCHA, UNEP, WTO, WHO,

UNTAD, OECD

UNICEF

IFAD

FAO

WFP

World Bank

IMF

UN

GS

UN HLTF

G77G5

Brazil

Mexico

SA

India

China

G8

EU

Bilateral funding

The Global Partnership is underway…..

SE Asia

LAC

Country-led plans for food security

and agriculture

Africa

AGRA

CAADP

L’Aquila £22billion

GP

AF

S P

rincip

les

Co

mp

reh

en

siv

e F

ram

ew

ork

fo

r Ac

tion

CGIAR

G20

Multilateral funding

Private Sector

Civil Society

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DFID needs a broader approach to food security, agriculture and nutrition

New context• Food and economic

crises• Global food system

• MICs• Trade• Biofuels

• Changing country priorities

• Climate change• Population growth

Key Principles • Support for country-led processes• Donor harmonisation and

alignment (Paris and Accra)• Twin track – most vulnerable and

sustainable routes out of poverty longer term

• Strong role for multilateral system• Sustained commitment of

governments and donors

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The UK remains committed to meeting the MDGs…

Fair & sustainable growth• Helping poor in short term while

building a platform for strong growth

Climate change• Secure a fair deal at Copenhagen &

build capacity to manage change

Focus on conflict• New approach to provide security

and justice, more focus on conflict and fragile countries

…while keeping our promises• Reducing maternal mortality, 8m

children in Africa to attend school

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“Our vision is to double agriculture production in Africa and double the rates of production in SE Asia”

• Supporting the ‘Maputo’ commitment • Double support for agricultural research over

the next 5 years• Double support to the African Enterprise

Challenge Fund • Put in place social protection mechanisms

that integrate nutrition and food security • Reform on the international architecture for

food

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Country and regional programmes are key to improving food security

• Africa: Implementing CAADP• Effective CAADP processes in place - ARD £10m for

CAADP Trust Fund • DFID Programmes aligning behind CAADP plans: DFID

Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia• PFA Post Rwanda (tbc)

• South Asia engagement - political influencing and delivery• South Asia Regional Food Security Programme with

SASO and building support from EC, WB and USAID• Country-led programmes - DFID India, Bangladesh,

Afghanistan, Nepal

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Less than 10% of DFID’s budget is spent on food security and agriculture compared to over 20% on healthDFID bilateral spend on agriculture and food security is £227m (2009/10); the largest shares are agricultural production (£62.6m), rural development (£55.5m) and safety nets (£51.1m);

• Ethiopia, Bangladesh and India country offices spend over half this budget (£148m) mostly on agricultural production and safety nets.

•Multilateral spend on agriculture and food security in 2007/08 was £140m

Agriculture, £62.6

Fisheries, £1.4

Agric. & RNR

Research, £33.1 Rural Development,

£55.5

Road Transport:

Rural Feeder Roads,

£9.9

Food Aid and Food

Security

Programmes, £51.1

Basic Nutrition,

Health, £12.9

Bilateral spend food security excluding emergency food aid (£m)

Multilateral spend on food security excluding emergency food aid and rural roads (£m)

Basic Nutrition, £4.1

Agriculture, £92.4

Fisheries, £5.6

Rural Development,

£18.7

Food Aid and Food Security,

£19.2

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There is a large investment gap for tackling hunger and meeting the MDG 1 target on hunger

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

W Bank2002

UN HLTF2008

IFPRI2008a

IFPRI2008bSSA

IFPRI2009aSSA

IFPRI2009b

US$20Bover 3years

Funding estimates for MDG1

US

$ bi

llion

pa

to 2

015

high

low

G8 20B

The size of the funding gap is

between $10 and $30 bn per

annum

MDG 1

• 2010 is an opportunity to revitalise progress towards the MDGs and set out a roadmap to 2015

• Global Action Plan at the UN MDG Summit September 2010 with a timetable on delivering commitment to double foreign assistance

• UK priority to build momentum around the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative

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Main challenges going forward

• Maintain political momentum behind the 2009 initiatives

• Work to promote coherence and convergence between them

• Continue to emphasise a comprehensive approach to food security and agricultural development, with focus on nutrition of women and children

• Particular effort to support activities at country level