Archive

Ag and Health Research

The increasing interest in the links between and agriculture and health has led to the development of several new programs. It includes the Leverhulme Centre for Integrative Research on Agriculture and Health (LCIRAH), a new Centre established under a five-year £3.5m grant from The Leverhulme Trust to build a new inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary platform for […]

70 Countries Share 30 Seats for SDG Negotiations

The process is now getting underway to organize the work on Sustainable Development Goals among the member states of the UN. An Open Working Group has been established after months of debate about how it would operate. Originally to be formed in September of 2012, it has taken a further six months to even agree […]

Agriculture Faces New Scrutiny in Post 2015 Agenda

The High Level Panel chaired by the leaders of Britain, Indonesia, and Liberia released the communiqué from its most recent meetings in Monrovia, February 1. The Panel has been asked by the UN Secretary General to set recommendations on the new global development agenda. Agriculture is being reframed in these discussions in an interesting way. […]

Support the International Year of Pulses

Join us in the call to have the United Nations declare 2016 as “International Year of Pulses”. Celebrate all the great things pulses do: Pulse crops such as lentils, beans, peas, and chickpeas are a critical source of plant-based proteins for people around the globe. The World Food Programme and other food aid initiatives use […]

Canada’s Opportunity

Canada has vast opportunities in the current agricultural market. The MacDonald-Laurier Institute issued a challenge to the government of Canada to reform the regulatory system, change the farm support system to foster productivity, adjust disproportionate support to small operations, and secure market access for Canadian agri-food product. The report “Canadian Agriculture and Food: A Growing […]

High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security

Upcoming Topics of the High Level of Panel Experts on Food Security will be: 2013 Biofuels and food security Constraints to smallholder investments 2014 The role of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition; Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems. Call for nominations The High Level Panel of […]

Fresh Take on an Old Debate

It has had lots of media attention, but if you haven’t had a chance to see it, hear Mark Lynas’s remarks regarding modern agriculture. Having looked carefully at the science, global demands, and his own biases, the has reversed his position on GM crops. I particularly note the question about whether he should be against […]

UN Committee on World Food Security

CFS 2013 The work priorities for the CFS have been determined for 2013 and focus on four topics: Policy discussions based on the High Level Panel of Experts’ studies: Constraints on smallholder investment Biofuels Responsible agricultural investment principles (RAI) Protracted Crises – Development of an Agenda for Action on food security and nutrition in countries […]

Post 2015 Consultation Through 11 January 2013

The UN is working feverishly to set the new goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) is facilitating a civil society consultation which will open for submissions on 29 December 2012. The deadline for submissions is 23:59 GMT on Friday, 11 January. Submissions must be limited to 2500 […]

Tensions Rising?

Hakan Bahceci, Chairman of CICILS, the international pulse sector organisation recently gave a speech in Istanbul on a panel discussing: The Increasing Importance of Water, Food and Agriculture Within Next Ten Years: Would the tension rise with the tides? Here are some of his opening remarks: “We are on this panel today because agriculture has […]