If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
Among so many world leaders and high-level representatives from civil society and academia, I felt a sense of critical mass beginning to form in the fight to end global hunger.
President Obama's New Alliance announcement is an acknowledgment that the global community is capable of achieving an enormous impact even in an economic environment where many nations are being forced to retreat from their promises.
Neither governments nor global corporations bothered to consult with those who have the biggest stake in rebuilding agriculture in Africa: the farmers.
By 2050, there will be 9 billion people living on our planet, and to feed these people we are going to need 70 percent more food to meet demand. That's a big challenge, and one that requires commitments and investment from world leaders to help overcome.
When the chief economist for the International Energy Agency issues a dire warning, you'd think the world's leaders would sit up and take notice.
It sounds easy to throw money at the Pentagon and buy more security. But we all know that's not how security works -- it's like investing tens of thousands in a terrific alarm system for your house, then leaving your windows open.
As an amateur climber for 20 years, I learned that to scale daunting cliffs and ice, two core attributes are required -- courage and teamwork. You probably feel like you have been climbing your own mountain after two days of G8 talks at Camp David
While it is too early to speculate about what the UK government will prioritize next year, and it's unlikely that it will publish any formal agenda until the end of this year, we do know that much has changed since the last UK presidency of the G8 in 2005.
Frontline health workers are really the backbone of effective health systems in developing countries. These workers are members of the community who live in the communities they serve and understand the needs as well as the barriers to achieving optimal health.
bringing the benefits of agricultural development to the farmers at the end of the road, is the challenge within the challenge.
Not only that we must redouble our efforts to increase our overall food production, but that we must do this with a smaller impact on the climate while promoting sustainable diets and uncovering new methods for efficient distribution and waste prevention.
There will be a significant audience missing from the G8 Summit symposium on food insecurity -- the people who are going to be responsible for feeding those additional two billion in 2050.
The U.S. and the G8 would do well to join Leonida and her neighbors on their exodus from the misery of the hunger season to abundant food production. For if they succeed, so might we all.
We hope G8 leaders commit to action and investment to improve nutrition for mothers and children during the critical 1,000 days from pregnancy to age 2, when nutrition can have a lifelong impact on a child's future in terms of both health and development.
Will the G8 leaders at Camp David be able to overcome their own internal disputes and the ongoing challenges of the global economy in order to partner with African governments to save the 1 billion people in the world suffering from hunger?
Recognizing small farmers and their organizations as primary stakeholders in development means more than paying lip service to them in global meetings.
