FACT SHEET

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

Food
The Situation
There is enough food in the world to feed everyone, yet 925 million people are going hungry. At the heart of the problem is poverty and disempowerment, which prevent access to nutritious food. This is compounded by the steady degradation of soils, freshwater, oceans and biodiversity. A major overhaul of the global food and agriculture system is needed to ensure food security for nearly one billion people who currently suffer from hunger and feed the projected additional 2 billion in the worlds population by 2050. Farmers working less than 10 hectares of land represent about a third of the worlds population and a large majority of the extremely poor. Agriculture is the single largest employer, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of todays global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households. Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change such as drought or water stress, which severely undermine food security and efforts to eradicate poverty. The past year has seen a food security crisis in the Horn of Africa and a developing emergency in the Sahel region of West Africa. South Asia has the largest number of hungry people 36 per cent of all the undernourished in the developing world. By 2050, as many as 20 per cent more people could be at risk of hunger owing to climaterelated losses in productivity, the majority in subSaharan Africa. Food price increases and volatility worldwide mean many more people teeter on the edge of hunger. Declining agricultural productivity forces people to encroach on forests, grasslands and wetlands, creating a downward spiral of environmental degradation and poverty. Increasing agricultural productivity is essential to sustainable development because it reduces both poverty and stress on the environment. Fundamental issues concerning how food is grown and consumed need to be addressed. As the ranks of the global middle class have swelled, so has the consumption of meat, the production of which demands growing quantities of grain and water, placing increased pressures on agricultural systems. Efforts are under way to reduce waste in food production and distribution, and to promote farming methods that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts of agriculture, like soil loss and water pollution. Better dietary habits are called for in wealthy countries, which have a disproportionately and unsustainably high caloric intake. In many poor countries, targeted aid is needed for populations where farming is most at risk.

Key Facts
Food production is rising steadily and exceeding population growth. Yet some 925 million people go hungry worldwide. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that global food losses and waste amount to 1.3 billion tonnes per year roughly one-third of the world food production Smallholder farms provide up to 80 per cent of food in developing countries, so investing in them is an important way to increase food production. If women in rural areas had the same access to land, technology, financial services, education and markets as men, the number of hungry people could be reduced by 100-150 million.
20-22 June 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil uncsd2012.org 4-6 June 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil www.uncsd2012.org

United Nations

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

Since the 1900s, some 75 per cent of crop diversity has been lost from farmers fields. Land degradation directly affects 1.5 billion people globally; an estimated 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil are lost each year. Global total production of fish, crustaceans and mollusks has increased to 144.6 million tonnes in 2009. While capture production has remained level at around 90 million tonnes since 2001, aquaculture production has increased at an average annual rate of 6.1 per cent from 34.6 million tonnes in 2001 to 55.7 million tonnes in 2009. The value of aquaculture production was estimated at US$105.3 billion in 2009.

What Works
Brazils holistic approach with its Zero Hunger programme gives cash to poor households on condition their children attend school and keep uptodate on vaccinations and health check ups. The programme feeds 47 million children daily, and procures up to 30 per cent of the food from local farmers. Brazil has lifted some 49 million out of poverty and aims to do the same for the remaining 16 million poor by 2014. The country is partnering with the World Food Programme (WFP), to share experiences with African, Asian and other Latin American countries. Around 100,000 West African farmers have cut the use of toxic pesticides, increasing yields and incomes and diversifying farming systems as a result of an FAO-run project promoting sustainable farming practices. An innovative new food product made in Pakistan is helping to protect young flood victims from malnutrition. Made from locally grown chickpeas, Wawa Mum shows that supplying technical know-how can be the key to finding local solutions to malnutrition. Watch video.

Proposals for Rio+20

The UN High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability recommends that governments and international organizations create a new green revolution to at least double productivity while drastically reducing resource use and avoiding further biodiversity and topsoil loss as well as water depletion and contamination. Proposals submitted for Sustainable Development Goals in the draft outcome document of the Rio+20 Conference include several specific targets for achievement by 2030: Zero net land degradation; 20 per cent increase in total food supply-chain efficiency, reducing losses and waste from field to fork; 20 per cent increase in water efficiency in agriculture; 70 per cent of irrigated land using technology that increases crop per drop.

Other proposals call for increased investment in local food production, improved access to local and global agri-food markets, and reduced waste throughout the supply chain, with special attention to women, smallholders, youth and indigenous farmers. There are also calls for more transparent and open trading systems that contribute to stable food prices and domestic markets; access to land, water and other resources; and support for social protection programmes.
Produced by the United Nations Department of Public Information, June 2012

United Nations

20-22 June 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil uncsd2012.org 4-6 June 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil www.uncsd2012.org