Humanitas Global Development Blog

2013 Borlaug Dialogue + Announcing the Community for Zero Hunger: Collective Action at Work

By Jorge Rojas-Ruiz, Humanitas Global and Erica Oakley, Humanitas Global

The 2013 Borlaug Dialogue is currently underway in Des Moines, Iowa. International experts, policy leaders, business executives and farmers from across the globe have come together to address cutting-edge issues in food security and nutrition. This year the focus is: The Next Borlaug Century: Biotechnology, Sustainability and Climate Volatility with a specific focus on:

• The advances in science-based innovation in allowing us not to only produce more food, but to reduce loss and waste, enhance food safety and better manage our environmental resources. The symposium will evaluate how we can use research, education, extension and enterprise to strengthen the linkages along the value chain to benefit all stakeholders.
• How we can best harness the many tools and technologies at our disposal, including biotechnology, alternative frameworks, and new methodologies and mechanisms, to improve human development, increase food security and enhance nutrition and health.
• Diverse perspectives including agro-ecology and sustainable agriculture, as well as explore the crucial issues of land tenure, land management, emerging innovations in food traceability and precision agriculture. The symposium will further analyze the metrics of sustainability and the success of collaborative initiatives to build climate resilience, while looking ahead at future challenges and opportunities.

 

Building on this year's theme of the Borlaug Dialogue, the Community for Zero Hunger—an independent initiative that responds to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s call to action to build a Zero Hunger world—is co-hosting a side event today along with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Humanitas Global, “Announcing the Community for Zero Hunger: Collective Action at Work.” The side event will feature distinguished leaders who are on the frontlines fighting for a food and nutrition secure world for all. The list of panelists includes:

• Tom Arnold, Chair – Convention of the Irish Constitution (former CEO of Concern)
• Julie Borlaug, Associate Director External Affairs – Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
• Ted McKinney, Senior Director of Global Corporate Affairs – Elanco
• Jacqueline Mkindi, Chief Executive Officer, Tanzania Horticultural Association
• Gurdev Khush, World Food Prize recipient
• Jomo Sundaram, Assistant Director-General – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

In addition, there will be a breakout session following the panel discussion. The breakout session will allow us to hear from those on the frontlines on how to achieve a zero hunger world and kick off the Community’s 24-month efforts!  Our table facilitators includes:

• John Coonrod, Executive Vice President - The Hunger Project
• Andrea Durkin, Principal – Sparkplug, LLC
• Jamie Greenheck, Senior Vice President & Senior Partner – FleishmanHillard
• Amy McMillen, Liaison Office for North America – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Sharon Norton, Director of Development – The Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition

We hope those attending the Borlaug Dialogue are able to join us! To follow along with the latest updates from this week’s events follow the conversation on Twitter at World Food Prize and Community for Zero Hunger.  

Sustainable Food Systems: A Call for Multi-Sectoral Collaboration for Empowered, Hunger-Free Communities

By: Nabeeha Mujeeb Kazi, MIA, MPH
Managing Director of Humanitas Global and Chair of the Community for Zero Hunger

Newly released FAO data notes that 842 million people around the world are hungry, even though the world produces more than enough food to meet their needs.  By 2050, we need to double current food production in order to feed nine billion people.

The needs of the hungry and malnourished are far from being met. We face an even greater challenge when we add in future food demands.  How are we going to meet global food needs in a way that is sustainable – so that we minimize harm to our planet, and build systems that help communities be food secure forever?   We must continue to work with diverse sectors and forge innovative multi-sectoral collaborations to turn the tide on hunger. 

The idea of multi-sectoral collaborations is nothing new – they are the hallmark of how we have gotten food from the farm to our fork.  Take a moment and think about the journey of a banana. How many players are involved in getting that banana to your table?

• Farmers: Farmers in countries such as Ecuador, Costa Rica, and India grow bananas and export them to markets around the world. Even the United States produces bananas in Hawaii.
• Researchers/scientists: Researchers explore ways to increase banana tree yields, prevent diseases and pests, and find the best ways to store bananas to ensure safety and freshness.  They also research the nutrition benefits of the banana and impact on human health.
• Businesses: Companies are involved in all stages of production and distribution, from processing plants to transportation companies to grocery stores.
• Government: Governments in both the exporting and importing countries are responsible for maintaining necessary infrastructure such as roads and electrical grids. They are also responsible for issuing guidelines on factors such as food safety and import regulations.
• Doctors, nutritionists/health communicators: The health care community helps educate consumers about the value of foods such as bananas and how they can enrich our diets by providing needed macro and micronutrients, such as potassium.  They also provide consumers with ideas on how to easily incorporate bananas into their diets with serving tips and recipes to promote banana consumption.
• Civil society: Consumer advocate groups, communications experts, labor associations, non-profits and international organizations work on issues ranging from food distribution efforts to labor rights to food safety issues.

As you can see, food systems would not exist without multi-sectoral collaboration.   But, we can be doing more.  United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says that “In a world of plenty, no one – not a single person – should go hungry.” This certainly means that we produce enough food – especially when you account for the 1.3 billion tons of food that is wasted yearly.  But, I think, it also means that we live in a world where we have plenty of ideas, expertise, innovations, and committed people who want to do right by those who are hungry.

We must implement interesting discoveries that allow us to irrigate crops with less water, improve crop and animal outputs, and maintain the quality of soil.  We need to mobilize artists and writers to raise awareness about our right to food and tell this story so it influences policy and empowers communities to act.  We need to learn about creative and effective community efforts of health workers to improve child and maternal nutrition. We must work together even more efficiently and effectively than ever before to scale up solutions that work, and make the challenge of achieving a food secure future for all a thing of the past.

This post was originally featured on Food and Agriculture of the United Nations Perspectives series. Perspectives is a series of essays from thought-leaders on the World Food Day theme that provide the context for informed discussions about the many pathways to ending world hunger.