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Towards the Future We Want - End Hunger and make the transition to sustainable agricultural and food systems - Brochure

Year of publication 2012

Author Climate, Energy and Tenure Division

Product type Document

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Healthy and productive life depends on food and nutrition security. Yet hundreds of millions of people suffer from hunger and other nutritional deficiencies, and the majority of those people derive their livelihoods from agriculture. We must recognize that the millions of people who manage agricultural systems - from the very poorest to the most commercialized producers constitute the largest group of natural resource managers on earth. Their decisions, as well as those of the world's 7 billio n consumers, are key to global food security and the health of the world's ecosystems. The conditions needed to achieve universal food security and nutrition, responsible environmental stewardship and greater fairness in food management intersect in agricultural and food systems at global, national and local levels. In the face of an expected global population of 9 billion in 2050, pressure on the world's agricultural and food systems will grow. Unless purposeful action is taken, even if the 60 percent increase in food production needed to meet effective demand is achieved, some 300 million people may still remain without adequate access to food. We can no longer ignore the interdependencies between hunger and malnutrition, and natural resources and the environment. We have known since the first Rio summit about the nature of the challenges we face and how to address them. Where we have fallen short is in recognizing and addressing the governance challenges that must be overcome in ord er to take the steps needed to achieve commonly agreed goals. Ultimately, success in eradicating hunger and the transition to sustainable patterns of consumption and production will depend on the decisions of billions of individuals – both producers and consumers. To make sure that proper policies are implemented, fair and effective governance systems are needed – systems that are transparent, participatory, results-focused and accountable.

Language English

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