An action plan for the current world food situation

The "resilience package"

Invest in people. For longer term impact, developing countries need to invest in social protection measures, such as cash transfer programs, pension systems and employment programs. Preventative health and nutrition programs targeted to vulnerable groups (e.g. mothers, young children, and people living with HIV-AIDS) should be scaled up to ensure universal coverage. In addition, school feeding programs can play an important role in increasing school enrollment and in retaining children in school and enhancing their academic achievement. These programs would reduce the vulnerability of poor people and enhance their long-term productive capacity.

Reduce market volatility. Improving grain stocks and enacting regulatory measures to curb excessive speculation in agricultural commodities would help to stabilise markets in times of crisis.

Complete Doha round. World leaders need to complete the Doha Development Round, so that there is a global system that promotes agricultural trade on a fair and equitable basis.

Support agriculture. Long term relief from rising food prices can only be possible with increased agricultural production. Industrialised nations should revitalise their support for research, innovation, and extension to transform small farm agriculture. African heads of state need to deliver on their commitment to allocate 10 percent of their national budgets to agriculture. These investments not only have high returns in terms of agricultural growth, but also have a major impact in reducing poverty.

The Food Summit held in Rome in early June gave a sense of urgency for some of these actions, especially for the need of accelerated production. The global community must now put into action effective approaches that will stem the tide of rising food prices and reduce the threat of hunger and poverty.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI is one of 15 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations. www.ifpri.org

More information about IFPRI research on rising food prices can be found at:  http://www.ifpri.org/themes/foodprices/foodprices.asp