Food Security
Currently one out of every eight people in the world suffer from food insecurity—unreliable access to safe and affordable food - even though 70 percent of the developing world’s population is employed in agriculture. Research affects the way people understand the problem, and therefore allocate resources: do we need to increase food production, or do we need better distribution of existing supply chains? Should countries focus on national food security, or will free trade fill the gap? How do we grow enough food today without harming the environment of tomorrow?
The IPD Food Security team seeks to provide policymakers and advocates with timely and comprehensive information on the conditions that affect food insecurity in developing countries, as well as data on international assistance targeting the alleviation of long-term hunger and the construction of accessible, sustainable food systems. In conjunction with the Climate Change team, the Food Security team has developed a method of tracking and geomapping food security programs within international development aid (see video here). The team is also conducting research on the complex relationship between land grabs, global food supply chains, and developing countries’ food security. The team is currently producing a comprehensive actor landscape report to track the key activities and reports of international institutions in the provision of financial and technical assistance for food security.
The IPD Food Security team seeks to provide policymakers and advocates with timely and comprehensive information on the conditions that affect food insecurity in developing countries, as well as data on international assistance targeting the alleviation of long-term hunger and the construction of accessible, sustainable food systems. In conjunction with the Climate Change team, the Food Security team has developed a method of tracking and geomapping food security programs within international development aid (see video here). The team is also conducting research on the complex relationship between land grabs, global food supply chains, and developing countries’ food security. The team is currently producing a comprehensive actor landscape report to track the key activities and reports of international institutions in the provision of financial and technical assistance for food security.
Our student researchers are motivated to contribute to the global pursuit of answers to these pressing questions. Some of our projects underway include:
- Creating a food security coding methodology that tracks how many activities in each project are food security relevant and evaluates their effectiveness . Read more here.
- Demonstrating the power of geomapping by visualizing non-profit projects and the Ministry of Agriculture’s database of projects to better understand different actors role in reducing food insecurity in Malawi. See maps here.
- Assessing the impact of modern supermarkets on the urban poor.
- Investigating the acreage amount and purpose of land purchases by foreign buyers in developing countries.
