New Global Food Policy Report Says How We Feed the World is Unsustainable

The 2016 Global Food Policy Report, the flagship publication of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has been released on March 31, 2016. The report provides an in-depth look at major food policy developments and events in the past year, and examines key challenges and opportunities for the coming year.

The report points out that today's global food system has major weaknesses: nearly 800 million people are left hungry, one-third of the human race is malnourished, over half of some crops never make it to the table, and the planet is ravaged from environmentally unfriendly agricultural practices. It also states that as the global population is expected to soar exponentially in the coming years, various ways must be examined to feed more people efficiently and sustainably, while combatting climate change.

"The Sustainable Development Goals task us all with the challenge of eradicating hunger and undernutrition in 15 years or less," said IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan. "We must promote and support a new global food system that is efficient, inclusive, climate-smart, sustainable, nutrition- and health-driven, and business-friendly in order to ensure that no one goes to sleep hungry."

The 2016 report takes a look at the latest research on opportunities and challenges the world will face in achieving multiple SDGs. The report includes chapters on climate change and smallholder farmers, sustainable diets, food loss and waste, and water management. For more details, read the news release at the IFPRI website, where a download link to the report is available.