After decades of declining food prices, recent food, fuel and
financial crises have ushered in a new reality. As outlined in
the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) 2011
Global Food Policy Report, food prices rose dramatically in
2007-08 and then again in 2010-11. What’s more, prices of most
cereals and meats are projected to keep increasing – fueled by
increasing demand for food and energy from a growing population,
and exacerbated by climate change-related weather patterns and
destructive floods and droughts. IFPRI’s estimates indicate that
if we want to meet the rapidly growing food demand, cereal
production will need to increase by 70 percent in the next four
decades. Although the challenge is dire, there are reasons for
optimism. The international community, governments, and the
private sector are increasingly recognizing the centrality of
agriculture, not only for human nutrition and health, but also
as a basis of economic growth; and are providing much-needed
investments in the secto