CONTENT
March 9-15, 2018

Global Food Security Symposium
Key Articles
Global Development Activities
US Government Activities
Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations
Food and Agricultural Issues
Nutrition and Health
Environment, Water, and Climate
Gender and Generational Inclusion
Market Access, Trade, and Agribusiness
Upcoming Events

By 2050, Africa’s population will double, with 1 billion projected to be under 18 years old, and many others regions are experiencing similar trends. How can we harness the potential of this promising demographic to secure economic growth and stability? Global leaders, innovators, disruptors, and trailblazers are shaping the future of food and agriculture. Attend this year’s symposium to learn why this transformative moment is a crucial to global food security and stability.

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The Next Generation: Tomorrow’s Jobs – Quality Over Quantity, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, March 13

Not all jobs are equal. Low quality work is less dependable, pays less, is more dangerous, and increases inequalities among different groups. For young people in low- and middle-income countries, the informal sector—where work can be sporadic, poorly paid, and undependable—remains the top employer. Agriculture, with the right investments, holds immense potential for entrepreneurship and good jobs.

Outrage and Inspire with Roger Thurow – Am I About to Lose My Second Child, Too?, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, March 12

With this podcast series, we open a new front in our storytelling, adding the magic of audio narratives to our writing, photos, and videos. In this episode, we learn how even the best nutrition projects can be undermined by bad water, poor sanitation and hygiene, and lousy infrastructure.  From northern Uganda, we hear a mother’s agony when her healthy, robust child suddenly falls ill after a few sips of water.

Guest Commentary – The Business of Farming, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, March 14

If we wish to avoid a future of hunger, conflict and instability, we must act now to improve the status, perception and wellbeing of smallholder farmers around the world. That begins with the farmers themselves and working with them directly to help them see the potential inherent in their land and their dreams for their families.

Guest Commentary – Creating Decent Work Through Innovation and Partnerships, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, March 12

Employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young women and men are typically limited in rural areas. The majority of rural youth globally are employed in the informal economy, usually earning low wages, working under casual or seasonal work arrangements and often facing unsafe, exploitive working conditions. But, a Solidaridad initiative is working to change that.

Guest Commentary – Half the Sky – And Half the Earth: Enhancing Food Security Through a Focus on Women in Agriculture, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, March 9

In every corner of the global economy, women face barriers that make them less able to participate and advance in the labor force, and less likely to benefit from the fruits of their labor. The agricultural sector is no exception, and gender inequality within the sector is holding the world back from achieving sustainable food security.

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UN Official Warns of Humanitarian Catastrophe in Venezuela, AP, March 14

Colombia urgently needs international help as it struggles with a humanitarian “catastrophe” along its border caused by a flood of Venezuelan migrants driven from their homes by hunger. As hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine batter Venezuela, rising numbers of its people are joining in an exodus that has set off alarms across Latin America.

Every Day Seems like 'Day Zero' to Some Cape Town Residents, NPR, March 13

The water shortage in Cape Town has had far-reaching economic consequences. Agriculture has likewise been affected, with crops drying out and farmers releasing water from private dams to help shore up the dwindling supply. It is estimated that the water shortage has led to the loss of about a quarter-million jobs in the Western Cape province. Prices for fruit, vegetables, and wheat are expected to rise.

SEE ALSO: South Africa: Cape Town's Taps Can Still Run Dry despite Day Zero Scrapping – Experts, AllAfrica, March 10

The March of Thousands of Farmers to Mumbai Shows the Desperation of Rural India, Quartz, March 12

Around 40,000 protesting farmers walked, many of them barefoot, from Nashik to Mumbai – a 180km trek. The farmers’ demands include loan waivers, higher prices for their produce, and reforms to provide them ownership of land and end their status as landless tillers. Agriculture, which supports the livelihoods of over half of India’s population, makes for a little less than a fifth of the country’s $2.3 trillion GDP.

SEE ALSO: The Heartbreaking Stories of Indian Farmers Who Flooded Mumbai, Quartz, March 13

SEE ALSO: A 'Long March' by India's Farmers Forces Government to Act, Al Jazeera, March 14

Congo-Kinshasa: Fighting, Displacement Cause Hunger to Soar, AllAfrica, March 12

The United Nations says hunger is soaring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) mainly because of fighting and widespread displacement in Central and Eastern DRC. Approximately 7.7 million people in the DRC are suffering from acute hunger – a 30 percent increase since 2016. The United Nations has appealed for $168 billion to provide humanitarian assistance for 10.5 million people in the DRC this year.

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Lawmakers, Farm Groups Outline Fix for Tax Conundrum, Wall Street Journal, March 14

The “grain glitch”, one of the unintended consequences of the tax law passed in December, allows farmers to deduct up to 20 percent of their gross sales to cooperatives, versus 20 percent of their net income from other sales—a shift that would translate to a far larger deduction for farmers selling to cooperatives.  The proposed change could preserve tax benefits for farmers while restoring competitive balance in the industry.

Most of America’s Fruit is Now Imported. Is That a Bad Thing?, New York Times, March 13

Imports have increased steadily for decades, but the extent of the change may be surprising: More than half of the fresh fruit and almost a third of the fresh vegetables Americans buy now come from other countries. And despite the protectionist message coming from the administration, the growth in imports appears likely to continue.

As State Lifts Freeze, USAID to manage Own Hiring Decisions, Devex, March 12

USAID Mark Green on Monday sent a general notice to staff informing them that former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s hiring freeze has come to an end and that USAID will now handle its own hiring decisions. The directive means that USAID will no longer have to submit hiring requests to the State Department for approval.

Agriculture Secretary Says Tariffs Not as Bad as Feared, AP, March 10

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says that while he's as anxious as farmers are about how President Donald Trump's tariff increases will affect agricultural exports, the move doesn't look as bad as he originally thought. Perdue says the final version looked much better because Canada and Mexico were excluded, which he believes could boost discussions on improving NAFTA.

SEE ALSO: Former Ag Director Ibach Defends President Trump’s Trade Strategy, WJAG, March 12

SEE ALSO: Trade War Prospect Shakes Part of Trump Base: Midwest Farmers, New York Times, March 10

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How Refugees are Helping Create Blockchain's Brand New World, Wired, March 14

The World Food Programme integrated blockchain technology into a food voucher system for Syrian refugees, eliminating the need to pay banks to facilitate transactions. By using blockchain applications, individuals may be able to build up transaction and credit history over time and then use those records across borders as a form of identity without depending on a centralized authority to vouch for them.

Net Gains: Open-Ocean Fish Farming is Becoming Easier, Economist, March 10

Many wild fisheries are already at or past their sustainable capacity, so efforts to make fish farming more productive are vital. Ocean Farm 1 is the first of six experimental open-ocean fish farms and the largest in the world. It aims to automate what is an expensive and difficult business, and to solve two key problems that occur in near-shore aquaculture: that there is not enough space and that it is too polluting.

‘Flippy,’ the Fast Food Robot, Temporarily Decommissioned for Being Too Slow, Washington Post, March 9

Flippy, the burger-flipping robot, was supposed to revolutionize a California fast food kitchen, churning out 150 burgers per hour without requiring a paycheck or benefits. But after a single day of work, Flippy was temporarily decommissioned for failing to keep up with demand. The robot’s presence raises questions about the future of jobs as technology grows more advanced.

The Transformer of Autonomous Farmbots Can Do 100 Jobs on Its Own, Wired, March 9

The Dot Power Platform is a prime example of an explosion in advanced agricultural technology, which Goldman Sachs predicts will raise crop yields 70 percent by 2050. The tireless machine can run around the clock, pausing only to refuel its 75-gallon diesel tank, and will save growers an estimated 20 percent in fuel, labor, and equipment costs. The first six Dots will be sold to farmers in Canada this spring.

The Incredible Ways John Deere is Using Artificial Intelligence to Transform Farming, Forbes, March 9

Blue River Technology has developed an advanced algorithm to enable robots to make decisions about whether or not a plant is a pest, and then deliver a measured blast of chemical pesticides to tackle the unwanted pests. Farm equipment and services giant John Deere acquired the startup late last year and added it to the catalog of high tech, data-powered services it already offers its customers.

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Chinese Researchers Discovered an Agricultural Miracle that Could Feed the Planet without Destroying It, Quartz, March 14

Researchers working under guidance from the China Agricultural University conducted more than 13,000 on-the-ground field studies throughout China, taking note local farming practices. Following those studies, researchers developed geographically-specific advice for farmers that a one-size-fits-all farming method isn’t as efficient as methods tailored for specific crops, regions, and weather conditions.

UK Farmers to Be Given First Ever Targets on Soil Health, Guardian, March 13

A new bill will be brought before the UK parliament mandating, for the first time, measures and targets to preserve and improve the health of the United Kingdom’s soils, amid growing concerns that soil worldwide faces exhaustion and depletion. It is still too early to tell exactly what form the regulation would take, but it is likely to set a target of reversing the declines and restoring soil health across the country by 2030.

Japanese Towns Struggle to Deal with an Influx of New Arrivals: Wild Boars, Washington Post, March 9

Rapidly shrinking towns and cities across Japan are experiencing a population explosion of wild boars. Farmers are dying and there is no one to take over their land. The boars come for these untended rice paddies and stay for the abandoned shelters. With reports of boars rampaging through the ghost towns around the Fukushima plant, some people worry if the animals are becoming radioactive.

A Destructive ‘Dirty Feeder’ Beetle Found among Food Seized at Area Airports, Washington Post, March 9

Khapra beetle is considered one of the world’s most destructive: eating its way through grains and seeds and leaving a trail of body parts in its wake. Inspectors now have found the beetles in products brought by travelers arriving at two DC area airports. The insect cannot be fought with insecticides and fumigants, plus they can survive for long periods without food. They can take an economic toll if they get into food systems.

SEE ALSO: One of World’s Most Destructive Insects Found at DC Airports, AP, March 8

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Adding Formula to Breast-Feeding May Help Some Newborns, New York Times, March 15

Exclusive breastfeeding is widely recommended by experts, and rates of breastfeeding have risen. However, supplementing breastfeeding with formula may be good for some babies in the early days of life. Researchers studied 164 infants who exclusively breastfed one to three days after birth and had mothers who had not yet begun mature milk production.

SEE REPORT: The Effect of Early Limited Formula on Breastfeeding, Readmission, and Intestinal Microbiota: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Journal of Pediatrics, March 14

Seychelles Bans Ready-To-Eat Meat Products from South Africa over Listeria Outbreak, AllAfrica, March 12

The Seychelles Public Health Authority has imposed a temporary ban on all ready-to-eat meat products imported from South Africa since an outbreak of listeria was declared in the African country earlier this year. WHO called the outbreak of listeria the largest ever recorded globally, after 948 cases have been reported since January 2017. The ban will remain in force until further notice.

Fake Processed Food is Becoming an Epidemic in African Urban Life, Quartz, March 10

Food fraud—when companies purposely mislead the public about products—affects approximately 10 percent of all commercially sold food products and costs the global food industry between $10 billion and $15 billion annually. Given that most of the counterfeit products in Africa are staples consumed to fulfill daily dietary needs, they are likely contributing to the rising levels of malnutrition and cancer on the continent.

USAID and FAO Working Together to Pre-Empt the Next Global Pandemic, FAO, March 9

A United States-FAO partnership working to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to manage outbreaks of diseases in farm animals has in just 12 months succeeded in training over 4,700 veterinary health professionals in 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Beyond the risks posed to human health, animal diseases can cost billions of dollars and hamstringing economic growth.

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Fishing Boats 'Going Dark' Raise Suspicion of Illegal Catches, Report Says, NPR, March 12

A new report by Oceana, an international conservation group, documents incidents of fishing vessels that disappear from computer screens as they shut off collision-avoidance beacons near restricted areas, only to have them reappear days or weeks later back in legal fishing grounds. This raises concerns that fishing vessels mask the taking of illegal catches in protected marine parks and restricted national waters.

This is Why You Don't See People-Sized Salmon Anymore, NPR, March 12

A century's worth of dam-building, overfishing, habitat loss, and replacement by hatchery fish cut the size of the average chinook in half, which used to weigh in at 100 pounds or more. Chinooks have been shrinking even faster in the past 15 years as orcas' consumption of Chinook salmon has doubled since 1975. Chinooks' downsizing could spell trouble for all the mammals who want to catch them, as well.

Migration is a Successful Climate Adaptation Strategy, Opinion, Alex Randall, Al Jazeera, March 11

Billions are spent every year trying to make agriculture resilient to climate effects. But for people who are already poor, even slight reductions in farming income can be catastrophic. Migration and finding alternative work has, therefore, become part of a safety net in the face of climate change. Migration has become a form of home-grown climate change adaptation.

Study Indicates that Climate Change will Wreak Havoc on California Agriculture, LA Times, March 9

California’s agriculture is valued at more than $50 billion a year. A new paper reveals that climate change will further impact precipitation patterns, leading to more drought and more flooding, and spottier water storage. Generally warmer temperatures will reduce yields and shorter chill seasons will make vast areas no longer suitable for cultivation. Plant diseases and pests will move into regions where they haven't been a problem before.

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In Kibera, Women and Children Bear Brunt of Heavy Rains, Al Jazeera, March 14

Pollution, lack of infrastructure, and poor sanitation propagate the cycle of poverty and gender inequality, as women and girls pay the heaviest price in Kenya’s rainy season floods. They are most often the water handlers, responsible for cooking, cleaning, laundering, and bearing the burden of caring for those who fall sick from waterborne diseases.

Women in Hospitality Come Together over Shared Passion for Food Business, NPR, March 14

Female chefs make 28 percent less than their counterparts, and all women founders collected just 2.2 percent of venture capital funding in 2017. Pineapple Collaborative envisions a more inclusive food industry and serves as a space for women entrepreneurs, chefs, producers, activists, and policy wonks to discuss their work and shared passion for food.

Africa: Banana Pads? Why Your Favorite Fruit Could Give Girls a Dignified Period, AllAfrica, March 12

Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE) was created with the goal to use a business approach to solve social problems. With the help of experts, SHE developed and patented the process to transform discarded banana fibers into an absorbent material. The fibers form the core of ecofriendly, cheap sanitary pads produced in Rwanda that rival imported products with big brand names.

It’s Time to Rethink the Startup Accelerator Model for Africa, Quartz, March 12

The top two startup sectors in Africa were agriculture and education, respectively. However, African startup founders reveal that many see regional and corporate accelerators as just offering “superficial access to mentorship and investor networks.” Several organizations are looking at ways to tweak programs and partnerships to get more out of Africa’s young tech ecosystems.

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China is Trying to Rein in its Vessels Illegally Depleting Fish Stocks in West Africa, Quartz, March 14

Chinese fisheries are depleting fish stocks in West Africa, and African governments are losing over $2 billion annually. The violations are also becoming so severe they are threatening the livelihood of fishermen and food security in the region. Three of the 78 companies that owned these vessels had their distant water fishing licenses revoked, while 15 company owners and captains were blacklisted.

Walmart Joins the Battle for Grocery Delivery, Forbes, March 14

Walmart will offer grocery delivery to 100 cities by the end of 2018 using a combination of Walmart employees to pick the groceries and delivery services, including Uber, to make the deliveries. The superstore’s home delivery breaks the barrier for many shoppers who have shunted the bricks and mortar chain for its more downscale image but would like to reap the benefits of its low prices.

Walmart and Kroger Promised to Switch to Cage-Free Eggs. This Obscure Iowa Law Could Stop Them., Washington Post, March 9

Many companies have recently flocked to cage-free eggs, fueling a national sales boom for a product many consumers believe is more humane. In response, Iowa lawmakers passed a bill that would require many stores to stock eggs from caged chickens—a move designed to stop retailers from phasing them out. Although the law would apply only to stores in Iowa, it’s intended to address a growing national dilemma.

After More Than 35 Years Away, Coca-Cola Is Getting Back into Alcohol, Forbes, March 9

By 1982, Coca-Cola was out of the US alcohol trade. A company used to 20-30 percent margin in soft drinks simply lost interest in the 2-4 percent margin in the wine business at the time. Now, more than 35 years after its first foray into alcohol, Coca-Cola is getting back into it—this time in Japan.

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