Lessons & Lessons & PerspectivesPerspectives

Dr. George NortonAgricultural and

Applied EconomicsVirginia Tech

Copyright 2006

Objectives Today:Objectives Today:

• Finish discussion of Finish discussion of food aidfood aid• SummarizeSummarize how components in how components in

course are linked course are linked • Consider Consider prospects and prospects and

challengeschallenges for the future for the future

The hunger problem and the solution process.

Poor health

Poor nutrition

Low literacy

Environmentaldegradation

Hunger

Low- and mal-distributed income

Rapid population growth

Short term food crises

Political upheaval

Natural disasters

Need for long-term development

Low productivity traditional agriculture

Food aid and other development assistance

Land reformCredit

Marketingprices infrastructure

communications

Research, extension education

New technologies available

Adoption of new technologies

More productive agriculture generating food, capital, and labor

Income and employment up; hunger, population growth, and

environmental degradation down

Trade

Development of nonagricultural sector

Trade policy

Industrial and macroeconomic policy

Seven Pro-poor Action AreasSeven Pro-poor Action Areas

Investing in human resources – Investing in human resources – Education, health careEducation, health care

Improving access to productive Improving access to productive resources and remunerative resources and remunerative employmentemployment

Improving markets, infrastructure, and Improving markets, infrastructure, and institutionsinstitutions

Expanding appropriate research, Expanding appropriate research, knowledge, and technologyknowledge, and technology

Pro-poor actions continuedPro-poor actions continued

Improving natural resource Improving natural resource management- including secure management- including secure water and land rightswater and land rights

Good governanceGood governance Pro-poor national and international Pro-poor national and international

trade and macroeconomic policiestrade and macroeconomic policies

Prospects for the futureProspects for the future

Depend on region, stage of Depend on region, stage of development, past investments in development, past investments in research, infrastructure, education, research, infrastructure, education, debt situationdebt situation

Depend on restructuring of Depend on restructuring of international institutions international institutions such as IMF, trade agreementssuch as IMF, trade agreements

Global Food Security ChallengesGlobal Food Security Challenges

Declining investments in research Declining investments in research and infrastructureand infrastructure

Water scarcityWater scarcity Climate changeClimate change Malaria and HIV/AIDSMalaria and HIV/AIDS Need to transition to new energy Need to transition to new energy

sourcessources Continued conflicts especially in Continued conflicts especially in

AfricaAfrica

There are no panaceas. Agricultural There are no panaceas. Agricultural development requires a series of development requires a series of

technical and institutional changes, technical and institutional changes, with international linkages, facilitated with international linkages, facilitated

by improved information flows.by improved information flows.

ConclusionConclusionWomen and their children in Ghana

Bangladesh family

Man with granddaughter in Ecuador