Olivier De Schutter is the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food. He aims to inform people at the highest political levels about the role that smallholders play in the world
The purpose of this document is to examine options from crop biotechnologies to address food insecurity in developing countries, particularly in the context of deepening economic and environmental uncertainty.
Olivier De Schutter is the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food. He aims to inform people at the highest political levels about the role that smallholders play in the world
Spiralling prices of pulses have shown India's dependence on imports. Pulses are integral to India's diet but not its food policy. As a result, supply cannot meet demand. To understand the causes, its consequences and the solutions, read this DTE report.
The main reason for the current surge in food prices is the supply shock due to the drought in 2009 and the carry-over effect of the low growth of food production in 2008-09. As the frequency of such shocks is expected to rise, India needs to have an effective food management strategy to deal with these episodes.
The Central Statistical Organisation's advance estimate of a decline in the agricultural sector's output in 2009-10 by a mere 0.2% is a highly optimistic forecast. An analysis of the numbers in the latest estimates of foodgrain output and a comparison of output/GDP changes in the drought years of 2002-03 and 2009-10 tells us why.
THANJAVUR: Biotechnology holds the key for ensuring food security of the world in future, said T.Padmanabhan, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University, here on Thursday.
An escalation in the Bt brinjal controversy forced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to rein in some of his erring col- leagues and warned them to speak in one voice on the crucial issue of biotechnol- ogy, which was required to increase agricultural pro- ductivity and ensure food security.