New Report Helps Canada Tackle Food Security and Climate Change

PUBLISHED 2016-05-02 –

New report on global food security and climate change: Canada should reassert itself as Global food leader experts say

The Canadian Food Security Policy Group, a coalition of 26 international development agencies has released a new report on global food security and climate change.

Called “Agenda for food security and resilience“, the report encourages Canada to show global leadership by re-investing in food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience for vulnerable people in developing countries. More specifically, the report focuses on the needs and benefits of continued and increased support to smallholder farmers, especially women farmers. “Something is wrong when millions are hungry, mostly farmers. Simply supporting women farmers could feed 150 million people”, emphasized Josianne Gauthier, Director, in-Canada programmes at Development and Peace to an attentive crowd.

Read the full report here.

“From the time this new government has come in, we’ve heard about various priorities of what Canada wants to do in the world; Canada wants to work hard at implanting the sustainable development goals; wants to help to deal with climate change; we want to help women achieve equality; and we want to reduce poverty. All of these things can be achieved by investing in agriculture.” - Paul Hagerman, Director of Public Policy, Canadian Foodgrains Bank

“If we are serious about mitigating climate change and improving livelihoods, research and development in agriculture need to recognize the local context, the knowledge and skills that the farmers already have and the technologies that they already use [...]” - Renaud De Plaen, Agriculture and food security program leader, IDRC

Solutions to tackle Food (in)security

1. Improving livelihoods

Invest in smallholders

Promote opportunities for women and youth

Invest in nutrition

Promote better livestock practices

2. Promoting resilience

Address climate change

Link emergency relief to long-term security

3. Investing in public goods

Invest in research and extension

Invest in rural infrastructure and strengthen domestic markets

4. Encouraging effective governance

Strengthen farmer organizations and citizen participation

Support good governance policies that improve local land tenure

Ensure coherence of trade policies with food security

Read the coverage article on SeedMap