January 22, 2018

Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations

Fishermen collect fish at Central Europe's biggest fish pond complex in the Great Hungarian Plain at Hortobagy, 124 miles east from Budapest. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

How Blended Finance Can Help Global Fisheries Recover
One study estimated that a rebuilding effort for global fisheries would cost approximately $200 billion. Despite clear evidence that rebuilding fish stocks will generate impressive upsides, fisheries reform has not attracted sufficient capital. Increasing the use of blended capital approaches can build the necessary political will and amplify the supply of capital for effective fisheries reform.

Fixing a Broken Food System
Business has a responsibility to help drive the much-needed food-system transformation. Many companies are already taking action—bringing digital innovation, research and development skills, and new business models to bear on food and agricultural issues—and, in turn, future-proofing their own supply chains and opening up new market opportunities.

San Francisco Banker from Mexico Launches Foodbytes! for Food/Tech Entrepreneurs: Part I
Drawing on his experience in the food and agriculture industry, Mexican entrepreneur Gonzalez knew many corporate food companies had scale and funding, but lacked innovation. Gonzalez felt he could bridge this gap with a platform like FoodBytes! In 2015, Gonzalez launched the first FoodBytes! event. Each two-day FoodBytes! event is filled with networking, coaching and nibbling food samples, culminating in pitch competitions.

Maersk, IBM to Launch Blockchain-Based Platform for Global Trade
The world’s largest container shipping firm AP Moller-Maersk is teaming up with IBM to create an industry-wide trading platform it says can speed up trade and save billions of dollars. Success of the platform depends on whether Maersk and IBM can convince shippers, freight forwarders, ocean carriers, ports and customs authorities to sign up.

Andela Aims to Solve the Developer Shortage with Tech Workers from Africa
Christina Sass is the cofounder and president of Andela, a for-profit business based in New York and Lagos, Nigeria that trains software developers in Nigeria and Kenya. Founded in 2014 and funded with $80 million in venture capital, Andela trains and supplies developers who work remotely from Africa for companies around the world. Employees commit to staying with Andela for four years. After that, they’re free to work directly for the companies that hire them.

 

About

The Global Food and Agriculture Program aims to inform the development of US policy on global agricultural development and food security by raising awareness and providing resources, information, and policy analysis to the US Administration, Congress, and interested experts and organizations.

The Global Food and Agriculture Program is housed within the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues. The Council on Global Affairs convenes leading global voices and conducts independent research to bring clarity and offer solutions to challenges and opportunities across the globe. The Council is committed to engaging the public and raising global awareness of issues that transcend borders and transform how people, business, and governments engage the world.

Support for the Global Food and Agriculture Program is generously provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Blogroll

1,000 Days Blog, 1,000 Days

Africa Can End Poverty, World Bank

Agrilinks Blog

Bread Blog, Bread for the World

Can We Feed the World Blog, Agriculture for Impact

Concern Blogs, Concern Worldwide

Institute Insights, Bread for the World Institute

End Poverty in South Asia, World Bank

Global Development Blog, Center for Global Development

The Global Food Banking Network

Harvest 2050, Global Harvest Initiative

The Hunger and Undernutrition Blog, Humanitas Global Development

International Food Policy Research Institute News, IFPRI

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Blog, CIMMYT

ONE Blog, ONE Campaign

One Acre Fund Blog, One Acre Fund

Overseas Development Institute Blog, Overseas Development Institute

Oxfam America Blog, Oxfam America

Preventing Postharvest Loss, ADM Institute

Sense & Sustainability Blog, Sense & Sustainability

WFP USA Blog, World Food Program USA

Archive

Live Blog Post - Every Farmer Wants What I Have

A recap of the "Managing Risks Associated with Volatile Weather, Changing Climates, and Resource Scarcity" panel at our fifth Global Food Security Symposium 2014 in Washington, DC.

Expert Commentary by Trey Hill

As a large grain producer, living in the mid Atlantic, I am able to see agriculture and food production from a unique perspective.

Live Blog Post - Climate-Smart Food Security

At the Chicago Council’s Global Food Security Symposium today in Washington, DC, a panel on “Climate-Smart Food Security” addressed the role of family farmers in mitigating the effects of climate change including: climate-smart approaches already being used by smallholder farmers, opportunities to preserve natural resources, and the need for a “brown revolution.”

Expert Commentary by James Cameron

There remains a stubborn lack of understanding about the systemic connection between water, food, energy and the climate – and what this means for the future feeding of the world.

Commentary - Optimism about Agriculture’s Adaptive Capacity

The impacts of a changing climate on food security projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the National Climate Assessment and now the Chicago Council on Global Affairs raise legitimate concerns about the global food system’s ability to meet increasing challenges.

Expert Commentary by Chris Policinski

Discussions this week about the impact weather volatility and climate change have on global food production provide additional, powerful evidence of the fragile state of our world’s food security.

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