February 9, 2015

Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations

REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Enabling Subsistence Agriculture through Small Dams
Large agricultural development programs in Africa usually target commercial agriculture, which enables the export market. But what of the small scale farmers who depend on subsistence agriculture? Sustainable subsistence appears to be unachievable without reliable access to water. One of the ways in which communities can gain reliable access to water is through the construction of small dams and related water conservation technologies.
 
Food-X: An Accelerator to Grow the Food Movement
Tech business accelerators are sprouting up everywhere. In return for several months of mentorship, education, and access, many fledging companies are willing to trade a percentage of their equity for a quick infusion of cash from venture funders. And, given the explosive interest in food and farming, it should come as no surprise that some investors have finally applied the accelerator model to how and what we eat. Enter Food-X, which is on a mission to create change throughout the food system.
 
How Unboiled Eggs Could Help Fight Food Waste
A group of researchers recently figured out how take an egg from a fresh to a boiled back to an unboiled state. Unboiling the egg essentially means refolding the proteins into their original shape. And that's a big deal for science – it's estimated the pharmaceutical, environmental and food industries, among others could save $160 billion a year by refolding tangled proteins.

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








| By Taylor Quinn

Guest Commentary - Unlocking Women's Business Creativity

For some business women in Liberia, pursuing their most creative ideas is too risky; the margins between prosperity and poverty in this informal economy are paper-thin. What solutions could unlock their entrepreneurship potential? 


| By Marshall M. Bouton

India’s Emerging Agrarian Crisis

We are pleased to announce a new occasional blog series, Cultivating Tomorrow: Indian Agriculture Challenged, by Marshall M. Bouton, president emeritus of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The series will examine the state of Indian agriculture today and its areas of progress and challenge.





| By Tatenda Ndambakuwa

Guest Commentary - Disability and Agriculture

For farmers with disabilities, access to water, land, and essential information about agricultural management is even more difficult. Tatenda Ndambakuwa, a 2018 Next Generation Delegate, asks: How can agricultural opportunities be accessed by a wide variety of people with disabilities?