If you would like to have the Global Food for Thought news brief delivered to your inbox, please sign up here.

 TOP STORY

Asia’s Food Sector Requires Significant Investment

By 2030, 65 percent of the world’s middle-class population will live in Asia. As populations become wealthier and more urbanized, they will demand more protein and nutritious produce. In order to meet the  food demands of this population, a new report finds the region’s food and agriculture sector will need $800 billion in investment over the next decade.

Key cities have been identified as potential hubs of innovation and investment in agri-food tech. With collaboration across sectors and increased policy support, these cities could drive the development and funding necessary to meet the region’s demand.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

BIG ACTORS 

New President for World Food Program USA: Barron Segar, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of UNICEF USA, has been named the new president and CEO of the World Food Program USA. His tenure will begin in January 2020.   

Can Big Corporations be Sustainable? As pressure mounts from consumers and investors alike, large corporations are working to become more environmentally sustainable. A September study from Deutsche Bank found that eco-friendly companies outperform their peers. Yet many activists remain skeptical that companies’ actions will line up with environmental promises.   

COUNCIL INSIGHTS

Are Alliances Still Going Strong? International collaboration has been found to be crucial to global food security. Yet recent comments from French President Emmanuel Macron on the “brain death” of NATO call the power of international alliances into question. Chicago Council President Ivo Daalder addresses these concerns in the latest #AskIvo video.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ISSUES

Chile’s Salmon Problem: In Chile, industrial fish farms have artificially created a successful salmon industry, but it has come at a price. Heavy use of antibiotics to create the industry has killed hordes of native fish populations. The Chilean government has tried to curb environmental impact, but power is being consolidated within the grasp of a few wealthy corporations.

The Complex Challenges of Indoor Farming: Although heralded as a necessary step towards a food secure planet, indoor farming faces many challenges. High start-up costs, urban rent, and a lack of governmental policy support all put pressure on indoor growing. Recent change in energy policy in the US, which may depress innovation and demand for LED lightbulbs, illustrates the vulnerability of the nascent industry.

Food Shortages in Bolivia: Protestors in support of former President Evo Morales have formed roadblocks on main routes, isolating several cities such as the seat of government, La Plaz. Resulting food shortages have pushed the interim government to supply La Plaz by plane, with hopes to aid other cities as well. Morales is a former coca farmer, as are many of his supporters.

DEEPER DIVE

What is vertical farming? Many indoor farming operations utilize vertical farming for production, and the global market is expected grow almost 25 percent by 2026. The process is meant to reduce resources by growing crops in vertically stacked tiers, ranging from floors of skyscrapers to warehouses. Most utilize hydroponics, aquaponics, or aeroponics, which all require less soil and water resources than traditional growing. The practice is heavily reliant on artificial light, which raises energy efficiency concerns. Additionally, vertical farming favors crops with rapid growth cycles, such as lettuce and herbs, which may serve as a limitation in the future.

DATA CRUNCH

Mapping the Weather to Come: Early next year will see the launch of Kenya’s Climate Atlas, the nation’s first localized weather modelling system. The Atlas will provide county-level weather projections from 2050 to 2100, allowing for highly targeted investments in resilient agriculture. Developers are working on similar atlases for Bangladesh and Indonesia.  

Data Won’t Be Lost at Sea: A new technology is providing the availability to track and transmit data on at-sea vessels. In some regions, this data can provide a near comprehensive view of fishing activity while in other regions, only a small fraction of activity can be viewed. This variation comes from different levels of adoption and a need for human verification and review.

RESILIENCE

New Polio Threat: The CDC sent a surge of staffers to Africa to treat new vaccine-derived polio outbreaks. These new outbreaks are a result of a treatment maneuver from 2016, switching the source of polio vaccinations. Experts say that in the age of social media and anti-vaxxers, coupled with this new rise of outbreaks, the threat is that more people will be susceptible to polio as a result of numerous forces.

New High in Forest Loss: Deforestation in the Amazon for 2019 rose to its highest in a decade. Environmental activist groups blame Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro for the deforestation, accusing him of weakening Brazil’s environmental agency and empowering illegal logging, mining, and ranchers with his rhetoric.

Policy, not Prosperity, Will Win against Climate Change: According to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, nations that adopt resilient policies now will suffer fewer climate-induced economic losses by 2050. When contrasting two countries with similar development, researchers found that a nation with more proactive policies would fare better. Overall, the global economy is expected to contract by three percent by 2050 due to climate change.  

BIG IDEAS

Opinion: Coconut Trees’ Environmental Potential: The global demand for coconut has skyrocketed but a huge potential benefit has been overlooked. Coconut tree-based ecosystems are especially equipped for carbon sequestration, the natural process of capturing carbon and absorbing it into plants and the soil. Daphne Ewing-Chow argues that carbon sequestration in the coconut industry should be taken advantage of as an economic opportunity.

Finding Crops of the Future in the Middle East: Scientists growing crops in the Arab Gulf to test climate resilience. The region’s heat, scarce water resources, and often salt-tainted soil mirror conditions that may become the norm in many areas. Quinoa, salicornia, and date palms are some of the crops being tested.   

DC REPORT

USAID Women’s Global Development Initiative: This week, advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and USAID Administrator Mark Green launched new partnership with the W-GDP Fund, an initiative working to enhance women’s global economic empowerment. The new partnerships include $2 million for WomenConnect Challenge grants, $1.5 million in a collaboration with the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs and Visa, $1 million for collaboration with the Peace Corps, and $800,000 in partnership with Palladium in Colombia.

TRADE & COMMODITIES

Changing Online Groceries: A British online retail firm is trying to conquer the online grocery shopping market, a space that has yet to be proven competitive. The firm, Ocado, has already struck a deal with an American supermarket chain and hopes to beat out services such as Amazon Fresh.

USMCA Deal Embattled: There is increased doubt that the North America trade deal USMCA, will pass this year. After meeting with labor leaders, freshman Democrats remain skeptical that a deal will be reached before 2020. While the deal will increase access to markets for American farmers, concerns remain about how the new deal’s trade standards will be enforced.

US and Korea Reach Rice Agreement: The Trump administration and the South Korean government reached a trade agreement on market access for US rice this week. South Korea will provide access for 132,304 tons of US rice annually, valued at $110 million.

 UPCOMING EVENTS

Mona Eltahawy on The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls
Date: 25 November
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Global Summit on Food Microbiology & Nutrition
Date: 2-3 December
Location: London, UK
 
BCFN 10^th International Forum on Food and Nutrition
Date: 3-4 December
Location: Milan, Italy

Taste of Illinois
Date: 8 December
Location: Chicago, Illinois
 
Edible Institute
Date: 25-26 January 2020
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Please share any tips or thoughts on what we can do better here.