Drought conditions spreading in areas of Southern Africa; flooding persists in Tanzania and Zambia
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16‘Fight waste to fight hunger’: food banks embrace imperfection to feed millions in Brazil
More than 40% of produce in the country is lost or wasted but new research highlights how it could be a key tool in fighting rising food insecurity. One charity is leading the charge
About half a dozen men in hairnets busy themselves with crates of fresh produce outside a food depot in Rio de Janeiro’s northern suburbs. As one reels off a list of products, the others place oddly shaped vegetables into large bags before loading them into a waiting car. The produce will later be cooked and served in soup kitchens, nurseries and other institutions offering free meals to people in need across the city.
The depot is run by Brazil’s biggest network of food banks, Sesc Mesa Brasil. With 95 units all over the country, Mesa – which means table in Portuguese – collects food that would otherwise go to waste from supermarkets, farmers and other suppliers and retailers, sorts it, and then donates it to partner organisations.
Continue reading...Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians, UN rights expert says
Exclusive: UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri says denial of food is war crime and constitutes ‘a situation of genocide’
Israel is intentionally starving Palestinians and should be held accountable for war crimes – and genocide, according to the UN’s leading expert on the right to food.
Hunger and severe malnutrition are widespread in the Gaza Strip, where about 2.2 million Palestinians are facing severe shortages resulting from Israel destroying food supplies and severely restricting the flow of food, medicines and other humanitarian supplies. Aid trucks and Palestinians waiting for humanitarian relief have come under Israeli fire.
Continue reading...English farmers to be offered ‘largest ever’ grant scheme amid food security concerns
Agricultural sector hit by post-Brexit turmoil with protests over trade deals, environmental legislation and rising costs
Rishi Sunak will promise farmers the “largest ever” grant scheme tomorrow, as well as the creation of a food security index, after criticism that Brexit trade deals and poor responses to flooding and rising costs have put England’s ability to feed itself at risk.
Against a backdrop of turmoil in the agricultural sector, with farmers in the UK and across the continent causing havoc with tractor protests against environmental regulations and a perceived lack of support, Sunak will respond to farmers’ calls for a commitment from government that the UK’s food self-sufficiency will remain at or exceed the current estimated level, which is about 60%.
Continue reading...Flooding from heavy rainfall persists in several African countries; abnormally dry conditions worsen in parts of Southern Africa
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‘Symbol of polarisation’: EU scraps plans to halve use of pesticides
Move is bloc’s latest environmental concession to farmers as protests continue across Europe
The European Commission is shelving plans to cut pesticide use in agriculture as farmers around Europe continue protests demanding higher prices for their products and an easing of EU environment rules.
The original proposal to halve chemical pesticide use in the EU by the end of the decade – part of the EU’s green transition – “has become a symbol of polarisation,” the commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Tuesday, as she said she would ask it “to withdraw this proposal”.
Continue reading...We must act on Ethiopia food crisis, says UK minister
Andrew Mitchell warns of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ triggered by El Niño-driven drought and conflict
The risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in northern Ethiopia is growing, Andrew Mitchell, the UK’s Africa minister, said on his return from a two-day trip to the region.
“We have an opportunity to stop a looming humanitarian catastrophe in its tracks. But we must act and act now,” Mitchell said on Monday.
The country is suffering from the impacts of long-term El Niño-driven drought and brutal conflict, including the two-year war in the northern region of Tigray that ended in November 2022.
Continue reading...The pharmacist who sells onions: Palestinians go hydroponic in Jordan’s ‘Gaza camp’
In crowded Jerash refugee camp, hydroponic horticulture allows residents to grow their own crops efficiently in an arid country – and provides a stateless people with an income
Idris Abu Saleh has got used to being known as the chemist who grows the best onions. Unable to find any work after graduation, now, aged 23, he is supporting his family of eight from his homemade hydroponic greenhouse in a refugee camp in northern Jordan.
“People keep commenting on me being the pharmacist who sells onions,” said Abu Saleh. “But I try not to let that bother me – it’s a job.”
Continue reading...Dry conditions worsen in parts of Southern Africa; flooding in areas of Central and East Africa persist
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Fibre-rich, with fewer farts: how the underrated mung bean could improve food security (and post-bean bloat)
The World Vegetable Centre in Taiwan is breeding varieties that will grow better and faster and could become a major crop in Australia
They are one of the easier legumes to digest and fetch a higher crop price than Australian wheat, yet mung beans are not mainstream in the western world. But, while the vigna radiata has been nourishing populations across India and Asia for millennia, in recent decades enterprising scientists have started investigating the legume’s potential to improve food security and farmers’ incomes.
Since its inception 50 years ago, the World Vegetable Centre (also known as WorldVeg) in Taiwan has collected more than 8,000 “accessions”, or varieties, of mung bean seeds, genebank manager, Dr Maarten van Zonneveld, says. Much like other species, such as humans and dogs, plants – including mung beans – need genetic diversity to create robust offspring. Diversity also enables selective crossing of different varieties to create new lines with desirable traits.
Continue reading...January 2024 Global Price Watch
- In West Africa, staple food prices in December displayed mixed trends. While coarse grain prices stabilized or slightly decreased in some markets with recent harvests, others remained above average due to localized below-average production and ongoing trade restrictions. In Nigeria, inflation continues its upward trajectory, exacerbated by macroeconomic pressures and currency depreciation. From January onward, these trends are expected to persist, influenced by fluctuating market dynamics and geopolitical factors, potentially exacerbating food insecurity in vulnerable regions.
- In East Africa, Staple food price trends were mixed. Prices increased atypically in Sudan due to conflict-related production, harvest, transport disruptions, and flood-related harvest delays in Somalia. Prices declined in monitored markets in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Ethiopia due to increased supply from the October to December harvest. Livestock prices remained stable due to good rangeland conditions.
- In Southern Africa, maize prices in December increased seasonally, reflecting decreased stock-to-use ratios and regional supply variances. With stable supplies, South Africa saw moderate price increases due to international demand, maintaining lower year-over-year prices. Conversely, countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi faced escalated prices driven by supply shortages, currency devaluation, and energy costs. The outlook for January anticipates further price increases during the lean season, influenced by delayed planting, harvest constraints, and regional demand dynamics amid ongoing economic and climatic challenges.
- In Central America, an improved staple grain supply after the main harvests (primera and postrera) pushed wholesale white maize and red bean prices downward, while black beans remained stable. In Haiti, heightened insecurity constrained market operations and transportation, but food prices remained stable, supported by the recent staple grains harvest. In Venezuela, food prices were stable in VED and eased in USD, tracking exchange rate trends.
- In Central Asia, the export price of low-quality wheat from Kazakhstan declined significantly, while the price of high-quality wheat increased in December 2023. Both high -and low-quality rice and wheat flour prices remained stable in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Prices were also stable in Yemen.
- International markets were sufficiently supplied. Global rice, maize, and wheat prices increased attributed to robust demand, export restrictions, and concerns about the potential impact of El Niño on production in MY2023/24. In contrast, crude oil prices declined due to sluggish demand growth and increasing supply. Despite recent rises in input costs, fertilizer prices remained relatively firm, supported by rebounding demand and tight supplies. Overall, prices were below 2022 levels but above the five-year average.
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