While the Arab Awakening has brought much change and opportunity, the region remains highly vulnerable to shocks that contribute to food insecurity—one of the triggers of the uprisings. Stability hinges on Arab governments’ ability to accelerate economic growth, create jobs, and reduce poverty; their citizens will be closely watching progress on these indicators—as will the entire world.

The Global Hunger Index is a comprehensive measure of hunger worldwide and by country and region. Although the proportion of hungry people around the world has declined since 1990, global hunger remains at a level characterized as “serious.” Global Hunger Index scores vary greatly across regions and countries.

Abstract

The CGIAR has been transformed through a reorganization over the last three years. What has been achieved? What is still left to be done? Securing a food secure future without wrecking the planet is the greatest challenge facing humanity in coming decades. Is the new CGIAR ready to face this challenge? The new CEO of the CGIAR Consortium will discuss his priorities to ensure that the reform delivers on its promise.

Africa has recently experienced impressive transformation, including economic growth of about 5-7 percent despite the global economic crisis. However, the opportunities that accompany such transformations have not been fully harnessed and significant challenges remain. Africa’s transformation process differs from other regional transformations in several ways. Many continue to live in rural areas and depend on agriculture, the industrial sector is still underdeveloped, and structural change out of agricultural employment remains limited. Lessons from the experiences of developed and emerging economies point out that the role of agriculture as a catalyst for broader economic growth is crucial.