By Joachim von Braun
Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute

The world’s poorest people will be hardest hit by the global rise in food prices. Poor people in developing countries typically spend more than half of their overall budget on food. For the 160 million people worldwide who survive on less than fifty cents a days, food price inflation can spell disaster.

Addis Ababa—Close to 200 policymakers, researchers, and representatives from the private sector, farmers’ organizations, and other civil society groups are gathering for an international conference to discuss exciting technological, institutional, and organizational innovations that are transforming agriculture, reducing poverty and hunger, and improving people’s lives.

Washington, DC—Feeding very young children a high-energy, high-protein supplement leads to increased economic productivity in adulthood, especially for men, according to a study published in the current issue of The Lancet, a leading medical journal.

Boys who received the supplement, known as atole, in the first two years of life earned on average 46 percent higher wages as adults, while boys who received atole in their first three years earned 37 percent higher wages on average. Those who first received the supplement after age three did not gain any economic benefits as adults.

Accra—Nearly 70 high-level Ghanaian policymakers, farmer representatives, and international experts convened a workshop today to discuss the role of agriculture in accelerating economic growth, with the goal of doubling Ghana’s per capita income within ten years. The workshop, “The Role of Agriculture in Achieving Middle Income Status,” is organized by the Ghana Strategy Support Program (GSSP), a collaborative initiative of the Government of Ghana, development partners, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).