The Scientific American recently published an edited transcript from an interview with Joachim von Braun, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). In the question-an-answer segment, von Braun discusses current issues and future projections surrounding world food prices and their relationship to the global economic downturn. Although world grain prices have dropped in recent months, von Braun warns that food security in developing contries continues to be in great risk and that increased investment in agricultural research and development is needed in order to boost productivity, lower market volatility and expand social protection and child nutrition.

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