In recent years, prices of agricultural land have increased quickly, actually doubling and tripling in many parts of the world. This land value reassessment has been prompted by rising crop prices and perceived land scarcity.

In 2009, high and volatile food prices combined with economic recession posed significant risks to poor and vulnerable households, with often dire consequences for their food security.

La creciente variabilidad y la fuerte tendencia al alza en los precios mundiales de alimentos durante los últimos dos años han sido motivo de preocupación debido a que pueden aumentar la pobreza y el hambre a nivel mundial.

El sistema agroalimentario mundial está experimentando una creciente globalización.

The recent food crisis, combined with the energy crisis and emerging climate-change issues, threatens the livelihoods of millions of poor people as well as the economic, ecological, and political situation in many developing countries.

Strong upward trends and increased variability in global food prices during the past two years have led to concern that hunger and poverty will increase across the world.

"With high food prices threatening the food security of millions of vulnerable households around the world, hunger and malnutrition are back in the headlines.

The economic impact of globalization, particularly on poverty, and the changes in agri-food markets have received much attention in recent years. However, the intersection of these two trends has been neglected.

"Indices can be powerful tools for international monitoring and advocacy, and if used in international rankings, can help foster a sense of healthy competition among countries.

Recent trends in agricultural growth and food security in Eastern and Central Africa (ECA) have been discouraging.

IFPRI and FANRPAN outlined and managed a highly participatory process involving high-level policymakers, senior representatives of a range of stakeholder agencies, and respected scientific leaders, who came together for an integrated series of rou

Food security in Africa has substantially worsened since 1970.

The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action set goals for empowering women in developing nations.

"On average, a typical developing country in Africa is assisted by about 30 aid institutions in the implementation of development strategies, yet Africa is still far from achieving food and nutrition security.

"The premise of a rights-based approach to ensuring adequate food is empowering poor people and those who are food insecure.

L’augmentation de la productivité agricole et de la sécurité alimentaire ne peut se concevoir sans l’aide de technologies nouvelles et améliorées ainsi que de leur large dissémination, processus qui empruntera la voie des institutions de recherche

"Among the capacity-strengthening challenges the region faces are inadequate in-country capacity, institutional weaknesses, lack of multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving, expatriates’ limited incountry experience, poor governance, and fa

"Agricultural research capacity is an important factor in building food security and economic stability in Africa.

"The interactions between HIV/AIDS and food and nutrition insecurity are becoming clearer as research fills knowledge gaps.

In more than a dozen African countries the rate of undernourishment is more than 40 percent, exceeding 50 percent in those countries experiencing or emerging from armed conflict.