A couple of weeks ago, IFPRI’s Director General Shenggen Fan participated in an online video interview with the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, a network of donors, financing institutions, and development agencies.

Referring to IFPRI’s recently launched 2012 Global Food Policy Report, Fan discusses the positive developments in food security in 2012, and which policies—from national governments and the international community—can help and hinder food security and poverty reduction.

These institutions must, in Fan’s words, “walk the talk”— convert debate and discussion into implementation— on issues such as increasing investment in agriculture, reforming distorting trade policies, building resilience to climate change, and linking agriculture to health and nutrition.

To donors, Fan says “congratulations” to the many who have been committed to supporting agriculture and food security, but that “they need to do more,” particularly to build capacity for country-led initiatives and improvements to data and statistics.  “If countries can monitor their progress… then [they] will bring a very strong case to their political constituency to use agriculture to achieve broader development outcomes, such as nutrition, health, or overall economic growth.”

View full interview transcript and video on Global Donor Platform for Rural Development’s website