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Food security politics and the Millennium Development Goals.
Philip McMichael1, Mindi Schneider
1Cornell University.
Third World Quarterly
|May 20, 2011
Summary
The global food crisis highlights a debate on agriculture's future: industrial methods for economic growth versus agro-ecological approaches for social and environmental sustainability. This review compares these strategies for food security.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Economics
- Food Security Studies
- Sustainability Science
Background:
- The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed to reduce poverty and hunger, but a recent food crisis exceeded one billion hungry people.
- This crisis has refocused attention on agricultural development and its role in ensuring global food security.
Observation:
- Industrial agriculture is proposed as a key supply source, with initiatives like the World Bank's 'agriculture for development' aiming to boost small-farmer productivity and market integration.
- An alternative 'food sovereignty' movement advocates for small-farmer rights, promoting bio-regional agro-ecological methods and local market focus, as suggested by the IAASTD report.
Findings:
- A fundamental conflict exists between viewing agriculture as a tool for economic growth and as a basis for social and ecological sustainability.
- The article compares these divergent paradigms, analyzing their political and ecological consequences for food security.
Implications:
- The findings suggest that conventional agribusiness models may be unsustainable, necessitating a re-evaluation of agricultural policies.
- Understanding these differing approaches is crucial for developing effective and sustainable food security strategies globally.
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