Written by a team of international researchers, scientists, and academics, Perspectives of World Food and Agriculture 2004 comprises the latest, most up-to-date information in global agricultural. With a list of international contributors that reads like a "Who’s Who?" in agricultural research, this volume brings together some of the most cutting-edge agricultural research being done today. This popular annual publication includes: Global agricultural statistics Trends in the food marketing system Agricultural policies Global food insecurity (a contribution from UNFAO) Ethics of agriculture Success in developing sustainable agriculture systems Efficacy and safety of plant biotechnology An invited review by the World Food Laureate Researchers and research libraries alike will delight in the "Frontiers" portion of this book. As its name suggests, this section delivers reports on the latest breakthroughs in agriculture research. Aimed at faculty in colleges of agriculture, undergraduate and graduate students, policy makers, government and industry scientists, public libraries, farmers and agribusiness operators, this book is the key to keeping current on agricultural research and policy.

The second volume in a series designed to keep agricultural leaders abreast of the most up-to-date information concerning global agriculture, Perspectives in World Food and Agriculture, Volume 2 brings together cutting-edge agricultural research and the latest views on agricultural policy. Written by internationally renowned researchers, scientists, and academics, Volume 2 includes: The UN's approaches to address global food security and poverty An essay by the World Food Prize Laureat Globalization, emerging diseases, and invasive specie Environmental sustainability Plant-derived vaccines, antibiotic bans, and health impacts The future of agricultural biotechnology The pivotal role of agriculture in human developmen Global agricultural statistics and projections Aimed at faculty, undergraduate and graduate students in colleges of agriculture, policy makers, government and industry scientists, public libraries, farmers and agribusiness operators, this book is key to keeping current on agricultural research and policy.

Several aspects of the perspectives for global agriculture are analysed and FAO's projections for the years to come are given. Macroeconomic indicators are explained and how these underpin the poverty levels in the 2050 horizon. Other areas explored are natural resources, notably land and water, as well as capital, investment and technology.

New evidence this year corroborates the rise in world hunger observed in this report last year, sending a warning that more action is needed if we aspire to end world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. Updated estimates show the number of people who suffer from hunger has been growing over the past three years, returning to prevailing levels from almost a decade ago. Although progress continues to be made in reducing child stunting, over 22 percent of children under five years of age are still affected. Other forms of malnutrition are also growing: adult obesity continues to increase in countries irrespective of their income levels, and many countries are coping with multiple forms of malnutrition at the same time – overweight and obesity, as well as anaemia in women, and child stunting and wasting.

Unless action is taken now to make agriculture more sustainable, productive and resilient, climate change impacts will seriously compromise food production in countries and regions that are already highly food-insecure. The Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015, represents a new beginning in the global effort to stabilize the climate before it is too late. It recognizes the importance of food security in the international response to climate change, as reflected by many countries prominent focus on the agriculture sector in their planned contributions to adaptation and mitigation. To help put those plans into action, this report identifies strategies, financing opportunities, and data and information needs. It also describes transformative policies and institutions that can overcome barriers to implementation. The State of Food and Agriculture is produced annually. Each edition contains an overview of the current global agricultural situation, as well as more in-depth coverage of a topical theme."

International food aid has rightly been credited with saving millions of lives and is often the only thing that stands between vulnerable people and death. However, it was a serious obstacle in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations and has been sharply criticised as a donor-driven response that creates dependency on the part of recipients and undermines local agricultural producers and traders upon whom sustainable food security depends. This issue of the 'State of Food and Agriculture' report examines the issues and controversies surrounding international food aid, particularly in crisis situations. It considers the ways in which food aid can support sustainable improvements in food security, in order to preserve its essential humanitarian role whilst minimising the possibility of harmful secondary impacts.