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A Sustainability Challenge: Food Security
for All
Report of Two Workshops
Committee on Food Security for All as a Sustainability Challenge
Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
Policy and Global Affairs
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National
Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National
Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report
were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.
This report and the workshops on which it was based were supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the
Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the George and Cynthia
Mitchell Endowment for Sustainability Science. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed
in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies
that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-22263-1
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-22263-X
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox
285, Washington, D.C. 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet,
http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2012 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars
engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their
use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has
a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone
is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of
Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the
selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal
government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national
needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M.
Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of
eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the
public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional
charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care,
research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the
broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the
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become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of
Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities.
The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr.
Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
www.national-academies.org
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COMMITTEE ON FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL AS A SUSTAINABILITY
CHALLENGE
Per Pinstrup-Andersen (Chair), H. E. Babcock Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy,
J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship, and Professor of Applied Economics,
Cornell University
Mike Bushell, Principal Scientific Adviser, Syngenta, Jealott’s Hill International Research
Center
Jason Clay, Senior Vice President, Market Transformation, World Wildlife Fund
Bert Drake, Plant Physiologist, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (retired)
William (Bill) Jury, Distinguished Professor, Soil Physics and Soil Physicist, Emeritus,
University of California, Riverside
Philip Pardey, Professor of Science and Technology Policy, Department of Applied Economics,
University of Minnesota
Jules Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society and Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of
Essex
Marie Ruel, Director, Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy
Research Institute
Emmy B. Simmons, Former Assistant Administrator for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and
Trade, U.S. Agency for International Development (retired)
Kostas Stamoulis, Director, Agricultural Development Economics Division, Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Dennis Treacy, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer,
Smithfield Food, Inc.
Laurian Unnevehr, Director, Food Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture
Paul Vlek, Professor and Director, Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Center
for Development Research, University of Bonn
Staff
Marina Moses, Director, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
Pat Koshel, Senior Program Officer, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
Emi Kameyama, Program Associate, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
Jennifer Saunders, Program Officer, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
Dylan Richmond, Research Assistant, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
v
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PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To follow up on discussions held by the National Research Council’s Roundtable on
Science and Technology for Sustainability, an ad hoc committee of experts was appointed to
organize two workshops to address the sustainability challenges associated with providing food
security for all. The first workshop, Measuring Food Insecurity and Assessing the Sustainability
of Global Food Systems, examined the empirical basis for past trends, the current situation, and
projections for the future. The second workshop, Exploring Sustainable Solutions for Increasing
Global Food Supplies, explored a set of issues fundamental to assuring that food supplies can be
increased to meet the needs of the world’s growing population—now expected to reach over 9
billion by 2050.
The issues addressed during the workshops were timely, as food security and agricultural
development have become priority topics for the international leaders meeting regularly at the
Group of Twenty (G-20) as well as critical elements in the United Nations climate change
negotiations launched in Copenhagen in 2009. In February 2011, the committee hosted the
first workshop to review commonly used indicators for food security and malnutrition, poverty,
and natural resources and agricultural productivity. The overarching objective of the first
workshop was to contribute to the global effort towards sustainable food security through the
improvement of indicators used to assess and monitor progress. The workshop offered an
opportunity for dialogue among a small group of experts, including those responsible for key
indicators of food security, key critics of those metrics, end users, and planning committee
members. The workshop also sought to analyze methodological strengths and weaknesses and to
discuss priorities for improving our understanding of the dimensions (quantitative, qualitative,
and geographical) of the issues.
The second workshop, held in May 2011, was designed to identify the major challenges
and opportunities for change associated with achieving sustainable food security and identifying
needed policy, science, and governance interventions. Estimates made by the United Nations
predict that the world population will increase to 9.3 billion by 20501 and 70 percent more food
will be required, posing a global sustainability challenge. While sustainable food security for all
depends both on food supplies and assuring access to food, the second workshop focused
specifically on assuring the availability of adequate food supplies. Workshop participants were
asked to examine long term natural resource constraints, specifically water, land and forests,
soils, biodiversity and fisheries. They also discussed the role of knowledge, technology, modern
production practices, and infrastructure in supporting expanded agricultural production and the
significant risks to future productivity due to changes in the climate.
This report has been prepared by the committee as a factual summary of what occurred at
the workshops, and the statements made do not necessarily represent positions of the workshops’
1
New UN population estimates (for 2010) were released just at the time of our workshop. These new estimates
suggested that by the end of the century the global population could reach 10.1 billion and 9.3 billion by 2050. See
World Population Prospects 2010. Available at http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Other-
Information/Press_Release_WPP2010.pdf. Accessed on October 1, 2011.
vii
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participants as a whole, the Science and Technology for Sustainability Program, or the National
Academies.
The workshops and report could not have come together without the help of many
dedicated staff members. Pat Koshel and Emi Kameyama directed the project and coordinated
the report. Marina Moses provided oversight. Jennifer Saunders and Dylan Richmond provided
invaluable support and assistance with our two workshops and in preparing the final report.
This report is the result of substantial effort and collaboration among several
organizations and individuals. We wish to extend a sincere thanks to each member of the
planning committee for his/her contributions in scoping, developing, and carrying out this
project.
The project was made possible by financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. It also benefitted from the National Academies’ internal support, provided by the
George and Cynthia Mitchell Endowment for Sustainability Science.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse
perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National
Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide
candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as
sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for quality and
objectivity. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the
integrity of the process.
I wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Chris Barrett,
Cornell University; Yurie Tanimichi Hoberg, The World Bank; Daniel Maxwell, Tufts
University; Lynnette Neufeld, Micronutrient Initiative; and Sanjay Reddy, The New School for
Social Research for Part I of the report; and William Easterling, The Pennsylvania State
University; Keith Fuglie, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Brian Greenberg, InterAction; George
Hornberger, Vanderbilt University; Rattan Lal, The Ohio State University; and Sara Scherr,
EcoAgriculture Partners for Part II of the report.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and
suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report, nor did they see the final
draft before its release. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the
authors and the institution.
Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Chair
Committee on a Study of
Food Security for All as
A Sustainability Challenge
viii
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CONTENTS
Overview 1
PART I: MEASURING FOOD INSECURITY AND ASSESSING THE
SUSTAINABILITY OF GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS. WORKSHOP ONE
INTRODUCTION 7
1. METRICS FOR FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION 11
What Do We Really Know? Metrics for Food Insecurity and Malnutrition 11
Food Consumption Indicators: FAO Chronic Hunger Indicator 14
FAO Undernourishment Indicator: Strengths and Weaknesses 17
Outcome Indicators: Measures of Malnutrition 18
Measures of Overnutrition and Obesity 21
General Discussion 22
Other Comments 24
References 25
2. MEASURES OF GLOBAL POVERTY 27
Measures of National and Global Poverty and Their Use in Policy Making: World Bank
Poverty Measures 27
Oxford Multidimensional Index 29
Panel Discussion 30
3. NATURAL RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY 33
Measuring Agricultural Productivity and Natural Assets 33
Approaches for Measuring Productivity 33
Expanding Agricultural Productivity Measures and Linking To Ecosystem Services
– A Spatially Explicit Approach 36
Measuring Productivity and Natural Assets: Measuring And Valuing Natural
Assets 37
Water, Agricultural Productivity, and Environmental Services 39
General Discussion 40
Composite Indicators for Sustainable Production 40
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Overview of Metrics and Indicators, Different Approaches, and Strengths
and Weaknesses 41
Industry Perspective on Use of Metrics 43
Experience on Gathering Meaningful Data for Life Cycle Analyses: The BASF Eco-
Efficiency Tool in Indian Agriculture 46
Food Security and the Environment 48
Food Security and the Environment: Food Security and Land Cropping Potential 48
The Energy and Carbon Conundrum in Sustainable Agricultural Production 50
Food Security and the Environment: Animal Protein Production Impacts and
Trends 52
General Discussion 55
References 56
4. THE WAY FORWARD 59
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 63
WORKSHOP AGENDA 71
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS 77
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 79
ANNEXES
A Background Paper: What do We Really Know? Metrics for Food Insecurity and Malnutrition.
Hartwig de Haen, Stephan Klasen, and Matin Qaim 87
B Brief Description of Various Household Surveys cited in the Report 125
PART II: EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR INCREASING
GLOBAL FOOD SUPPLIES. WORKSHOP TWO
INTRODUCTION 127
1. ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY: CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES 131
Current and Expected Future Food and Nutrition Security 131
Agricultural Productivity and Natural Resource Endowments 135
Are New Paradigms Needed for Sustainable Food Security in the Face of Uncertainties and
Risks? 138
General Discussion 141
Water for A Food-Secure World 141
Land Degradation and Sustainable Food Production: Sub-Saharan Africa 144
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Global Seafood—Fisheries and Aquaculture 146
Producing More Food and More Biodiversity: Is There Potential for Both? 149
Soil Quality Of Tropical Africa: An Essential Element of Improved Agricultural
Productivity 151
General Discussion 153
Food Security, Farming and Climate Change to 2050 Scenarios: Results and Policy
Options 153
Risks and Vulnerabilities from Climate Change 157
General Discussion 159
References 160
2. APPROACHES TO ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY 165
Farm-Level Sustainable Intensification 165
Food Value Chains Leading to Sustainable Intensification 168
Ecosystem Management 170
General Discussion 172
Reduction of Yield Gaps to Increase Productivity and Sustainability 172
Energy Efficiency and Food Security for All--The Impact of Fertilizer 176
General Discussion 180
Private Investment and Farm Size Issues 180
Losses and Waste in the Food Supply Chain 183
General Discussion 184
Global Governance of Natural Resources: Quantity vs. Quality 185
Global Public Goods: Food Safety 188
General Discussion 189
References 190
3. POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND INSTITUTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
AND BARRIERS 195
Externalities: The Costs of Natural Resource Degradation 195
Political Economy Issues, Priorities and Political Will 198
Incentives and Limitations to Action by Civil Society 199
Incentives and Limitations to Action by the Private Sector 202
Panel: Confront Trade-Offs, Remove National and International Externalities,
Seek Multiple Wins, and Establish Coalitions and Partnerships 206
General Discussion 209
References 210
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 213
WORKSHOP AGENDA 223
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS 229
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 233
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APPENDIXES
A Committee Biographical Information 243
B Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability and Roster of Members 249
xii
