Preface

The 2019 Global Food Policy Report reviews major food policy developments and events from the past year. In this eighth annual report, leading researchers, policymakers, and practitioners examine what happened in food policy in 2018 and why, and look ahead to 2019.

In 2018, many regions of the world faced increasing rates of hunger—with global undernourishment continuing to rise for the third year in a row—and stagnation in tackling malnutrition. A United Nations report found that conflict and climate change were key factors holding back countries’ progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), though there has been some progress in reducing poverty and under-five mortality and in increasing access to electricity for populations in poor countries. Trade protectionism—especially evident in the trade war between the United States and China—and isolationism gained traction in many countries this year, with mixed impacts for agriculture, but negotiation of key trade agreements in Asia and Africa signaled a pushback to protectionism. Food and nutrition security remained largely on the periphery in many of the year’s high-level meetings, such as the World Economic Forum and the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. However, the international development community rallied support for SDG2–Zero Hunger, highlighted by the IFPRI-FAO global event on Accelerating the End of Hunger and Malnutrition, convened at the end of the year.

This year’s report spotlights the urgent need for rural revitalization to address persistent crises in the world’s rural areas. In recent years, political attention has shifted away from rural areas, and in many developing countries, limited rural employment opportunities, poor access to basic services, and worsening environmental degradation continue to contribute to persistent poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. A systemwide transformation is needed to revitalize rural areas—not only to achieve the SDGs, but more broadly, to make rural areas vibrant and healthy places to live and work.

There is reason for optimism. New opportunities and technologies and the expanding body of knowledge and evidence explored in this report can pave the way for reducing poverty and malnutrition and revitalizing the world’s rural areas.

Focusing on the needs of rural areas offers one of the most practical ways to achieve the SDGs and address many persistent and growing challenges. IFPRI joins with the United Nations Development Programme in the report’s signature chapter to introduce rurbanomics, an innovative approach to rural development that builds on rural–urban synergies. Rapid urbanization around the world and growing urban demand for food and other products create new opportunities for rural people. Other chapters expand on the opportunities and requirements for rural revitalization. Among the most serious challenges facing rural areas is the lack of adequate employ- ment opportunities: policies and investments should look to provide good jobs in the agrifood production and nonfarm sectors. Growth in employment and broader improvements in rural lives will depend on better provision of basic services—from roads to clean water to education. Falling prices for solar energy, for example, offer great promise for developing rural economies. Incentives to restore and improve rural

environments can ensure valuable ecosystem services for both rural and urban residents and ensure the health of the planet. Women will play a central role in creating rural change—not only in addressing hunger and malnutrition but also by contributing to rural revitalization more broadly if access to skills, resources, and political voice is more equitable. Giving voice to all rural people is essential to ensuring that institutions and

governance support real and sustainable improvements in rural lives. Experience in Europe with rural revitalization programs can help to inform similar efforts in developing countries. With political will and investment, we can tap into this vast potential to reverse the trends that proved so challenging in 2018.

Regional insights look at rural revitalization efforts, review events and trends in 2018, and provide a look ahead to 2019. Supplemented by data tables illustrating trends in key food policy indicators at the country and regional levels, the report provides a comprehensive overview of food policy.

I hope this report spurs action by policymakers as well as academics and members of the business community, civil society, and the media, all of whom have a stake in food policies that benefit the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

SHENGGEN FAN

Director General