In an exclusive interview on Thought Economics published today, CGIAR Consortium Board Chair, Carlos Perez del Castillo, joins Ertharin Cousin of WFP and economist Jeffrey Sachs to explore the scale and nature of global hunger. Thoughtful comments reiterate the gravity of this phenomenon but also look at possible solutions. All agree now is the time to act.
We can no longer look away, or think of hunger as someone else’s problem. There is no ‘CNN effect’ that brings hunger into our homes every day, still it affects almost a billion people and threatens millions more. It is not a problem for others to solve. It is morally unacceptable. It is economically senseless and socially dangerous.
We do have the know-how. We have the tools. We have the resources. And increasingly, we have the will to make hunger a memory for the millions worldwide.
We must continue to invest in agricultural research, a proven formula for reducing hunger and poverty, and we must reaffirm its place at the centre of the global political agenda. We need that commitment to long term solutions if we want a world without hunger – a food secure future for all.