By 2050, the percentage of the world's children who are malnourished could drop dramatically from the current 31 percent to 11 percent, if policymakers respond to the global challenge of hunger. However, the report warns, rates will drop only modestly if there are serious policy or technology failures in the next half-century.

"We have come to a major crossroads for the world food situation," said Joachim von Braun, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and lead author of the report. "Fifty years from now, one child in four could be suffering from chronic hunger, or it could drop to one child in ten. The outcome depends on decisions made now and in the next few years."

Progressive policy actions that are needed include:
- Increasing public spending on agricultural and rural development by both developing and industrialized countries
- Expanding investment in agricultural research
- Higher levels of investment in education, social services, and health
- Improving irrigation efficiency

The "progressive policy" scenario projects that after 2015 child nutrition will improve steadily in all developing regions of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa. Latin America, the Middle East, and China virtually eliminate child malnutrition by 2030.

The paper also provides two pessimistic scenarios, which leave 135-140 million children malnourished in 2025 under "policy failure" and "technology and resource management failure" scenarios.

"While pessimistic, these scenarios are possible, if current trends worsen," warns Mark Rosegrant, report co-author and director of Environment and Production Technology at IFPRI. "These projections should raise alarm bells for governments in both developing and industrialized countries."
For more information, visit www.ifpri.org