International investment in developing country agriculture—issues and challenges

The recent surge of international investment in developing country agriculture has generated considerable debate. Some of the largest transactions involve investors from the Gulf States purchasing or leasing land in poor, food-insecure African countries, to grow food that will be exported back to the investing country. Unlike the investments of the past, these are resource-seeking rather than market-seeking, and involve acquisition of land and actual production rather than looser forms of joint venture. Investing countries appear to be driven by food security concerns, including price volatility and market risks faced by large food importers. Host countries have been equally keen to attract such investment, for various potential benefits—but there are concerns about whether these benefits will be realized, and about lack of community involvement in the decision process. This paper discusses the nature and driving forces behind these investments, and the economic, political, institutional, legal and ethical issues they raise for host countries, investors and the international community. The paper suggests that alternative approaches might be as effective, and more acceptable, than long-term leases or outright purchases. Further, an international initiative (voluntary code of conduct, guidelines, statement of principles etc.) could highlight host country interests and also guide investors toward socially responsible investment.     

Agricultural investment and international land deals: evidence from a multi-country study in Africa

Recent spikes in world food and energy prices have fostered renewed momentum for agricultural investment in lower and middle-income countries. Governments in some food-importing countries are promoting the acquisition of land overseas as a means to ensure long-term national food security. Businesses are recognizing new opportunities for strong returns from international investments in agriculture for food, fuel and other agricultural commodities. Dubbed ‘land grabs’ in the media, land-based investments have kindled much international debate, in which strong positions are taken on the impacts of such investments on environment, rights, sovereignty, livelihoods, development and conflict at local, national and international levels. Depending on how they are structured, agricultural investments may deliver local benefits and include small-scale producers in value chains, or carry environmental and social risks that fall disproportionately on local people. Vigorous public debate in recipient countries, effective screening of proposed investments, including robust environmental and social impact assessments, secure local land and resource rights, local voice in decision-making, skillfully negotiated and regulated contracts and effective policy incentives for business models that favor working with local farmers over large plantations can help make the renewed momentum in agricultural investment work for development.     

发达国家食品安全监管体系研究

近年来,主要发达国家围绕着高标准的食品安全要求,逐步建立起统一高效的食品安全监管体系。这些国家的食品安全监管体系的共同特点是以风险分析为理念和"从农田到餐桌"。为了更好地借鉴发达国家食品安全监管体系的经验,本文对日本、美国和欧盟的食品安全监管体系进行了剖析,并对其有益经验进行了借鉴。     

International investments in Agriculture in Arab Countries: an overview and implications for policy

International investments in agriculture in the Arab region have increased considerably in recent years. This paper reviews foreign direct investment (FDI) in agriculture in the Arab region with an emphasis on Sudan, Egypt, and Morocco. The paper aims to (i) review past and current investment trends in the context of the unique characteristics of the region, including its food security challenges and resource constraints, and (ii) highlight some important policy issues to be addressed. Agriculture has traditionally received a very small share of international investments in the region (1–2% of total FDI), which largely focused on sectors other than primary agriculture. In the past few years, investments in agriculture have grown remarkably; particularly for resource-seeking investments, but information is incomplete as the changes are very rapid. Sudan is the primary destination for resource-seeking investments; Morocco and Egypt for market-seeking investments, mostly in food processing and fruit and vegetable production. Given the paucity of data, it is difficult to develop concrete policy recommendations. However, the analysis presented in this paper may be useful in guiding the development of FDI policies in the region, aimed at maximizing sustainable outcomes for both investors and host countries, with an emphasis on food security.     

Multinational firms in the world wine industry: an investigation into the determinants of most-favoured locations

The objective of the paper is to identify some of the determinants of foreign investment of the largest multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in the wine industry. The factors that drive firms to invest abroad and those that determine the location of those investments are examined in the case of the world wine industry. The list of the largest MNEs has been compiled using financial databases and company websites. Spearman rank correlation values are calculated between the ranking of the location popularity of host countries and the ranking of the independent variables or indices for the same period. The results of this study have some important implications. They indicate that location-specific advantages of host countries do provide an explication of the internationalization of firms in some preferred countries rather than others.     

The future role of agriculture in the Arab region’s food security

The 2007–2008 food crisis and subsequent economic recession have severely undermined food security and agricultural sustainability worldwide. Failures in market functioning and trade openness have posed particularly high risks to the import-dependent countries in the Arab region. Many of the global causes of the price spikes are still in place, creating uncertainty about food availability and access in the future. Especially in the Arab region, these uncertainties are compounded by water scarcity. A long-term outlook is essential for formulating appropriate policy and investment strategies in order to ensure future food security for the region. After a brief discussion of trends in agricultural growth and investment, this paper presents projections by the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) on agriculture production, trade, demand, prices, and food security up to 2025 and 2050. Simulations are used to compare a baseline scenario (with climate change) with two scenarios incorporating increased investment and supportive policies. The results highlight the key role of agricultural research, as well as expanded irrigation, improved natural resource management, and enhanced market efficiency, in improving food security. Four priority areas are proposed: investments in agricultural research and development, rural infrastructure, and rural institutions; more open regional and international trade to facilitate commodity flows and alleviate supply shortages; pro-poor food and nutrition interventions; and cross-cutting issues of policy coherence, gender dimensions, inclusion of traditional populations, and coordination mechanisms to deal with climate change and ecosystem challenges.     

Access to agricultural land in peri-urban spaces: social mobilisation and institutional frameworks in Rome and Valencia

Urban and peri-urban agriculture have gained worldwide momentum within the framework of the renewed food and nutrition security agenda. This has a special significance for Mediterranean cities, due to their traditional strong links with their agricultural surroundings. However, the renewed dynamism of peri-urban agriculture is constrained by the limited access to farmland of new farmers or already installed farmers. This paper explores how socio-political movements that aim to renew local food systems and introduce new models of urban-peri-urban governance are revitalising the debate on access to peri-urban farmland. A comparative analysis was conducted in two Mediterranean metropolitan areas (Rome in Italy and Valencia in Spain), in which different policy frameworks shape the conditions of access to farmland. Despite the institutional differences between these two cases, the results show that, for the organisations involved in these movements, facilitating access to farmland is now a crucial challenge in achieving their multiple objectives. The paper also addresses the supportive role (and the constraints) of the local authorities in facilitating access to farmland for those producers willing to adopt alternative business models that can give rise to the transition towards more democratic and sustainable local food systems.     

The socioeconomics of food crop production and climate change vulnerability: a global scale quantitative analysis of how grain crops are sensitive to drought

Many studies warn that climate change may undermine global food security. Much work on this topic focuses on modelling crop-weather interactions but these models do not generally account for the ways in which socio-economic factors influence how harvests are affected by weather. To address this gap, this paper uses a quantitative harvest vulnerability index based on annual soil moisture and grain production data as the dependent variable in a Linear Mixed Effects model with national scale socio-economic data as independent variables for the period 1990–2005. Results show that rice, wheat and maize production in middle income countries were especially vulnerable to droughts. By contrast, harvests in countries with higher investments in agriculture (e.g. higher amounts of fertilizer use) were less vulnerable to drought. In terms of differences between the world’s major grain crops, factors that made rice and wheat crops vulnerable to drought were quite consistent, while those of maize crops varied considerably depending on the type of region. This is likely due to the fact that maize is produced under very different conditions worldwide. One recommendation for reducing drought vulnerability risks is coordinated development and adaptation policies, including institutional support that enables farmers to take proactive action.     

Investitionsbewertung in Krisensituationen

Critical economic conditions, which also applies to the wood processing industry, as a rule accelerate the process of innovations and rationalizations. Investments in innovation and rationalization can be assessed only in specific time periods. Consequently, the effects of investments can be evaluated only with a limited level of dependability. The risk factor is therefore very much present in these types of investments, but this can be minimized by using suitable, and more objective methods. These methods are discussed in this paper.     

优化资源配置 质量铸就品牌

四川保宁醋是“四大名醋”之一，要发展和壮大保宁醋，必须培养高素质的科技人才，加大硬件投入以确保产品质量，并建立科学管理体系来规范酿造工艺，通过品牌战略，把握发展的主动权，使保宁醋永保辉煌。     

Seed systems smallholder farmers use

Seed can be an important entry point for promoting productivity, nutrition and resilience among smallholder farmers. While investments have primarily focused on strengthening the formal sector, this article documents the degree to which the informal sector remains the core for seed acquisition, especially in Africa. Conclusions drawn from a uniquely comprehensive data set, 9660 observations across six countries and covering 40 crops, show that farmers access 90.2 % of their seed from informal systems with 50.9 % of that deriving from local markets. Further, 55 % of seed is paid for by cash, indicating that smallholders are already making important investments in this arena. Targeted interventions are proposed for rendering formal and informal seed sector more smallholder-responsive and for scaling up positive impacts.     

生物培育肉发展现状及战略思考

随着全球生物培育肉及相关产业的快速发展,全方位分析该领域面临的问题及瓶颈,借鉴欧美发达国家经验,为我国未来食品发展指明方向具有重要意义。本文从缓解养殖业压力、保障肉类供应安全、提升食品科技发展水平方面阐述我国发展生物培育肉的必要性。从全球生物培育肉产业的发展、资本投入、监管和技术发展角度梳理欧美、日本发达国家的现状和趋势及可借鉴的经验,同时分析我国在该领域的发展和面临的学科融合、产业环境、监管法规、关键技术不完善等问题,提出发展我国生物培育肉的发展规划和攻克关键技术、培育优势企业、建立监管体系的对策建议。     

The potential of small-scale rainfed agriculture to strengthen food security in Arab countries

In most Arab countries, domestic agricultural production is insufficient. The gap between production and demand is likely to increase due to climate change and other factors. This review paper examines the challenges and possible solutions to ensuring food security in the future. It focuses on rainfed agriculture, which accounts for two-thirds of the region’s cropland, the bulk of its food staples, and almost all its rangelands. Given the scarcity of water and arable land, there are few opportunities in the region to expand cultivated area. But numerous effective, proven technologies are available that can increase productivity per unit area of land or volume of water. Crop technologies include, for example, new stress-tolerant varieties, supplemental irrigation and other techniques to increase water productivity, and conservation agriculture and other land management methods. Livestock nutrition and productivity could be increased with new forage or dual-purpose varieties, and greater use of alternative feed sources such as feed blocks made from crop by-products. The paper describes some of these technologies, and summarizes results obtained from on-station and on-farm testing. The key issue is poor adoption of available technologies. The priority for researchers and policy makers must therefore be to scale up investments in research and extension; encourage private sector participation; and create enabling policies to encourage technology adoption, market participation and more sustainable use of natural resources, by smallholder farmers.     

Analysis of the Costs and Economic Feasibility of Requiring Postharvest Processing for Raw Oysters

Because of concerns about Vibrio vulnificus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering requirements for postharvest processing (PHP) of oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico during warm‐weather months and intended for raw consumption. As described in the paper, feasible PHP methods for warm‐weather‐harvested oysters include cool pasteurization, high hydrostatic pressure, and low‐dose gamma‐irradiation. We estimate that the costs of applying PHP are approximately 5 to 6 cents per half‐shell oyster intended for raw consumption. However, most oyster processors have insufficient volumes to cost‐effectively install PHP equipment. To assist these smaller operations, central PHP facilities operated by a 3rd party would be needed. A geographic information system analysis that minimized volume‐weighted travel distances from each Gulf oyster operation identified 6 optimal PHP facility locations in the Gulf region. Even with the establishment of central PHP facilities, some oyster operations will become unprofitable and be at risk for closure.     

Factors affecting food security and contribution of modern technologies in food sustainability

The concept of food insecurity is complex and goes beyond the simplistic idea of a country's inability to feed its population. The global food situation is redefined by many driving forces such as population growth, availability of arable lands, water resources, climate change and food availability, accessibility and loss. The combined effect of these factors has undeniably impacted global food production and security. This article reviews the key factors influencing global food insecurity and emphasises the need to adapt science-based technological innovations to address the issue. Although anticipated benefits of modern technologies suggest a level of food production that will sustain the global population, both political will and sufficient investments in modern agriculture are needed to alleviate the food crisis in developing countries. In this globalised era of the 21st century, many determinants of food security are trans-boundary and require multilateral agreements and actions for an effective solution. Food security and hunger alleviation on a global scale are within reach provided that technological innovations are accepted and implemented at all levels.     

Transgenic Maize

Transgenic maize for commercial production currently confers either insect resistance or herbicide tolerance or a combination of these traits. The introduction of transgenic maize has resulted in an increase in maize production. Effects of these transgenic plants on non‐target insects, soil, and animals consuming them have been studied, and in general these effects are small. The economic impact of transgenic maize into the global market has been tremendous because maize can no longer be marketed as a simple commodity. Identity preservation and tracking systems are now required to ensure that maize meets the tolerance levels set by different countries for content of transgenic maize.     

Grain reserves and food security in the Middle East and North Africa

Aggregate stocks of major grains declined to minimal feasible levels in 2007–2008, due to high global income growth and biofuel mandates. Given these minimal stocks, prices were very sensitive to shocks, such as the Australian drought, and biofuel demand boosts due to the oil price spike. The effects of these shocks were magnified by a sequence of trade restrictions by key exporters to protect vulnerable consumers. Beginning in the ‘thin’ global rice market in the fall of 2007, these turned market anxiety into panic. Recognizing the unreliability of imports, vulnerable countries, including some in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), are now considering investing in strategic reserves, pursuing self sufficiency and acquiring foreign land to ensure grain supplies for domestic consumption. The associated expense and negative incentive effects on national reserves may be acceptable if they have quantitative targets related to the needs of the most vulnerable, for distribution only in emergencies. In many MENA countries, heavy subsidies on grain consumption for both rich and poor reduce the stabilizing response of consumption to price, and increase reserves needed to ensure food security. Accumulation of stocks is a more efficient strategy than pursuit of self-sufficiency in most MENA countries, as they have no comparative advantage in expanding agriculture, given restricted water supplies. Acquisition of foreign lands leaves food supplies exposed to sovereign risk and other supply chain problems beyond importers’ control. MENA countries could cooperate and so smooth much of the risk posed by fluctuations in their own harvests.     

国外确保粮食安全政策分析

分析了一些较为典型的发达国家和发展中国家在确保粮食安全方面的诸多政策,对我国粮食安全政策的制定有一定的借鉴和启示作用.     

英美加三国食品监管法规及监督检查现状

近年来,食品安全事件频发,食品安全问题开始受到人们越来越多的重视,成为了公众关注的焦点。纵观世界范围,各国政府都在保障本国食品安全方面做着巨大努力。本文以英国、美国和加拿大等发达国家为例,对其食品监管法律法规及监督检查情况进行梳理和总结,分析了英、美、加3国食品安全监管模式以及值得借鉴的经验与成果,结合我国食品安全监管实际情况提出了意见与建议,为我国下一步食品安全相关法律法规的制修订及食品安全监管工作的开展提供参考。     

Did smoke from the Kuwait oil well fires affect Iranian archaeological heritage?

The combustion of crude oil produces a wide range of pollutants, including gases, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, acid compounds (e.g., sulfuric acid), and soot. Several of these pollutants have been linked with the deterioration and blackening of monuments. The paper reports the results of an investigation on the causes of the soiling of cultural remains at important archaeological sites in the provinces of Khuzestan and Fars, in southern Iran, assumed to be an effect of the Persian Gulf oil well fires of 1991. Different analytical techniques were applied to characterize the mineralogical composition of the damage layers, investigate the deposition of atmospheric particles, measure the anion concentrations, and identify and quantify the carbon components. The results showed that the black deposits on the surfaces of the Iranian monuments considered are mainly microbiotic crusts produced by cyanobacterial growth. No evidence was found of the deposition of particulate matter (smoke) produced by the Kuwait oil fires during the Gulf War.