Keep an eye out this month for posts about food security and agriculture as part of our Food Security in Focus series. Food security and agriculture have been pushed to the forefront of the global agenda, and we’d like to make sure they stay there. Now’s your chance to learn more about what’s happening in this policy arena, as well as hear from several of our partners who are working on all aspects of food security and agriculture on the ground, in Africa and in other parts of the developing world.

More than one billion people around the world are hungry—a number that has continually risen in recent years, and has been compounded by global shocks like the food crisis and the current financial crisis. Food security isn’t just about access to food; it’s about children being well-nourished so that they can grow and learn, and adults eating enough nutritious food to be productive, healthy members of society. Food security encompasses all aspects of families, communities, and countries being able to access and utilize nutritious food, and includes research and technological innovation, the development of value chains and access to markets, and setting up regional and global frameworks in which these goals can be achieved.

Beginning this week there are several important events and meetings about global food security, including World Food Day on Friday, October 16th, in addition to the presentation of the World Food Prize in Iowa. These meetings are part of the lead-up to the World Food Summit being hosted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the middle of November.

Hopefully these events will maintain the momentum that was launched at the G8 meeting in L’Aquila in June when the G8 and other donors committed $20 billion for a comprehensive and coordinated global food security strategy called the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative (AFSI). At the G20, donors reiterated the principles outlined at L’Aquila, committing to a comprehensive, coordinated, and developing country-led initiative to increase agricultural productivity, reduce hunger, and achieve food security.

These commitments that have been made in the past few months must be upheld, clarified, and put into action to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. Be sure to follow our series for a comprehensive look at the issues surrounding food security in developing countries!