2013 Food Policy Timeline: Issues, Actions, and Events

2013 FOOD POLICY TIMELINE: 2013 REPORT GLOBAL FOOD POLICY ISSUES, ACTIONS, AND EVENTS REPORT IFPRI September 23–24 SUN COUNTRIES COME TOGETHER One of the roles of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) June 8 March 22 Movement-a country-led movement to promote SUMMIT GENERATES NEW PLEDGES FOR NUTRITION CHINA REVAMPS FOOD-SAFETY CONTROL December 3–6 national actions to improve nutrition-is to allow The Nutrition for Growth summit in London China rebranded and restructured its countries to share their experiences and insights. At the TRADE TALKS MAKE A COMEBACK food-safety agency, elevating the China brought together a wide range of stakeholders SUN Movement Global Gathering in New York, country participants reflected on progress so far and suggested After years of little progress in global trade talks, partici- to generate commitments to investments in Food and Drug Administration to a pants at the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference in ministerial-level agency after numerous nutrition. It established the Global Nutrition for future actions. Bali, Indonesia, agreed to simplify customs procedures and Growth Compact, which has committed US$4.15 food-safety incidents. regulations for all types of trade, including agricultural and billion to tackle global undernutrition. May 30 food commodities. Talks were nearly sidelined over HIGH-LEVEL PANEL PROPOSES NEW DEVELOPMENT GOALS subsidies in developing countries, but WTO members September 23-27 agreed to temporarily exempt developing countries from subsidy limits. A report was issued by a panel of eminent persons charged UN ASSESSES PROGRESS ON THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make recommenda- At the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, global leaders tions on the development agenda in the wake of the recognized the important but uneven success of the MDGS, Millennium Development Goals, which end in 2015. The reaffirmed their commitment to ending hunger, and deliberated on how to accelerate progress. panel's report called for eradicating poverty by 2030 and transforming economies through sustainable development. ши S. July 11 September 12 November 8 CAADP TURNS 10 INDIA ADOPTS A NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT December 10 The Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development TYPHOON HAIYAN SLAMS THE PHILIPPINES India's new National Food Security Act extends the coverage BRAZIL NEARS THE TOP OF THE HEAP IN SOYBEAN PRODUCTION Programme (CAADP), an Africa-wide framework for Typhoon Haiyan, the most powerful storm ever recorded, hit generating agriculture-led growth, marked 10 years in of the existing Public Distribution System, one of the largest the Philippines, causing widespread damage to lives and In 2013, Brazil was estimated to attain broad parity with the operation. While many countries have made progress, Africa social safety net programs in the world, to provide livelihoods. Large swaths of housing, crops, and infrastruc- United States in global soybean production at 89 million tons. as a whole has not achieved the CAADP goals of spending subsidized food to 65 percent of the country's population. It ture were destroyed, and damage to agriculture and More broadly, Latin America has become a powerhouse of remains to be seen whether the program can avoid 10 percent of government budgets on agriculture and aquaculture was extensive. Shortages of food and other agricultural production, with Brazil and Argentina now among overwhelming the country's already strained finances and food-procurement channels. reaching a 6 percent annual growth rate for agriculture. essential goods arose following the storm. the world's leading exporters of many agricultural commodities. Sources: China revamps food safety control: A. Gaffney, “China's SFDA Becomes CFDA amidst Consolidation of Power and New Leadership," Regulatory Focus, March 25, 2013, http://www.raps.org/focus-online/news/news-article-view/article/3073/chinas-sfda-becomes-cfda-amidst-consolidation-of-power-and-new-leadership.aspx; High-level panel proposes new development goals: United Nations, "Report of the Secretary-General's High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda," May 30, 2013, http://www.un.org/sg/management/beyond2015.shtml; Summit generates new pledges for nutrition: United Kingdom, “Nutrition for Growth: Beating Hunger through Business and Science," press release, June 8, 2013, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nutrition-for-growth-beating-hunger-through-business-and-science; CAADP turns 10: IFPRI, “CAADP 10 Years Out: How Have Countries Fared in Agricultural Development?" press release, November 12, 2013, http://www.ifpri.org/pressrelease/caadp-10-years-out-how-have-countries-fared-agricultural-development; India adopts a National Food Security Act: Chapter 3 of this report; SUN countries come together: Scaling Up Nutrition, SUN Movement Global Gathering, 2013, http://scalingupnutrition.org/sun-movement-global-gathering; UN assesses progress on the Millennium Development Goals: United Nations, "President of the General Assembly's Special Event towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals," September 25, 2013, http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/specialevent.shtml; Typhoon Haiyan slams the Philippines: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “Severe Damage to Agriculture and Fisheries after Typhoon Haiyan," press release, November 12, 2013, http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/204327/; Trade talks make a comeback: The Economist, "Unaccustomed Victory," December 14, 2013, http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21591625-global-trade-talks-yield-deal-first-time-almost-20-years-unaccustomed; Brazil near the top of the heap in soybean production: P. Hollis, “Brazil climbing to top of global soybean ladder," Southeast Farm Press, November 6, 2013, http://southeastfarmpress.com/soybeans/brazil-climbing-top-global-soybean-ladder. MN