The Fight Against Hunger and Malnutrition: The Role of Food, Agriculture, and Targeted Policies

Advances in science and policy during the past 50 years have prevented the predicted widespread food shortages as the world’s population soared. Malnutrition, however, remains prevalent. This book details strategies and practical approaches to scientific and policy challenges for alleviating hunger and malnutrition in an era where technological change, markets, patterns of governance, and social programs have an increasingly global dimension. The contours of agricultural, food, and nutrition policy have been redrawn by a range of factors, including the unfettered reach of multinational corporations, emerging technologies such as genetically modified foods, and the new competition between the food and energy sectors for agricultural output. More emphasis on evidence-based policymaking is raising the standard of proof for evaluating the impact of social programs and targeted interventions. Overlaying all these challenges are domestic and international political and social constraints that need to be addressed when trying to translate scientific knowledge and information into practice.