Dupont Leading the way on Addressing Global Hunger

Jul 10, 2012

Dupont Developing Common Food Security Metrics

By Joe Dales, Farms.com

A new initiative that is designed to ensure that countries have an adequate supply of safe, nutritious and affordable food was announced today. Billions of dollars are invested every year into food security, but until now there was no forum to measure the impact policies had from a local to global perspective.

The Global Food Security Index addresses some of the issues that cause food insecurity in 105 countries as well as provides insight into how hunger can be eliminated. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EUI) created the Index along with assistance from leading international experts in order to help feed the global growing population and increase collaboration between governments, NGOs and farmer organizations. The Global Food Security Index includes tools for analysis of food accessibility, affordability, availability, nutrition and safety.

DuPont commissioned the Global Food Security Index, and DuPont Chair and CEO, Ellen Kullman said, “We’ve come to realize that we share a common goal of food security. To truly address the root cause of hunger, we must have a common path forward to tackle such pressing issues as food affordability availability, nutritional quality and safety.” “My hope is the Global Food Security Index will be used to promote collaboration, make better informed decisions and stimulate action necessary to feed our growing population.” “To ensure that efforts are laser-focused to deliver real solutions, we needed a tool to inform decision making and facilitate a common language.”

There are food security forums being held around the world with public and private sector leaders. To learn more about this new initiative, visit http://foodsecurity.dupont.com/.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.