"FAO's mandate is to assist its member countries and the international community in ensuring that all people have access to sufficient and safe and food. On a world scale, food production capacity is sufficient to satisfy this basic human right. Despite relentless efforts and comprehensive initiatives, the number of undernourished in the world has increased in the last half decade, peaking in 2009 to more than 1 billion - one in seven - people.

A decade into the 21st century, the world is facing a number of complex challenges, with serious implications for the state of global food security. The world's population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050 and rural-urban migration is increasing considerably, with growth concentrated in today's developing countries. Globalization is affecting the agriculture sector and, together with economic expansion and urbanization, this is contributing to changing patterns in food consumption. Natural resources are being subject to unprecedented pressure from human activities, and marked climate and environmental changes are occurring, resulting in more frequent disasters and emergencies.

This book details current knowledge of these complex challenges and discusses likely implications for the food and agriculture sector and for hunger and poverty reduction efforts, including FAO's role in assisting its member countries in the coming years. Development practitioners, planners, decision-makers and all members of the international community with a genuine interest in hunger and poverty reduction will appreciate the book's broad and up-to-date coverage of global food security issues."--pub. desc.