Production systems in low-income developing countries are generally poorly diversified, focusing on rainfed staple crop production and raising livestock. These activities are inherently risky and investment and production decisions by farm households are therefore made within environments that are affected by risk. Because of poorly developed or absent credit and insurance markets it is difficult to pass any of these risks to a third party.

A series of high-profile food-related scares around the globe has drawn attention to the issue of food safety and other health risks associated with agriculture. Because the scope of the problem is different at different levels of economic development, we need nuanced policy options to promote safer food production systems worldwide.

South Asia (SA), including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, is one of the most populous regions in the world. Agriculture is the backbone of the economies of SA nations and is the main source of livelihood for many rural poor households. While parts of SA have experienced considerable agricultural sector growth in the last half-century, many other regions, including large parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, have lagged behind. Many farmers face water scarcity due to both physical constraints as well as lack of adequate water storage and management.

The project “Enhancing Women’s Assets to Manage Risk under Climate Change: Potential for Group-Based Approaches” aims to help poor women farmers and pastoralists in Africa south of the Sahara and South Asia—especially those in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, and Bangladesh—manage risks under climate change. The

This 2012 Global Food Policy Report is the second in an annual series that provides an in-depth look at major food policy developments and events. Initiated in response to resurgent interest in food security, the series offers a yearly overview of the food policy developments that have contributed to or hindered progress in food and nutrition security. It reviews what happened in food policy and why, examines key challenges and opportunities, shares new evidence and knowledge, and highlights emerging issues.

The Yellow River basin (YRB) is the breadbasket of China and the “cradle of Chinese civilization.” The basin is characterized by severe water scarcity; the ratio of surface water withdrawal to water resources, at 64 percent in 2008, is among the highest in the world. Particular climatic conditions, the rapid socioeconomic development, and the absence of defined water rights have led to excessive water abstraction. During the last 50 years agricultural water use has increased by more than 250 percent, while water demand from industry and domestic use has grown even more steeply.

The year 2011 highlighted ongoing challenges to global food security, from food price volatility, extreme weather shocks, and famine to unrest and conflicts. On the policy front, major devel­opments at the global and national levels both offered grounds for encouragement and pointed to areas where further action is needed.

This policy note summarizes research that builds on existing studies on the gender-differentiated impacts of shocks on household asset holdings in Bangladesh, which is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change because of its densely populated coastal area and large population living below the poverty line.

The current global recession is leading to millions of job losses around the world, pushing some people deeper into poverty and nudging others into poverty for the first time. How can governments and others in developing countries create good jobs to fight poverty and hunger both now and in the long term?