More than 805 million still suffered from undernutrition and hunger in 2014. The vast majority of these people live in developing regions. In Sub-Saharan Africa, one in every fourth person remained undernourished in 2014. The world’s population is estimated to reach nine billion in 2050, requiring a 60% increase in food production. This will put severe pressure on food production systems world-wide, which are already suffering from an exhausted resource base. The challenges are expected to “hit hardest” in regions where poverty and food security are already pressing issues.
Smallholder farmers, of which most are women, make up the vast majority of people employed in global agricultural production. At the same time, this group accounts for half of the world ́s food insecure people. Further, smallholder farmers in developing countries have limited access to food markets, resulting in loss of income opportunities and loss of food.
The Norwegian Strategy for Food Security in a Climate Perspective (2013-2015) is a policy tool for Norwegian development cooperation. The strategy gives priority to increasing food production, especially by strengthening small-scale climate-resilient agriculture and promoting the rights of smallholders, particularly women. It will also suport and strengthen regional organisation in the agricultural sector. It further intends to promote and strengthen aquaculture and fishery sector. The annual report (2014) pays considerable attention to three topics: smallholder farmers, private sector development and gender equality. The executive summary highlights a few of the initiatives described in the report.