This is our last edition of Devex Dish for 2021. Thank you so much for being a subscriber, and we’ll see you next year!
It’s been a long, strange year, so we made this global development news quiz to jog your memory — and find out who among us is truly an “SDGenius.”
Take the quiz here, and share with your friends and colleagues on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
I don’t think 2021 was the year any of us thought it was going to be in terms of moving past the pandemic, and omicron’s emergence has made it clear we’re going to be continuing to see COVID’s impact on the food system for months and years to come. It’s been a grim year for the level of hunger globally, with the pandemic leading many to lose their livelihoods and access to an affordable, healthy diet. And of course, for much of the world, that remains out of reach whether or not someone is employed.
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But there were some causes for hope as the U.N. Food Systems and Nutrition for Growth summits brought together diverse communities who see that the food system is broken and are working to reform it. Looking into next year, I’ll be exploring what’s next for this movement to change the way the world grows, transports, sells, and eats its food.
I hope that wherever you are, you are able to enjoy restful time with family and friends this holiday season if it’s safe for you to do so. I’ll be spending it with family in Minnesota wishing for snow, and listening to Taylor Swift while baking holiday cookies. (Spotify has informed me that, for the second year running, I remain in the top 0.5% of Taylor Swift listeners globally.)
I look forward to being back with you in the New Year after our Devex-wide holiday break next week, during which Dish will be paused. See you in January!
Tell me: What should be the global development community’s New Year’s resolutions when it comes to food systems? Write to me with your thoughts — as well as any tips, insights, or Spotify recommendations — at dish@devex.com. We might share your answer in a future newsletter.
Cold hard cashews
The Kenyan cashew sector has been on the decline since the 1970s. It went from commanding 5.9% of world production in 1969, with an annual production of 24,000 metric tons (24 million kilograms) to just 12,667 metric tons in 2020.
Anthony Langat reports that while some farmers have resorted to selling their cashew trees as firewood, the Empowering Farmers Foundation — a regional NGO — is hoping to revive the sector. By improving agronomic practices and market access, the organization hopes to show farmers that cashews can still be a cash crop.
Read: Kenya's cashew sector gets a revival through NGO pilot project
From your mouth
Last week, we asked whether you thought gene-edited cows were the way of the future to ensure pastoralism can survive climate change.
“I think scientists should equally consider editing cows genetically to produce less methane, which causes climate change; in addition to editing them to withstand heat stress. That's the way to go. We need to develop new foods that cattle would consume and generate less greenhouse [gases],” responded Charles Eze, who studies agricultural and environmental economics in Nigeria.
ICYMI: Are gene-edited cows the next big climate solution?
Going Pro
This year, we took a deep dive into some of the most pressing food systems issues for our Devex Pro subscribers. Just in case you missed any of the insights, here is a quick roundup of some of our favorite food and agriculture stories from 2021:
• Gates Foundation’s top 10 agriculture grant winners. The Gates Foundation allocated $5.6 billion for 1,105 agricultural development-related grants from 2003 to June 2021, of which 41% went to its top 10 agriculture grantees.
• How USAID's $5B investment in Feed the Future will be spent. Shawn Baker, USAID’S chief nutritionist, breaks down the agency’s nutrition-specific investments.
• Did the UN Food Summit provide solutions for marginalized groups? Though the U.N. Food Systems Summit was criticized for its lack of inclusion, marginalized groups that took part said the summit was a good first step.
• Seed access woes prevent growth of Haitian agriculture. A lack of quality seeds is preventing Haitian agriculture from thriving and feeding a hungry population.
Get more news and deeper analysis on food systems with Devex Pro. Subscribe now and don’t miss out on our rare holiday discount to get 25% off your annual Pro subscription.
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‘He’s just not that into you’
It seems that WFP Executive Director David Beasley is not quite done courting Elon Musk — despite his disastrous first attempt to get the billionaire to join WFP in the fight against world hunger.
This week, Beasley congratulated Musk for being named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. “You are changing the world and we are saving millions of lives. Working together, we can avert a hunger crisis unprecedented in modern times,” he writes.
But the Twitterverse believes this bromance is doomed. One Twitter user responds: “David, he's just not that into you. Sorry bro.”
Number munching
375.8 million
—That’s how many people faced hunger in Asia and the Pacific in 2020, according to the newly released Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition. That’s up 17% from around 321 million in 2019.
Chew on this
Children's picture books can teach kids about nutrition and food sovereignty. [The Lancet]
An early thaw this past spring has caused a worldwide maple syrup shortage after record high production last year, forcing Canada to tap into its emergency reserve stockpile. [Fortune]
A new analysis found that crop pests and disease rose fourfold in China between 1970 and 2016, a shift researchers attributed partly to climate change. [Modern Farmer]
Rumbi Chakamba contributed to this edition.
About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
