Nations need food security goals

Researchers are calling for a concerted approach
 to agricultural policy, based on science 

The biggest environmental summit for a decade must make meaningful progress on global food security and sustainable agriculture, say researchers.

CGIAR, the world's largest publicly funded research body, has published a seven-point "call to action" plan.

Ahead of the Rio gathering, scientists are calling for an improved commitment to deliver nutrition security and lessen the need to aid.

Agriculture is estimated to provide jobs for 40% of the world's population.

The organisations listed a seven-point "call to action" list, which they will present at the gathering, including:

Improved partnerships to maximise the management of agriculture, aquaculture, forest and water resources;
need to address unequal sharing of natural resources via better governance and dissemination of technology;
support for a knowledge sharing system to improve production and minimise adverse impacts;
adopting measures to restore degraded environments and ecosystems.


The Rio+20 Conference, formally known as the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), will take place in Brazil on 20-22 June 2012, marking the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which was also held in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The conference will focus on two themes: a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication; and the institutional framework for sustainable development.

Seven priority areas have also been identified, including: decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.

Heads of states from more than 100 nations are expected to attend the summit.