| Abstract |
Recurrent food price crises—combined with the global financial meltdown, volatile energy prices, natural resource depletion, and climate change—threaten the livelihoods of millions of poor people. Together with rice and wheat, maize provides at least 30% of the food calories of more than 4.5 billion people in 94 countries. They include 900 million poor consumers for whom maize is the preferred staple, 120-140 million poor farm families and about onethird of all malnourished children. Between now and 2050, the demand for maize in the developing world will double, and by 2025 maize will have become the crop with the greatest production globally and in the developing world. But harvests at current levels of productivity growth will still fall short of demand and millions of farm families will remain in poverty. Unless vigorous measures are taken to accelerate yield growth, increase incomes from more productive, sustainable and resilient maize based systems, and give greater opportunities to women and young adults, the outcome will be less affordable food for millions of poor maize consumers, continuing poverty and childhood malnutrition, deforestation, soil degradation, reduced biodiversity, and accelerated depletion of water and fertilizer reserves. |
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