Ren Wang, director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), credits concern about global climate change and the recent global food-price crisis to be the two events that have “shaken the global food system to its foundations in recent years.” Wang’s statement is part of an article he wrote for The Des Moines Register, printed on October 15, 2008, the day Wang spoke at the Borlaug Dialogue as part of the World Food Prize symposium held in Des Moines, Iowa. 

In the article, Wang notes that climate change will have a tremendous effect on agricultural production and poverty rates, especially in the tropics.  He calls for effective and bold action now in order to keep the current food crisis from becoming a “recurring nightmare.”  Stemming from what Wang calls government “complacency” with regard to agricultural research and development, “an estimated 75 million people have joined the ranks of the hungry as a result of the dramatic rise in food prices.”

To address these challenges, Wang makes a plea for increased funding in agricultural research, using the CGIAR’s successes as examples of possibilities and opportunities for investment.  He also speaks to the importance of the effective application of agricultural science, the necessity of collaboration among donors, and concludes, “Our aim must be nothing less than to build a whole new generation of agricultural researchers in the developing world.”

Source: Wang, Ren. "Invest now in ag science to prevent hunger crisis." The Des Moines Register. 15 October 2008.