What We’re Reading

[2018] Special Report – IPCC

“An extensive report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)–based on three years of research and reviewed by 1,000 scientists–indicates that the 2.7°F (1.5°C) threshold for global temperature increases may be reached as early as 2030, causing catastrophic climate risks. IPCC calls for global cooperation in drastically reducing the net emissions of carbon dioxide.”

[2018] The Intersection of Global Fragility and Climate Risks – USAID
“While many areas around the world are dealing with major climate hazards, a new USAID report looks at how climatic risks and challenges are further compounded when state fragility comes into play. USAID found that a majority of highly fragile states—26 of the 39—have a large proportion of their population facing high climate risks.”

[2018] SDG Progress: Fragility, crisis and leaving no one behind – ODI & IRC
“People in fragile states who are caught in conflict or displaced often fall through the cracks or are explicitly excluded from national plans. This report shows that by identifying gaps in SDG progress for fragile and conflict-affected states, the international community can work toward solutions in order to meet the SDGs by 2030.”

[2018] Promoting alternatives to migration for rural youth in Tunisia and Ethiopia – FAO
“Each year, rural areas lose a significant share of their workforce, as youth leave their homes and migrate to cities or abroad in search of a better future. Yet agriculture has the potential to generate much needed job opportunities. This report looks at how the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is addressing the link between migration and rural development in Tunisia and Ethiopia, two countries particularly prone to rural out-migration of youth.”

[2018] Hunger: A Lethal Weapon of War – Save the Children
“Where there is conflict, there is almost always hunger. And where there is hunger, it is children who are most at risk. Save the Children looks at the ten worst conflicts for children around the world and provides recommendations for how the international community can help child malnutrition in these areas, where 590,000 children are likely to miss out on treatment and to die as a result of hunger in 2018.”

[2018] Beyond the Homeland: Protecting America from Extremism in Fragile States – USIP
“The congressionally-mandated Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States, established in early 2018 and convened by the United States Institute of Peace, has published its first report, describing how partnerships and a united U.S. strategy including diplomacy, development and defense may help combat the rise of violent extremism.”

[2018] A Decade of Progress: Feed the Future Snapshot 2018 – Feed the Future
“The most recent Feed the Future report shows how this American initiative helps to lift smallholder farmers out of poverty and fuels growing middle classes in countries where we work, allowing US businesses to compete in new markets and increasing demand for US innovations.”

[2018] Turn the Tide: Refugee Education in Crisis – UNHCR
“The UN’s relief agency, UNHCR, looks at the educational aspirations of the millions of refugee youth eager to continue learning and highlights the need for strong partnerships in order to break down the barriers to education that many of them experience.”

[2015] Roadmap to End Hunger – World Food Program USA
“The Roadmap Coalition’s 2015 Policy Brief details progress and recommendations for how the Administration and Congress can continue building on what they’ve achieved. The brief calls for a multi-pronged approach to solving hunger and malnutrition that stands on four pillars: emergency response, safety nets, nutrition and agriculture.”

[2018] A Decade of Progress: Snapshot 2018 — Feed the Future
“The most recent Feed the Future report shows how this American initiative helps to lift smallholder farmers out of poverty and fuels growing middle classes in countries where we work, allowing US businesses to compete in new markets and increasing demand for US innovations.”

[2018] Annual Report 2017 — CERF
“The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) — a funding mechanism within the UN covering rapid humanitarian response and underfunded emergencies—supported relief operations by numerous partners in 36 countries in 2017, including the Horn of Africa drought, the Boko Haram crisis, and the conflict in South Sudan.”

[2018] Turn the Tide: Refugee Education in Crisis — UNHCR
“The UN’s relief agency, UNHCR, looks at the educational aspirations of the millions of refugee youth eager to continue learning and highlights the need for strong partnerships in order to break down the barriers to education that many of them experience.”

[2018] The Linkages between Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development
“A joint technical report by WFP, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) illuminates the complex challenges of contemporary migration and discusses how agricultural and social policies can help address these challenges and create opportunities.”

[2018] Global Compact for Migration – UN
“The UN recently finalized its first ever Global Compact for Migration, an agreement calling on nations to address the root structural causes of migration and to agree to the humane treatment of migrants.”

[2018] FAO Biannual Food Outlook Report –FAO
“FAO’s most recent Food Outlook Report looks at recent market trends of the major commodities and related policy developments, showing that agricultural markets have so far remained relatively stable despite some uncertainties in global markets.”

[2018] FEWS NET Food Security Outlook – FEWSNET
“The latest report is now available for projecting food need in a number of regions through January 2019. According to FEWS NET analysis, famine declarations are likely in parts of Yemen and South Sudan if port access or humanitarian assistance is disrupted due to conflict.”

[2018] UNHCR Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017 – UNHCR
“By the end of 2017, 68.5 million people were forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict and other violence. Read about the causes of displacement and an analysis of the trends.”

[2018] Food For Peace: Year in Review 2017 – USAID
“In 2017, the world confronted massive humanitarian crises resulting from conflict, insecurity and natural disasters. Food For Peace programs helped respond to the growing food insecurity of people living amidst these crises, while also focusing on development work.”

[2018] The Phase Zero Digital Toolbox – New America
“New America has developed a curated list of existing digital tools from open data sources that look at the root causes of insecurity, the record of humanitarian crises and instability, and impacts of climate change. These tools can help governments, humanitarian and development actors and others better understand and plan for today’s global environment and challenges.”

[2018] Shared Interest: How USAID Enhances U.S. Economic Growth – USAID
“Investing in global development is vital to U.S. national security and contributes to the economic and political stability of developing nations. But U.S. foreign assistance also benefits the U.S. economy and its workers; as these nations become more self-reliant, they become more resilient markets for U.S. exports and services.”

[2018] Migration is What You Make It: Seven Policy Decisions that Turned Challenges into Opportunities – CGDEV
“Immigration is not inherently “good” or “bad.” How can different policy choices generate positive economic effects from immigration and avoid negative ones?”

[2018] Confronting the Global Forced Migration Crisis – CSIS
“The costs associated with rising forced migration are already observable: record displacement, rising food insecurity, environmental disaster and regional conflicts. In the long term, these crises will likely undermine U.S. objectives at home and abroad. Foreign assistance and development resources, along with other interventions, can help to prevent the collapse of countries that would force more people from home.”

[2018] Escaping the fragility trap – IGC
“The latest estimates suggest that by 2030, half of the world’s poor will live in countries that are fragile. What are the characteristics of fragility and what does it mean for international assistance?”

[2018] Journey to Extremism in Africa – UNDP
“Food insecurity is a frequent driver of extremism. Learn more about what leads to extremism and what is being done to prevent the growth of extremist groups.”

[2018] Food Assistance Outlook Brief – FEWSNET
“This outlook brief and infographic provide details on the anticipated assistance needs in 2018, as of April 2018.”

[2018] A Role for Social Protection Investments to Support Food and Nutrition Security: Lessons from Ghana – CSIS
“Launched in 2008, Ghana’s Livelihoods Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) cash transfer program has since grown to become the country’s flagship social protection program.”

[2018] The multibillion dollar question: How much will it cost to end hunger and undernutrition? – IFPRI
“More investments are needed to end hunger—but how much will it cost? Estimates range from $7 billion to $265 billion per year…Here’s a look at the differences in four models and frameworks that estimate the cost of ending hunger.”

[2018] A Role for Social Protection Investments to Support Food and Nutrition Security – CSIS
“This report explores the development of Ghana’s LEAP program since 2008; its current coverage, successes, and challenges; and opportunities for both the government of Ghana and donor partners to spearhead continuous improvements for program outcomes and resource efficiency.”

[2018] The Role of Water Stress in Instability and Conflict – CNA
“This report examines the role of water across a spectrum from civil unrest and localized violence to terrorism, insurgencies, and civil wars to state-onstate conflict.”

[2018] Monitoring Food Security in Countries with Conflict Situations – FAO/WFP
“According to the Global Report on Food Crises 2017, about 108 million people faced crisis-level food insecurity in 2016 and required urgent humanitarian assistance – up from 80 million the previous year. Critically, the report showed that 10 out of the 13 major food crises in the world were driven by conflict.”

[2017] The Global Nutrition Report – GNR
“The report shows that, despite the significant steps the world has taken towards improving nutrition and associated health burdens over recent decades, nutrition is still a large-scale and universal problem.”

[2017] When Will Things Change? Looking for Signs of Progress on Ending Rural Hunger – Brookings
“The Ending Rural Hunger project at the Brookings Institution, provides a brief overview of major developments in food and nutrition security over the last year.”

[2017] Global Hunger Index: The Inequalities of Hunger – IFPRI
“The Global Hunger Index shows long-term progress in reducing hunger in the world. The advances have been uneven, however, with millions of people still experiencing chronic hunger and many places suffering acute food crises and even famine.”

[2017] The State of Food and Agriculture – FAO
“The report looks at how population growth, increasing urbanization, tech, & climate change are transforming rural and urban areas, and how the world’s food systems are evolving.. Fulfilling the 2030 Agenda depends on progress in rural areas and outlines a strategy for how agriculture and rural economies in developing countries can provide prosperity.”

[2017] The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers, or Cash Transfers? – World Bank
“This report shows the “complex process of how some flagship food-based social protection programs have evolved over time… It lays out trends in reforms, including a move from in-kind modalities to cash transfers, from universality to targeting, and from agriculture to social protection.”

[2017] The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report – WFP/FAO/IFAD/UNICEF/WHO
“This year’s edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World marks the beginning of a regular monitoring of progress towards achieving the food security and nutrition targets set by the 2030 Agenda”

[2017] Food Security and Emigration: Why people flee and the impact on family members left behind in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – WFP
“This new study examines links between emigration and food insecurity in the Dry Corridor of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.”

[2017] World Food Assistance 2017 – Taking Stock and Looking Ahead – WFP
“This global report provides a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of trends, challenges and innovative solutions in food assistance at a time of complex emergencies and soaring needs.”

[2017] Feed The Future Impact – FTF
“Feed the Future addresses the root causes of poverty and hunger by equipping people with tools to feed themselves.” This article explains the impact the programs have made since it started.

[2017] At the root of exodus: Food security, conflict and international migration – WFP
“WFP undertook this study to determine the role that food security and other factors play in compelling cross-border migration.”

[2017] The Challenge of Change – APLU
“The Commission unveiled their report and action plan, which centers on harnessing the vast academic, research, and leadership capabilities of public research universities to address the interdisciplinary challenges of food and nutrition security.”

[2017] Fragile States Index – FFP
“The Fragile States Index is a critical tool in highlighting not only the normal pressures that all states experience, but also in identifying when those pressures are pushing a state towards the brink of failure.”

[2017] Refugee Compacts: Addressing the Crisis of Protracted Displacement – Center for Global Development
“This report offers key principles for closing the humanitarian-development divide and practical guidance for designing effective compacts.”

[2017] Global Report on Food Crisis – FSIN
“The key objective and strength of the report is to establish a consultative and consensus-based process to compile food insecurity analyses from around the world into a global public product.”

[2017] Ending Hunger Is Within Our Grasp – Farming First
Catherine Bertini discusses advancements made to reduce malnutrition and the issues that need to be fixed in order to achieve zero hunger.

[2017] Global Food Policy Report – IFPRI
This report “provides a comprehensive overview of major food policy developments and events. In this sixth annual report, leading researchers, policy makers, and practitioners review what happened in food policy, and why, in 2016 and look forward to 2017.”

[2017] Recurring Storms: Food Insecurity, Political Instability, and Conflict – CSIS
“Renewed and expanded international collaboration to anticipate and prepare for recurring storms of food insecurity is essential…The experiences of post-conflict countries highlight some critical issues that need to be prioritized in order to regain sustainable food security.”

[2017] Global Trends, Paradox of Progress – U.S. National Intelligence Council
“We start with an exploration of “Key Trends” that are changing the global landscape and illuminate today’s paradox. We discuss as well how these trends are “Changing the Nature of Power, Governance, and Cooperation” as a way to diagnose why and how global dynamics have become more challenging in recent years.”

[2016] State of Fragility – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
This report “takes a long hard look at violence in the world – and what we should do about it. The report showcases emerging thinking about violence, presents a new risk-based approach to monitoring various dimensions of fragility, and looks at financial flows in support of fragile contexts.”

[2016] Aid effectiveness in fragile states How bad is it and how can it improve? – Brookings
This paper focuses on the responsibility of donors to deliver aid as efficiently as they can. Their obligation to supply adequate assistance is especially important in fragile states. Recommendations on how to improve donor practices is also discussed.

[2016] The Use and Utility of US Government Approaches to Country Ownership: New Insights from Partner Countries – Center for Global Development
This Policy paper explores how often the U.S. Government carried out actions that were both supportive and not supportive of backing developing country ownership, and how helpful either effort was.

[2016] Crop Prospects and Food Situation – No.4 – FAO
This report gives a summary of the global food situation by region and emphasizes 39 countries that require external food assistance.

[2016] Fixing Food Towards a More Sustainable Food System – Barilla Center, The Economist
“Fixing Food is an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report on food system sustainability globally, spanning agriculture, nutrition, and food loss and waste. It draws on an interview programme with experts from the academic, public and private sectors and is published alongside the Food Sustainability Index (FSI).”

[2016] Global Humanitarian Overview 2017 – OCHA
Due to the increase in disasters, conflicts and other emergencies, and in order to respond to the most vulnerable 92.8 million people in the world, the global humanitarian community has requested US$22.2 billion in 2017, the largest appeal in history (up from US$20.1 billion in 2016).

[2016] Navigating Complexity: Climate, Migration, and Conflict in a Changing World – USAID, Wilson Center
“Climate change is expected to contribute to the movement of people through a variety of means. There is also significant concern climate change may influence violent conflict. But our understanding of these dynamics is evolving quickly and sometimes producing surprising results. There are considerable misconceptions about why people move, how many move, and what effects they have.” This report discusses these various issues.

[2016] 2017 Hunger Report: Fragile Environments, Resilient Communities – Bread for the World Institute
“The Hunger Report is the Institute’s largest annual analysis of the state of world hunger. The 2017 Hunger Report explains why ending hunger globally demands a clear focus on supporting fragile countries, where two-thirds of people facing hunger will live by 2030.”

[2016] Unbreakable : Building the Resilience of the Poor in the Face of Natural Disasters – World Bank
“This report moves beyond asset and production losses and shifts its attention to how natural disasters affect people’s well-being.”

[2016] Internal Displacement in Iraq: More than Just Mosul – Refugees International
More people have been able to leave conflict areas in Iraq, though the response from groups to be able to assist has been narrowed. With a limited amount of people being able to return, humanitarian assistance for the region must be improved and financially supported.

[2016] World Disasters Report 2016, Resilience: Saving Lives Today, Investing for Tomorrow – IFRC
“A lack of global investment in strengthening community resilience is leaving tens of millions of people exposed to predictable, preventable and catastrophic disaster risks, stresses the World Disasters Report.”

[2016] Ending World Hunger—2016 Update: Progress Towards SDG2 – Brookings
The 2016 Ending Rural Hunger dataset is now available at endingruralhunger.org, where users can see for themselves the state of rural hunger across 153 developing countries as well as how the policies and resources of 29 developed countries rate toward ending rural hunger.

[2016] End World Hunger: What Would it Cost? – IISD, IFPRI
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) joined forces to estimate what it would cost to end hunger, and the contribution that donors need to make.

[2016] State of Food and Agriculture – Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security – FAO
The Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015, represents a new beginning in the global effort to stabilize the climate before it is too late. It recognizes the importance of food security in the international response to climate change, as reflected by many countries focusing prominently on the agriculture sector in their planned contributions to adaptation and mitigation. To help put those plans into action, this report identifies strategies, financing opportunities, and data and information needs. It also describes transformative policies and institutions that can overcome barriers to implementation.

[2016] Food Assistance and Food Security Strategy, 2016-2025 – USAID
FFP’s new strategy, the 2016–2025 Food Assistance and Food Security Strategy, builds on the FFP 2006–2010 strategic plan, draws on lessons learned during its implementation, and embraces new approaches and tools that have emerged in recent years to increase the impact of U.S. Government (USG) food assistance as a critical tool in global efforts to end hunger and poverty.

[2016] Foreign Assistance Briefing Book -InterAction
The document represents the U.S.-based international nonprofit community’s best thinking on a range of pressing foreign assistance challenges. Organized by issue area, it is intended to serve as a resource on important international development and humanitarian issues for the next administration and the 115th Congress.

[2016] Global Hunger Index: Getting to Zero Hunger – IFPRI
Presents a multidimensional measure of national, regional, and global hunger, focusing on how the world can get to Zero Hunger by 2030.

[2016] Multilateral Development Banking for this Century’s Development Challenges – CGD
The geo-economic landscape has changed dramatically in this century, and with it the demands and needs of the developing world. The MDBs may no longer hold a monopoly on financing, expertise, and coordination, but they remain uniquely suited to combine these assets to deal with new and diverse challenges.

[2016] U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy – USAID
As required in the Global Food Security Act, this strategy reflects the unique skills, resources, and lessons learned from U.S. federal departments and agencies that contribute to global food security, as well as input from partners throughout the private sector, academic institutions, and civil society. It charts a course for the U.S. Government to contribute to the achievement of global food security and the range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), together with partners across the globe.

[2016] Protracted conflict and humanitarian action: Some recent ICRC experiences –ICRC
The objective of this report is to give more operational detail about how the ICRC plans, works and identifies success in its distinct humanitarian approach to people’s suffering and needs in protracted conflicts, giving some useful field-oriented insight into the ICRC’s approach.

[2016] Beyond AGOA: Looking to the Future of U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment – USTR
Congress accompanied its 2015 renewal of AGOA with inquiries regarding the future of the U.S.-Africa trade relationship and the policy that supports it. Those inquiries are not only timely, but necessary, given the changes in Africa and the global trade policy landscape since AGOA’s passage in 2000. This report looks to the future of AGOA and U.S.-Africa Trade.

[2016] Forcibly Displaced: Toward a development approach supporting refugees, the internally displaced, and their hosts – World Bank, UNHCR
This report looks closely at the complex realities and lives of forcibly displaced people around the world, with the aim of providing a better characterization of the crisis

[2016] Macroeconomic effects of disruptions in global food commodity markets: Evidence for the United States – Brookings
“The impact of a rise in real food commodity prices on economic activity is roughly twice as large as the impact of a rise in crude oil prices of equal size.”

[2016] U.S. Leadership and the Challenge of State Fragility – Carnegie, CNAS, USIP
The study group offers recommendations for the next administration and Congress on ensuring more coherent policy responses among U.S. agencies, strengthening international partnerships, and developing the capabilities required to help fragile societies build more resilient, and thus stable, states.

[2016] Tracking Promises: Analyzing the Impact of Feed the Future Investments in Bangladesh – CSIS
A report tracking progress of FTF programs in Bangladesh, providing several recommendations for policy improvements.

[2016] A Food-Secure 2030 – USAID
Embodies the U.S. Government’s approach to food security through Feed the Future and calls for developing country governments to lead by mobilizing the resources, partnerships, and policies that are required for success.

[2016] Uprooted: The Growing Crisis for Refugee and Migrant Children – UNICEF
Around the world, nearly 50 million children have migrated across borders or been forcibly displaced. This report presents – for the first time – comprehensive, global data about these children – where they are born, where they move and some of the dangers they face along the way.