Agri Innovations
Collaboration Key to Addressing Indonesian Food Challenge, DuPont Executive Says
Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:52:32 CDT
DuPont Executive Vice President James C. Borel said that identifying local science-based, sustainable solutions is key to meeting the challenge of feeding Indonesia and the world. Borel participated in a panel discussion focused on global nutrition challenges. BBC World News Presenter Adam Shaw moderated the event.
Government officials, business and thought leaders discussed how to collaborate to address the challenge of feeding Indonesia. They lent their unique perspectives to meet the demand for affordable, safe, nutritious and healthy food in Indonesia.
"This is a critical time for Indonesia to make the choices that will ensure its people have enough nutritious food to eat," said Brian Jones, Asia Pacific leader for DuPont Nutrition & Health. "Only by working together will we succeed in addressing the critical task of feeding our planet, adequately and sustainably."
Indonesia has succeeded in reducing poverty but the country still faces enormous challenges. Around 120 million Indonesians live on less than 20,000 rupiah or US$2 a day. And though the bulk of this money is spent on food, over one third of Indonesian children face the harsh reality of inadequate nutrition.
"At DuPont, we believe that there is a science to feeding the growing population," said Borel. "While science is global solutions must be local. The chances of achieving that goal are increased dramatically by creating science-based innovations that target specific local challenges, collaborating with others on solutions and bringing know-how to the people and places that need it most."
To address the global food security challenge, DuPont has committed to invest US$10 billion in research and development dedicated to the food, agriculture and nutrition sectors and advancing 4,000 new products by the end of 2020; supporting training and education opportunities for youth around the world, and working with farmers to improve the livelihoods of families in rural communities.
DuPont looks to help farmers revolutionize agricultural productivity and enable scientific innovation to help food manufacturers create products that extend shelf life and preserve freshness. Scientific innovation also will help food manufacturers create products that meet local nutritional needs across the world. In countries where people's diets are low in micronutrients, science can help big and small food manufacturers increase protein, vitamins, and probiotics consumption of food products and provide affordable solutions for better nutrition. Most importantly, these food security solutions must be sustainable.
"We cannot achieve food security absent genuine sustainability that encompasses how food is produced, how it gets to market and how it is served on our plates," Borel added.
As a part of its commitment to food security, DuPont commissioned the development of a comprehensive measurement tool that addresses the need for specific metrics to illustrate what food security looks like country-by-country. The Global Food Security Index was created by the Economist Intelligence Unit and is a one-of-a-kind tool that will help all of us around the world measure and better understand the many aspects of what constitutes food security in 105 countries, including Indonesia. The Index looks at affordability, availability, nutritional quality and safety, and it will employ an adjustment factor for food price fluctuations to examine the risk countries face throughout the course of a given year. To learn more click here.
"Our hope is that the Global Food Security Index will promote a common understanding and foster collaborations across the food value chain, generate insights and stimulate action to feed a growing population," said Borel.
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