After nearly a decade of progress, the number of people who suffer from hunger has slowly increased over the past three years, with about one in every nine people globally suffering from hunger today, the United Nations said in a new report published earlier this week. This is the third year that the FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO released The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.  Recent editions of the report showed that the  decline in hunger the world had enjoyed for over a decade was at an end, and that hunger was again on the rise. This year, the report shows that the global level of the prevalence  of undernourishment has stabilised; however, the absolute number of undernourished people continues to increase, albeit slowly. Please click here  for a snapshot of the report highlighting the key messages.

Disease management remains a key aspect of South African agriculture, especially when it comes to livestock, as this industry is the greatest contributor to the sector, accounting for 51% of total production, Agbiz chief economist Wandile Sihlobo told agricultural journalists at the National Animal Health Forum (NAHF) and Agricultural Writers South Africa liaison workshop earlier this week. "For export activity to take off, biosecurity is key, considering the recent incidents of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that resulted in a ban on beef as well as wool exports." Dr Pieter Vervoort, managing director of the NAHF, informed the members about the projects driven by the NAHF and how agricultural journalists could contribute to spread the correct message. The event was sponsored by Hollard. Please click here for Wandile Sihlobo's presentation and visit the NAHF's website for more information on their activities and projects.