Jennifer Clapp PublicationsJennifer Clapp Publications
Taking Action to Ensure Food Security: The Responsibilities of G20 Leaders
The number of hungry people on the planet is close to one billion. This is one reason why France has put food price volatility and food security prominently on the G20 agenda. Through their policies and coordinating efforts, G20 governments can do more to stop wild price swings and rising hunger than either of the Rome-based UN food agencies, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization. These agencies have neither the authority nor the resources to respond adequately to the root causes of the global food crisis.
The G20 Agricultural Action Plan: Changing the Course of Capitalism?
Nicolas Sarkozy made no secret of his aim to use France’s presidency of the G20 as a platform to address food price volatility with tough measures, including regulating speculation on agricultural commodity futures markets.
How to Add Value to the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting
The G20 agriculture ministers will gather together for their first-ever meeting next week in Paris (June 22-23) to discuss potential measures for the G20 governments to endorse regarding food price volatility. Many are skeptical about what the G20 can accomplish in this area.
The G20 Agenda and Process: Analysis and Insight by CIGI Experts
These 21 CIGI commentaries analyze the policy issues and debates under discussion in 2010 that are still relevant to the ongoing G20 agenda under the French presidency and the G20’s aspirations for the future.
Improving the Governance of the Food Aid Convention: Which Way Forward?
The Food Aid Convention (FAC), the international agreement that governs food aid for the world’s hungry, is under renegotiation with a deadline of June 2011. This CIGI policy brief examines various options and suggests an alternative structure that would bring together FAC member countries and external bodies with expertise in food aid, food security and humanitarian assistance.
G20 Must Take Broader Economic Approach to Food Security
The G20 was born out of the global financial crisis and thus the bulk of its agenda has been focused on financial reform. The early stages of the financial crisis in late 2007 and early 2008 coincided with sharp rises in food prices. At Pittsburgh last September the G20 summit leaders recognized the gravity of this situation and promised to invest in the promotion of food security. But the G20 could do much more to combat hunger by linking its food security initiative more tightly with its broader economic agenda.
Reframing Global Environmental Governance: Results of a CIGI/CIS Collaboration
There are serious questions about the ability or willingness of states, individually and collectively, to respond to the most pressing environmental challenges. The erosion of confidence in and the dominance of a state-centric governance model has simultaneously resulted from and provoked significant innovation. Corporations, social and environmental organizations, private-public partnerships, substate governments, and even local communities have already begun to conceive and implement governance initiatives to address global environmental problems. This paper reflects upon these innovative institutional dynamics and assesses their prospects to produce effective, legitimate, and equitable outcomes. It concludes with a series of questions to guide future analysis and to better understand the prospects for improving the practice of global environmental governance.
The World Summit on Food Security and the People's Forum: Same Problem, Different Takes
Even though more than 1 billion people worldwide are undernourished, little progress was made at The World Summit on Food Security to reduce world hunger. A parallel civil society summit called the the People's Forum met at the same time to discuss food security. Jennifer Clapp, CIGI Chair in Global Environmental Governance, remarks on the striking differences between the two gatherings.
The Global Food Crisis
The global food crisis is a stark reminder of how fragile the global food system is. In this edited volume, authors examine the most recent food price volatility and the resulting governance challenges and opportunities. The authors make several recommendations, including increased public investment in small-farm agriculture, reform to food aid and agricultural trade rules, and enhanced international agricultural policy making.
Environmental Sustainability and the Financial Crisis: Linkages and Policy Recommendations
As the global economic crisis and nascent recovery continue to unfold, it is important not to lose sight of the environment amid fiscal stimulus efforts and economic reorientation. Economic prosperity cannot be pursued at the expense of environmental sustainability. Long-term economic prosperity requires a strong and healthy ecosystem at its base. This publication highlights unique challenges and opportunities for policy makers in the face of the current economic crisis.