However, there is hope. Scientists are confident that technical options are available, and can be developed further, to provide enough food for future populations without harming the environment. The draft Action Plan agrees - based on the premise that the world has the technology, resources and skills required to produce adequate food to eliminate starvation. One key element to achieve this in practice will be regular natural resource and environmental assessment and monitoring of the impacts of current practices, and feeding this information back to policy-makers and producers. Here, UNEP, as a leader, catalyst and coordinator, as a bridge between science and policy, will play a vital role.
Environmental management is another key area.
Effective ways of reconciling global and regional management objectives with national policies and programmes for food security can be demonstrated, particularly taking into account the needs of people in marginal and fragile areas. But, food production is only one part of the solution. The right public policies, quality of governance, social and economic development are critical to ensuring that people are able to buy the food they need. The draft Plan of Action does not envisage special mobilization of new or additional international resources, to help implement its recommendations. It places implementation responsibility squarely on the shoulders of individual countries, while recognizing that international cooperation can and should play a supportive role.