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RebeccaH
Employee
Employee
Chances are, if you’re reading this blog you’ve never faced food insecurity. You’ve read about, and seen pictures of, hunger – but this is different. This is bigger.

Rising food prices create political instability and contribute to social unrest.[1] Micronutrient deficiency, a.k.a., malnutrition, increases childhood mortality and affects economic development. In the case of countries like Cambodia, that can mean a staggering 1.5-2.5% reduction in GDP.[2]

On November 15, The Alliance to End Hunger and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will come together with GIZ at the SAP Future of Food Forum virtual event to talk about the challenge of Food Security in the 21st century – and how technology can be part of the solution.

Working Together to Meet the Epic Goal of Food Security

With a growing population and increased demands on limited resources, the topic of Food Security must be front and center of the agenda for governments, businesses and the world in general. We must all rethink our role in ensuring that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet our dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.[3]   The Future of Food Forum is intended to open a dialogue, explore areas of opportunity and discuss the role technology plays in creating solutions.

[4]

In developed countries, we imagine bleeding-edge innovative solutions like using drones to deliver food to people living in urban food deserts or remote rural homes. Home food delivery and meal services are gaining popularity – but that’s not an option for most people in the world today. What solutions can we bring to the rest of the world? What “appropriate” technologies can be employed to make a difference?

Sometimes, it’s as simple as an old-school cell phone and a text message. In Malawi, an electronic tracking system that uses mobile phones and SMS is in place to control and monitor fertilizer distribution and delivery.[5] And at the other end of the spectrum, in South Africa, an SAP Research pilot program has enabled rural spaza shop owners to use mobile phones and SMS to build a more efficient supply chain and shop owners in rural areas to reduce the cost of staples by as much as 70%.

Even in countries that, as a whole, are considered “food secure,” like the US or South Africa, that doesn’t mean every person has access to the food they need – and until they do, we have a role to play in figuring out how to change that, whether we’re in Retail or Consumer Products, Agribusiness or the Public Sector.

At SAP, we believe in the power of technology to transform people’s lives. We know that doing good is also good for business. Join us for an insightful discussion, and to learn how, together, we can change The Future of Food.

REGISTER







[1]
American Journal of Agricultural Economics, “Rising Food Prices, Food Price Volatility, and Social Unrest”.

[2] World Food Programme, “Malnutrition In Cambodia: The Hidden Problem That Costs Up To US$400 Million Annually”

[3] Definition, World Food Summit

[4] As defined by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization

[5] Feed the Future – “Mobile Technology Transforming Smallholders Access to Fertilizer in Malawi”

 
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