SciDev.Net

Investing in agricultural research and development could cut food prices and lift millions of people out of poverty, says Joachim von Braun.

African nations must not only bring industry and activists to the table, but also follow up on their report, says an editorial in Nature.

Debates around the potential benefits of GM crops for developing countries must be reasoned and evidence-based, says Albert Weale.

Three essays, published by the International Food Policy Research Institute, offer perspectives on the global food crisis.

Voluntary collaboration between governments and international organisations can be an effective way to address global scientific issues, says Michael Williams.

Super crops won't be enough — the planet will run short of food by 2030 unless we invest to avoid an imminent world water crisis, says Colin Chartres.

G8 leaders must encourage cooperation in biotechnology to address Africa's food shortages, writes Calestous Juma.

Small farmers could beat increasing prices in food and fertiliser by producing more of their own crops at lower cost, argues William Dar.

The environmental and social costs of producing biofuels on land can be avoided by farming seaweed, says Ricardo Radulovich.

Thousands of traditional crop species could help break dependence on a few global food crops, and offer valuable environmental services, says Monty Jones.

Monsanto and Syngenta should not have walked out of an international agricultural assessment, say Nature.

Africa must be free to explore the potential of agricultural biotechnology without undue European influence, says Jennifer Thomson.

Tewolde Egziabher and other SciDev.Net readers join the debate on the relevance of the UN biodiversity convention's Cartagena Protocol on genetically modified organisms.

John McArthur, Jeffrey Sachs and Guido Schmidt-Traub argue that the Millennium Development Goals may be difficult to measure, but they are valid targets to aim for.