18 June 2012: In the fourth installment of the UN News Centre’s “Seven Issues, Seven Experts” interview series, Carlos Sere, Chief Development Strategist at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), discusses the role of food in sustainable development, and stresses small farmers’ role in providing food security.

Sere calls on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) to recognize the importance of food security, and specifically smallholder farms, in the new sustainability paradigm. He notes that smallholder farmers control significant portions of land in developing countries, as well as water and labor resources, making them a critical component of sustainable land use and food security.

Regarding the increasing volatility of the food market, Sere notes that countries’ food policies are shifting toward more self-sufficiency in terms of food stocks, rather than a continued reliance on imported food. Sere also describes the role of income and educational levels in consumption patterns that lead to obesity or malnutrition. He concludes by stating the importance of individual decisions with regard to food consumption, as well as the importance of good governance in making these decisions possible.

“Seven Issues, Seven Experts” addresses each of the key areas identified by the UN ahead of Rio+20 as needing urgent attention: creation of jobs, access to energy, building sustainable cities, ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture, access to water, managements of oceans and disaster readiness. [UN News Centre Interview]