International aid agency Oxfam on October 19, 2011 released an e-book, the digital edition of its report “Growing a Better Future: Food justice in a resource constrained world”. The release of this digital report coincided with the launch of ‘GROW Week’, a week that is full of activism aimed at highlighting flaws in the existing food system of the world forcing one billion people to go hungry every day.
The original report that was first released in June 2011 got media attention worldwide owing to its finding that food prices are bound to rise twice in the next 20 years. The report also says that rising food prices accompanied by recurring food crises in different regions will lead to many more millions of hungry people unless the current system of growing and sharing the food is not changed. The digital edition of this report besides containing the original report includes some new information, case studies and videos.
The book is the first digital edition by Oxfam based on its work with communities and partners around the world and will bring the organization’s research and policy to new audiences.
“This is a first for an international NGO. It’s a powerful new way to access authoritative research, on-the-ground experience and key policy in support of a movement for a world where everyone has enough to eat,” said Teresa Cavero, Oxfam’s GROW campaign research lead, adding “Oxfam is delighted to be working with industry leaders like Apple and Amazon to bring this material to a new audience.”
The ebook also includes some case studies from countries like Bolivia and Malawi, and there are even new papers and research which develop and update the main themes of the report. These include information on:
– the growing scandal surrounding the new wave of land investments
– how climate change might affect future food production in East Africa
– how people living in poverty around the world have coped with food price crises
“The eBook format means that we can expand on the original report ‘Growing a Better Future’,” says Robert Cornford from Oxfam’s Communications Team. “And the fully enhanced eBook also includes images, graphics and video. We will be publishing it in three languages: English, French and Spanish.”
The iBook edition also consists of an endorsement by Brazil’s former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and there is a short documentary on India’s failing food system.
Oxfam’s GROW campaign is aimed at fixing the broken food system through timely action to prevent global hunger that makes more than 925 million go hungry every day. The situation can well get worse owing to falling natural resources, like land, the gathering pace of climate change and increasing food price volatility.
“Growing a Better Future: Food justice in a resource constrained world” eBook is available for free download from the link.
