Global food security : first report, session 2013-14, Vol. 1: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence

The International Development Committee calls for concerted action to curb food wastage in the UK and for expansion of DFID's bilateral nutrition programmes with a particular focus on pregnancy and early years, as part of wider efforts to improve global food security.

There is scope for the Government to launch a national consumer campaign to reduce domestic food waste, also setting national targets to curb food waste within the UK food production and retail sectors.

Agriculturally-produced biofuels are having a major detrimental impact on global food security by driving higher and more volatile food prices.

EU targets requiring 10 per cent of transport energy to be drawn from renewable sources by 2020 are likely to cause dramatic food price increases, and the Government should revise its domestic Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to specifically exclude agriculturally-produced biofuels. Looking at the impact of rising world population, the Committee praises DFID's significant efforts to meet the considerable unmet need for contraception in many developing nations and urges the UK government to maintain a keen focus on women's reproductive rights within its development assistance programmes.

MPs also flag the longer term barriers to development posed by systematic undernutrition.

The Committee expresses concern that large corporations are buying up large areas of land in many developing countries previously farmed by smallholders.

UK-domiciled corporations should be required to be transparent about land deals.

Lastly, MPs focus on the key role that smallholder farmers will play in feeding a growing global population and in reducing rural poverty.