Food crisis - a tale of two reports

High food prices and the challenge of feeding a growing population have been in the spotlight again over the last week.

The starkest warning came from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). In parts of Africa and South Asia the prospect of shorter, hotter or drier growing seasons as a result of climate change could imperil hundreds of millions of already-impoverished people.

But for me two reports in particular highlight the choices that face us going forward.

On the one hand Oxfam published its "Growing a Better Future" report warning of drastic food price rises, further inequality and ecological collapse if we continue with unsustainable patterns of consumption and large scale land acquisitions.

And on the other hand the World Economic Forum published its "New Vision for Agriculture". Talking about the Vision Hugh Grant (the one from Monsanto, not his floppy-haired alter-ego), is very enthusiastic about helping farmers which you can be sure includes GM.

And the report identifies large scale investment by commercial players as a central goal - with "fear of land grabbing" as a trade off.

No prizes for guessing which one I find most common ground with.

Today yet another report, from the Oakland Institute, finds that foreign firms and hedge funds have acquired large swathes of African land destined for biofuel production, often without proper contracts, displacing millions of small farmers. Not just a fear then but a harsh reality.

Also no surprises that the great and good in the industry simply accept that we need to meet the rising demand for meat and dairy products - even though livestock production is putting huge demands on land, pushing up greenhouse gas emissions and driving deforestation.

Isn't it time we changed the status quo - and met our demand for food without trashing the planet? Big changes are needed, but the solutions are practical. Switching to lower meat and dairy dietsin the West would beneficial to health. And scrapping biofuels targets would stop foreign companies buying up land that should be used to feed local people.

What we really need isEU support for planet-friendly farming. Subsidies should only go to farmers who meet mandatory environmental standards. And support should be given to farmers to produce home-grown animal feed, reducing our reliance on imported soy that is destroying rainforests and creating a huge source of carbon emissions.

And instead of relying on risky GM technology to feed the world, governments should back proven agro-ecological methods of food production, that are robust in a changing climate.