FOOD SECURITY CENTER foodsecurity.de FOOD SECURITY CENTER Success Stories of an Excellence Center 2 3 CONTENTS Welcome Address 6 Food Security Center Mission & Vision 9 Food Security & Sustainable Development Goals 11 Facts & Figures 12 International Network 14 Strategic Partners 16 exceed 30 What does Food Security Center do? 32 Education 34 Research 48 Capacity Strengthening 56 Knowledge Transfer 58 Publications 60 FSC at a glance 68 Our Committees 70 Imprint 71 4 WELCOME ADDRESS Looking back on almost ten years of successful performance of the Food Security Center (FSC), Hohenheim’s founding history is closely linked to problems of hunger and nutrition: as a result of we are pleased to present the major achievements within this brochure. Founded as a nucleus to severe famines in the early 19th century, the university’s first predecessor organization was founded start activities towards increasing food and nutrition security, the FSC has become a driving force in 1818, 200 years ago. Since then nutrition and food security have always been prominent re- to accelerate the progress in combating hunger and malnutrition, and has proven to be especially search subjects for us. In the early years, this obligation was oriented towards our region – today successful in acquiring funding and promoting related follow-up research. Among others, the we work on global hunger issues. Not only is the University of Hohenheim engaged in foundational German-Ethiopian SDG Graduate School entitled “Climate Change Effects on Food Security” research but also in developing innovative solutions for urgent social matters in this field. (CLIFOOD) became the FSC’s valuable contribution to Hohenheim’s strategy on global food security research cooperation in Africa and internationalization in general. Several of our research departments have dedicated their work to solving national and international problems of hunger and malnutrition and have successfully gained funding for their research projects. With the joint efforts of the FSC’s most competent and reliable strategic partners, numerous activities For the last ten years, this has included the Food Security Center (FSC), which is part of the DAAD have been organized and measures implemented to support teaching and training of young inter- program exceed – Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation. The FSC collaborates national scientists, promote research, facilitate capacity building and sustain knowledge transfer on with partner institutions in Africa, Asia and Latin America and besides other projects promotes a food and nutrition security in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Food Security Center became visible German-Ethiopian SDG Graduate School program supported by the DAAD. to the public as used its experience on global food security to contribute to different stakeholder events related to development cooperation. This success would hardly be possible without the comprehensive and According to the current National Taiwan University Ranking, our Agricultural Research and Food Sciences are ranked still growing group of international FSC network partners, who most certainly have been and continue to be the most as number 1 in Germany and among the top ten in Europe. Celebrating the tenth year of its term, I would like to thank important backbone of the Food Security Center. everybody engaged in the FSC for its important contribution to this outstanding success. We would like to thank all institutions and people for their valuable contributions: first of all, the German Academic Our 200th anniversary and our founding history serve as poignant reminders of the significance of hunger and Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for nutrition as topics of research. They also provide us the opportunity to strengthen and promote our research in this their funding and institutional support. We are grateful to the Foundation fiat panis for providing additional funds for field. To meet the immense challenges of world nutrition, we need to focus on a multi-disciplinary and international field research of Ph.D. projects contributing to the global food security. We are also appreciative to all partner institutions approach. and the University of Hohenheim for providing a solid framework, constant interest and support and the respective infrastructure urgently needed. Thanks should also be directed to numerous well-known international experts, who contributed valuable presentations and recommendations to the FSC workshops and conferences. And of course to the FSC staff, who guaranteed smooth and steady progress of the project, even under what were, at times, very demanding and unfavorable circumstances. Last but not least we would like to acknowledge the young and senior scientists, Ph.D. candidates, alumni, postdoc-researchers and visiting professors for their excellent contributions towards achievement of the FSC goals. Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert, President, University of Hohenheim It has always been and still is an honor for me and a veritable pleasure to serve as the Director of this successful excellence center. Prof. Dr. Reiner Doluschitz, FSC Director, University of Hohenheim 6 7 Presentation of the Global Hunger Index at the World Food Day Colloquium 2015 MISSION & VISION Director: Prof. Dr. Reiner Doluschitz Vice-Director: Prof. Dr. Jan Frank CEOs: Dr. Jenny Kopsch-Xhema Dr. Nicole Schönleber The Food Security Center (FSC) is an Excellence Center for Exchange and Development at the University of Hohenheim (UHOH), Germany and is part of the DAAD program exceed – Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Food Security Center is a think tank in the field of food security and serves as a platform with its inter- national partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America. OBJECTIVES The Food Security Center’s mission is to provide innovative and effective scientific findings to reduce hunger and achieve food security, contributing towards the major goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The Food Security Center utilizes a multidisciplinary approach through teaching, conducting research, and providing policy advice in cooperation Interdisciplinary with national and international development organizations and teaching and training of Ph.D. partner institutions. candidates The target groups of the Food Security Center include people Demand-driven affected by hunger and/or malnutrition, people at risk of food and impact- insecurity, decision-makers in development-oriented organizations oriented research involved in the formation and implementation of food and agri- culture-related development policies, as well as scientists and Strengthening capacities of universities in graduate students at partner institutions. developing countries Knowledge transfer, brokerage and advisory services 8 9 FOOD SUSTAINABLE SECURITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS Food security, as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organiza- In September 2015, the United Nations adopted a set of 17 tion, is the condition in which all people have access to and the goals as part of a new sustainable development agenda. These financial means to purchase safe and nutritious food that meets goals aim to end poverty, hunger and inequality, to take action their own individual needs and tastes and ensures them an on climate change and thus, to protect the planet, and are to be active and healthy life on a constant basis. achieved by 2030. Since the endorsement of the SDGs, all go- vernments, communities, stakeholders and civil society organiza- In a world where 815 million people still suffer from food de- tions are called upon to design and execute strategies to ensure privation and over 2 billion people are affected by hidden hunger, that these ambitious goals are accomplished. achieving food security is a major challenge. Poverty, the rise in food prices and market volatility, lack of knowledge and climate The Food Security Center is fully committed to this agenda. From change are among the determining factors affecting food security the implementation of research projects in developing and tran- and, therefore, must be taken into consideration when designing sition countries to the creation of the German-Ethiopian SDG the strategies for tackling the problem. Especially vulnerable are Graduate School “Climate Change Effects on Food Security children under five years of age, and pregnant and lactating (CLIFOOD)”, the Food Security Center is determined to achieve women. Therefore, paying special attention to the 1,000-day the UN SDGs, in particular SDG 1: “No poverty” and SDG 2: window of opportunity is also essential to fight malnutrition and “Zero hunger.” Such an ambitious agenda requires strong co- to ensure food security for the future generations. operationamong all actors, which is why the Food Security Center, in compliance with goal 17, relies on its international networks for The Food Security Center is aware that battling such a multifa- the creation and implementation of strategies towards sustainable ceted challenge requires a holistic approach. That is why the development. Food Security Center promotes and ensures excellent education and training of young international scientists to engage in innova- tive and effective research on all areas concerning food security and endorses the sharing of knowledge within its international networks. The creation