DuPont Calls for Common Food Security Metrics

Commissions Interactive Tool to Foster Collaboration

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Jul 10, 2012, 01:18 ET

WASHINGTON, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman said common food security metrics are key to increasing global food security.

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"We've always known that what gets measured, gets done," said Kullman. In an effort to increase global food security, DuPont commissioned the Global Food Security Index that was launched today by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

"As we talked to governments, NGOs and farmer organizations around the world, we've come to realize that while we share a common goal of food security, we do not share a common language. To truly address the root cause of hunger, we must have a common path forward to tackle such pressing issues as food affordability, availability, nutritional quality and safety," said Kullman. "Literally billions are being invested to address food security, but until today, we had no comprehensive, global way to measure food security and the impact of investments and collaborations at the local level."

The Global Food Security Index addresses the underlying factors of food insecurity in 105 countries and points to areas for improvement and reforms.

Global food security is a top concern of many governments as illustrated by the recent G8 and G20 summits. The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, announced at the Camp David G8 Summit in May, highlights the shared commitment among G8 and African leaders, private business and non-governmental organizations to achieve global food security. However, the need remained for a tool that drives precision and accountability of these efforts which led to the collaboration between DuPont and the EIU.

"My hope is the Global Food Security Index will be used to promote collaboration, make better informed decisions and stimulate action necessary to feed our growing population," Kullman said. "To ensure that efforts are laser-focused to deliver real solutions, we needed a tool to inform decision making and facilitate a common language."

The EIU created the Index with input from leading international experts who provided dimension to the complexity of food security and informed the design and development of the Index itself.

"The Global Food Security Index measures levels of food security by answering a central question: how can consumers in each country easily access sufficient amounts of safe, high-quality and affordable food?" said Leo Abruzzese, Economist Intelligence Unit Global Forecasting Director. "Because of our extensive modeling approach, we believe this comprehensive tool will help leaders move from rhetoric to results."

Publically Available Tool Unlocks the Power of Collaboration

The interactive Global Food Security Index is available online at foodsecurityindex.eiu.com. Features include:

Analysis of key findings.
Definition of 25 global indicators that measure specific aspects of food affordability, accessibility, availability, nutritional value and safety.
An interactive heat map of overall scores and detail of category results.
Adjustable weightings to allow for scenario planning.
The ability to compare multiple countries simultaneously and adjust rankings by indicators.
A country details page that allows a food-security drill down into individual economies.
A unique feature will be added to capture the impact of changing food prices on each country's ability to address food security.

DuPont and the EIU hosted dialogs on food security today at forums around the world – including Belgium, Brazil, South Africa and the United States. Participants included public and private sector leaders.

To learn more about how DuPont is committed to driving food security efforts locally, sustainably and collaboratively, visit foodsecurity.dupont.com or follow the conversation on Twitter at #foodsecurity.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.