Restore and conserve the natural resources essential for food security [Recommendation seven]

The rural poor depend heavily on agro-ecosystems and natural ecosystems

for their food and livelihood security. A high proportion of the food-insecure

are rural smallholders who rely on natural resources to sustain food produc-

tion, provide supplemental food and income, and serve as food safety nets. An

estimated one-tenth of chronically food-insecure people globally, and roughly

one-fifth of those in Africa, depend primarily on forests, fisheries, and range-

lands for their food (Scherr 2003). Restoring and improving ecosystem func-

tions and the services they provide are therefore key to building food security

in rural areas.