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Global Food Crisis Imminent, Drastic Changes Needed: Planet under Pressure

According to a yearlong study by The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change there are already one billion people in the world that are undernourished while millions of others eat in excess. The waste of affluent countries has aided environmental damage and mass hunger in the rest of the world. "Global demand is growing for agricultural products and food prices are rising, yet roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Climate change threatens more frequent drought, flooding and pest outbreaks, and the world loses 12 million hectares of agricultural land each year to land degradation. Land clearing and inefficient practices make agriculture the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution on the planet," the Commission reports. The report calls for massive shifts in agricultural practices: "If you're going to generate enough food both to address the poverty of a billion people not getting enough food, with another billion in 13 years' time...you can't do it using the same agricultural techniques we've used before, because that would seriously increase greenhouse gas emissions for the whole world, with climate change knock-ons," Commission chair Prof Nearly one billion people in the world are undernourished, while millions suffer from chronic disease due to excess food consumption. [...] To address these alarming patterns, an independent commission of scientific leaders from 13 countries released today a detailed set of recommendations to policy makers on how to achieve food security in the face of climate change. In their report, the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change proposes specific policy responses to the global challenge of feeding a world confronted by climate change, population growth, poverty, food price spikes and degraded ecosystems. The report highlights specific opportunities under the mandates of the Rio G20 Earth Summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Group of 20 (G20) nations. “Food insecurity and climate change are already inhibiting human well-being and economic growth throughout the world and these problems are poised to accelerate,” said Sir John Beddington, chair of the Commission. “Decisive policy action is required if we are to preserve the planet’s capacity to produce adequate food in the future.” The report was released at the Planet under Pressure conference where scientists from around the world are honing solutions for global sustainability challenges targeted to the Rio Summit, which will be held on 20-22 June in Brazil. [...] The Commission has outlined seven recommendations designed to be implemented concurrently by a constellation of governments, international institutions, investors, agricultural producers, consumers, food companies and researchers. They call for changes in policy, finance, agriculture, development aid, diet choices and food waste as well as revitalized investment in the knowledge systems to support these changes.

Full name:…………………………………

Class:………………

I/ READING COMPREHENSION: (08pts)

A. Find in the text words which mean the same as: (2 pt)

1. Malnourished (paragraph4): ……………………………

2. To produce (paragraph3): ………………………………

3. Welfare (paragraph5): ………………………………….

4. Gathering (paragraph6): ………………………………..

B. Are these statements true or false, justify by quoting from the text: (2 pts)

5. The study shows that less than one billion people in the world are already undernourished. …………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. Food insecurity and climate change that are already inhibiting human well-being, are about to decrease.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

C. Answer these questions according to the text: (3 pts)

7. Where and when will the next summit on agriculture and climate change take place? ………………………………………………………………………………….…………

8. According to the Commission, how much food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted?

……………………………………………………………………………………………

9. Which are the four main threats of climate change? ……………………………………………………………………………………………

D. Complete the following sentences according to your understanding of the text: (1 pt)

10. Changes in policy, finance, agriculture, development aid, diet choices and food waste as well as revitalized investment in the knowledge systems are the…………………………… ………………… that has been outlined by the Commission to support the project.

11. Climate change, population growth, poverty, food price spikes and degraded ecosystems ………………………………………………………………confronted with.

II/ LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE: (07pts)

E. Fill in the gaps with your own words (0,5x4) = 2pt

Several people around the world are dying of…………………..whereas a minority is wasting a lot of……………..for no reason. I think the rich…………..stop this and think about those who cannot……………three meals a day.

F. Complete this dialogue meaningfully (0,5x6) = 3pts

A: Many children are dying because of malnutrition, ………………………?

B: Of course, they……………but……………………………………………………..?

A: I think that developed countries have to help the poor ones,……………………..?

B: No, we must believe on ourselves and find our own solutions to get rid of poverty.

A: I agree with you but………………………………………………………….?

B: ..….., it won’t be easy but it’s the only solution.

A: Well, let’s hope that our governments will try it.

G. Put the verbs in the right form and tense (0,5x4) = 2pt

Unless we (change)………………….our minds, the development of Africa (never/be)……… ………..possible. The continent (face)………………………………several conflicts and coup d’état which are real obstacles to its development. Its population (increase)……….………… very fast and there is no policy about population growth.

III/ ESSAY WRITING: (05pts)

H. Choose one of the following topics and write about 150 words

Topic1: Many Africans think that our governments must depend on themselves and develop their own policy to get rid of underdevelopment instead of depending on the foreign aid. Do share their opinion?

Topic2: In the world, in your country and even in your neighboring, when some are dying of hunger others are wasting a lot of money. Is the end of humanism and solidarity?