The Solutions Journalism Network: Reporter’s guide to food security

    | May 26, 2014

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    Solutions journalism is an approach that focuses on stories which feature people working toward solutions. Based on the best available evidence, it attempts to show not just what is happening, but how and why it appears to be working, or, alternatively, to be stumbling.

    The Solutions Journalism Network recently published Reporter’s guide to food security. The guide notes that food insecurity is now considered one of the largest risks to global society over the next decade, driven by a combination of volatile food prices, a growing world population, and the changing global climate.

    While most journalists confront this challenge by finding and documenting signs of extreme food insecurity, this handbook describes responses to food insecurity. It uses data from the Global Burden of Disease report to uncover “bright spots,” which are places where undernourishment has significantly decreased and which may offer general insights.

    The guide outlines several ways communities and innovators are responding to food security, including agricultural storage, insurance schemes, and biotech innovations. Pros and cons are noted for each solution. Journalists can refer to the guide’s resource section when beginning to investigate the subject of food insecurity.

    To access this online resource in English, go to: http://solutionsjournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Food-Security-guidebook-Final.pdf