Agriculture and food systems are at the centre of the debates around post-2015 development goals and targets. Hunger and food insecurity remain major development priorities, made worse by climate change, price volatility in globalised food markets and over-consumption in wealthy countries. 

Some of the world’s poorest countries have managed to cut maternal and young child mortality rates by half or more, according to a new report from Countdown to 2015.

There has been remarkable progress in expanding the reach of programs that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and vaccinate children against life-threatening illnesses like diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. These successes highlight what can be accomplished through political commitment and increased investment in effective interventions for maternal, newborn and child health.

Ahead of World Environment Day, UNEP Showcases Methods such as Condensing Cows, Storing Seabirds in Sealskins and Freeze-Drying Potatoes in the Open Air.

From condensing the meat of whole cow to the size of a human fist, to preserving seabirds in sealskins, there are hundreds of ways in which traditional cultures can teach the wasteful developed world how to preserve and conserve one of our most-precious yet most-squandered resources: food.

Each year, an estimated one third of all food produced—an astonishing 1.3 billion tonnes, worth around US$1 trillion—ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices.