WUNRN
Please See 4 Parts of This
WUNRN Release.
Part 4 - Direct Link to ActionAid
67-Page Report FERTILE GROUND:
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/doc_lib/fertile_ground.pdf - "Empowering local farmers to produce more food
for local markets is the bedrock of global food security. Small farmers, the
majority of whom are women, are responsible for 90% of the food grown in Africa
and produce about l/2 the world's food supply."
_______________________________________________________________________
EUROPEAN FOOD DECLARATION - FOOD
SECURITY - FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
WOMEN OF EUROPE & DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
We, the undersigned, believe that the European Union needs to meet the urgent challenges Europe is facing regarding food and agriculture.
After more than a half-century of industrialisation of agriculture and food production, sustainable family farming and local food cultures have been substantially reduced in Europe. Today, our food system is dependent on under-priced fossil fuels, does not recognize the limitations of water and land resources, and supports unhealthy diets high in calories, fat and salt, and low in fruit, vegetables and grains. Looking ahead, rising energy costs, drastic losses in biodiversity, climate change and declining water and land resources threaten the future of food production. At the same time, a growing world population faces the potential dual burden of widespread hunger and chronic diseases due to overconsumption.
We will only be able to address these challenges successfully with a completely different approach to food and agriculture policies and practices. The European Union must recognize and support the crucial role of sustainable family farming in the food supply of the population. All people should have access to healthy, safe, and nutritious food. The ways in which we grow, distribute, prepare and eat food should celebrate Europe’s cultural diversity, providing sustenance equitably and sustainably.
The present Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is currently being debated and is due for change in 2013. After decades of the domination by transnational corporations and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in determining food and agriculture policy, it is time for people in Europe to re-appropriate agriculture and food policy: it is time for food sovereignty. We believe a new Common Food and Agriculture Policy should guarantee and protect citizens’ space in the EU and candidate countries and their ability and right to define their own models of production, distribution and consumption following the principles outlined below.
The new Common Food and Agriculture Policy:
1. considers food as a universal human right, not merely a commodity.
2. gives priority to growing food and feed for Europe and changes
international trade in agricultural products according to principles of equity,
social justice and ecological sustainability. The CAP should not harm other
countries' food and agriculture systems.
3. promotes healthy eating patterns, moving towards plant-based diets and
towards a reduced consumption of meat, energy-dense and highly processed foods,
and saturated fats, while respecting the regional cultural dietary habits and
traditions.
4. gives priority to maintaining an agriculture all over Europe that involves numerous farmers producing food and caring for the countryside. That is not achievable without fair and secure farm prices, which should allow a fair income for farmers and agricultural workers, and fair prices for consumers.
5. ensures fair, non-discriminatory conditions for farmers and agricultural workers in Central and Eastern Europe, and promotes a fair and equitable access to land.
6. respects the local and global environment, protects the finite resources of soil and water, increases biodiversity and respects animal welfare.
7. guarantees that agriculture and food production remain free from GMOs and fosters farmers’ seeds and the diversity of domestic livestock species, building on local knowledge.
8. stops promoting the use and the production of industrial agrofuels and gives priority to the reduction of transport in general.
9. ensures transparency along the food chain so that citizens know how their food is produced, where it comes from, what it contains and what is included in the price paid by consumers.
10. reduces the concentration of power in the agricultural, food processing and retail sectors and their influence on what is produced and consumed, and promotes food systems that shorten the distance between farmers and consumers.
11. encourages the production and consumption of local, seasonal, high quality products reconnecting citizens with their food and food producers.
12. devotes resources to teaching children the skills and knowledge required to produce, prepare, and enjoy healthy, nutritious food.
____________________________________________________________________
ORGANIZATIONS
We are a broad range of organisations -see list here under- who are concerned with the future of food and agriculture in Europe. As in other regions in the world, the number of people and organizations that are working towards a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable food system is growing. Many of them are actively engaged in building a viable alternative to the current food production, distribution and consumption - from the bottom up. This new system of food and agriculture is firmly grounded on equity, the universal right to food, good governance and transparency.
A wide range of renewed activities such as increasing local food production, local markets, local procurement, seed swaps and so on has been emerging and growing across Europe. In addition new movements, such as the Transition Town movement, GM-free regions and national and local debates on food policy show increasing public support for another form of food and agriculture.
Yet, grassroots activities and local movements are not enough. We believe it is time to build a broad coalition of groups at the European level to challenge the current Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and the European Commission’s and our governments’ avowed plans for a renewed CAP in 2013. Their vision is, to keep the global ‘competitiveness’ of Europe’s food industry as the chief objective of Europe’s CAP. The political process for the new CAP 2013 is starting now. We believe a strong message is needed, not only for EU policy makers, but for policy makers in our countries – a vision for a CAP suitable for the 21st century.
We have created a “European Food Declaration: towards a healthy, sustainable, fair and mutually supportive Common Agriculture and Food Policy”. It outlines what we think the policy objectives of a CAP for the next decades should be. We invite as many organizations, groups and individuals as possible to sign this declaration and to use it as a tool to promote the discussion about what kind of food and agriculture policy we need. We also ask you to share this declaration with other grassroots, civil society, environment and food organisations that are actively engaged in building a better food system.
Our aim is to collect as many signatures within our different networks before the end of Februray 2010. On March 16th, we will invite the public to sign the declaration.
This declaration is the first step in our efforts to build a broad movement for change towards food sovereignty policies and practices in Europe, including the EU. We are also planning a Europe-wide forum in 2011 for people and organisations who are concerned about these issues and who would like to join forces in order to reach our common objectives together. If you are interested to be involved in the preparation of that forum or could help us to organise that forum please contact us.
Europe
International
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Luxemburg
Netherlands
· Boerengroep Wageningen
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom
________________________________________________________
EU TACKLES HUNGER IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES:
RENEWED IMPETUS FOR FOOD SECURITY
Summary: 31 March 2010, Brussels - Today, the European Commission adopted two new EU policy frameworks to help developing countries address the issue of food security, both in emergency and long-term situation. The objectives are to ensure progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal related to the elimination of poverty and hunger (MDG 1), and to maximise the effectiveness of humanitarian support in crises where food insecurity threatens lives. Food security implies food availability, access to food and quality of food. The Commission promotes the vision of an environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural model, adapted to the reality of developing countries and markets, and able to make food available, accessible and of adequate nutritional quality. It therefore concentrates on enhancing the productivity of smallholder farmers and the resilience of rural communities, supporting governance improvements for food security, and strengthening assistance mechanisms for extremely vulnerable population groups.
Andris Piebalgs, the European Commissioner for Development, said:
"Enhancing food security remains an issue of primary importance for the
EU. We have positioned food security, sustainable agriculture and rural
development at the heart of our policy towards developing partners. It is
unacceptable that, in 2010, one billion people are still suffering from hunger
and malnutrition. Therefore today I am setting out our vision of how the EU can
more structurally help developing countries tackle the twin evils of hunger and
poverty, so that we can meet the Millennium Development Goals".
The new humanitarian food assistance framework, which complements the one on
food security, sets out the objectives, principles and approaches underpinning
the EU's efforts to tackle acute food insecurity and malnutrition in crises.
The focus is on reaching the people that are most nutritionally vulnerable in
disasters, particularly women and children, and on protecting livelihoods,
maintaining the capacity of crisis-hit communities to feed themselves in both
the short and longer-term.
Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, explained:
"Even in a crisis, there can be more effective ways of helping people
other than through simple food hand-outs. For example, we can provide seeds and
tools to help disaster-affected farmers get back on their feet. We can offer
emergency cash grants so that people can buy the food they need - helping local
producers in the process. Our aim is to tailor our response to specific needs
through a broader range of tools for dealing with hunger in emergencies."
In a breakfast with members of the European Parliament and NGOs in New York,
previous to the International Donors Conference for Haiti, Commissioners
Piebalgs and Georgieva had the opportunity to discuss the practical application
of the ideas of these communications on food assistance and security in one of
the places where it is most needed - in Haiti
Global hunger and malnutrition have increased in recent years, affecting human
development, social and political stability and progress towards achieving the
Millennium Development Goals (as well as causing widespread suffering and loss
of life. The food price rises of 2007-2008, and the financial crisis, have also
had a serious impact on developing countries.
The new EU policy will help developing countries strengthen the four pillars of
food security in both development and emergency settings: (i) increasing
availability of food, (ii) improving access to food, (iii) improving quality
and ensuring intake of suitably nutritious food, and (iv) boosting the
effectiveness of crisis prevention and management. The EU will also seek to
make the global organisation on food security more effective. The Commission
therefore proposes:
• A
focus on support for ecologically efficient agricultural intensification for
smallholder farmers, and in particular women;
• A substantial increase in support to demand-led agricultural research,
extension and innovation, aiming to reach 50% by 2015;
• A joint initiative with the African Union to accelerate the implementation of
the African Land Policy Guidelines;
• Support for the establishment or expansion of targeted and flexible social
safety nets adapted to local contexts;
• Promoting better integration of nutrition in development policies, including
in education and health and related capacity building;
• Support for the reform of the Committee on World Food Security to become the
pivotal global institution on food security.
For emergency response, the EU will also seek to strengthen the capacity of the
international humanitarian system to deliver effective and appropriate
responses in a timely and efficient way.
The European Commission will also contribute almost €3 billion in 2010-2012 within
the initiative on global food security agreed at the G8 summit of world leaders
in 2009.
Today's communications will be discussed by the Council of Ministers and the
European Parliament.
More information:
An EU policy framework to assist developing countries in addressing food
security challenges:
http://ec.europa.eu/development/services/dev-policy-proposals_en.cfm
Commission Communication on humanitarian food assistance:
General Page for humanitarian food assistance:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/policies/food_assistance_en.htm
Direct links to the documents:
- Humanitarian food assistance Communication:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/policies/foodaid/HFA_Communication_220310.pdf
______________________________________________________________________
Direct Link to ActionAid 67-Page
Report FERTILE GROUND:
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/doc_lib/fertile_ground.pdf
WOMEN FARMERS ARE KEY IN FIGHT
AGAINST HUNGER - REPORT
21
April 2010
Source:
Reuters
BRUSSELS,
April 21 (Reuters) - The European Union and other major aid donors must
increase support for small-scale farms operated by women in developing
countries if they are to meet the goal of halving hunger by 2015, campaigners
ActionAid said on Wednesday.
Small
farmers -- the majority of whom are women -- produce about half the world's
food supply and 90 percent of all food grown in Africa, ActionAid said in its
report "Fertile Ground".
Global
aid to small farmers should be increased to $40 billion annually, said the
report, which was released the same day the European Commission said it may
take steps to force EU governments to meet their aid funding pledges.
[ID:nLDE63I0B0]
"Unless
national governments and the EU substantially increase their financial
commitments it will be impossible to achieve food and nutritional security,"
ActionAid's EU food rights expert Anne-Catherine Claude said.
Governments
in developing countries must also increase their agricultural spending and
focus support on the people who do most of the farming, ActionAid said.
"Although
women constitute the majority of farmers in most countries and produce most of
the locally consumed food in developing countries, nearly all agricultural
policies ignore the needs of women," the report added.
Donors
say that only about 3.6 percent of their aid is currently spent on agriculture
and only 10 percent of that goes to women farmers, ActionAid said.
Under
the United Nations' decade-old Millennium Development Goals, all 192 U.N.
countries have pledged to halve global hunger by 2015.
But
according to the EU executive, the number of people suffering from hunger has
risen in recent years to over 1 billion.
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