Global Policy Forum

Picture Credit: UN Photo

There is broad global agreement on the need for policy initiatives to address the world's hunger crisis and the danger of major food-production shortfalls.  But there is deep disagreement over how the international policymaking process should work, under whose auspices it should be organized, and who are the legitimate actors that should participate.  Several different policy venues compete for primacy: the Rome-based Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and its Global Strategic Framework, the UN Secretary General's High Level Task Force on the Food Crisis and its Comprehensive Framework for Action, the World Bank-administered Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) and the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative of the G8.   Powerful states and agro-industrial companies shop among venues, seeking forums that do not question trade inequities, market-based solutions, industrial-type agricultural models, and similar policy preference.  However, an influential global movement has arisen to promote the views of small producers, fisher folks, urban poor, and generally men and women most affected by hunger. The documents presented here provide commentary on the debate over global food security policy and how policymaking can be most effectively, democratically and sustainably organized.

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UN Documents

Global Agricultural and Food Security Program: A Framework Document (2009)

High Level Task Force for Action on the Global Food Security Crisis: Comprehensive Framework for Action (CFA)

L'Aquila Food Security Initiative

2013

FIAN Concerned about Opposition to Peasants Rights Declaration (August 2, 2013)

The first session of an intergovernmental working group for drafting a UN declaration on the rights of peasants took place in July. FIAN, an international human rights organization advocating the realization of the right to adequate food, expresses concern over opposition to a declaration. The organization reports that the USA, Japan, Korea and several EU member states doubt the necessity of a declaration protecting peasants specifically. FIAN underlines that peasants are one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in the world and that all states should contribute to their protection. (FIAN International)

The 20th Anniversary of La Via Campesina (June 10, 2013)

La Via Campesina, an international peasants organization promoting small-scale sustainable agriculture and peasants’ rights celebrates its 20^th anniversary. Since its foundation, it has grown to represent 200 million farmers all around the world in 150 member organizations from 70 countries. The central themes of La Via Campesina are sustainability, food sovereignty and human rights. The organization emphasizes the role of women and youth in agriculture and opposes neo-liberal agricultural policies. In celebration of the anniversary, the organization has published a book of reflections from various members of the organization. (La Via Campesina)

New UN Initiative Encourages Somalis Abroad to Invest in Farming Projects Back Home (February 4, 2013)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has announced a new initiative to encourage diaspora investment in agriculture in Somalia. The program aims to generate food and rural job security in a country where conflict, drought and high food prices have weakened the agricultural system. Somalia has suffered from severe food shortages in the past, and thousands of people died in July 2011 as a result of a national food crisis. IFAD will offer a grant of $1.5 million to finance diaspora projects that hope to leverage more than $1 billion to be sent to the country annually by Somalis living abroad. The Diaspora Investment in Agriculture (DIA) initiative, which is supported by the government, estimates that the remittances will equal up to 50% of the country’s gross domestic product. (All Africa)

Resolving the Food Crisis: the Need for Decisive Action (January 30, 2013)

A year after the Global Development and Environment Institute (GDAE) published the report "Resolving the Food Crisis," the authors argue that states and international organizations have not done enough to address global food insecurity. They examine the policy reforms adopted in 2012 to confront the underlying causes of the food crisis. Although governments and international bodies made positive steps and promises to confront issues such biofuel expansion, land grabbing and food speculation, many policies have been shelved and goals have not been met.  With the G8 and the G20 meeting this year, a renewed mandate for the UN’s trade organization and a new farm legislation being finalized by the EU and the US, the GDAE calls for governments and the international community to use these opportunities to take more affirmative action. They warn that the avoidance of deeper policy reforms leaves the world vulnerable to further crisis.(Al Jazeera)

War on Want and the IF campaign (January 25, 2013)

The “If Campaign” has been launched in the run up to the UK’s presidency of the G8 and seeks to appoint world hunger as the principal focus of the summit. Part of the campaign revolves around the Prime Minister David Cameron as a leader of the fight against hunger. Cameron co-chairs the UN’s HLP of eminent persons on the post-2015 development agenda and held a hunger event at the end of the London 2012 Olympics. However, War on Want and several other progressive development organizations have refused to engage with the If campaign because of Cameron’s prominence. They oppose the “false image” of the prime minister and argue that his austerity measures in the UK are leading more and more people into poverty and his foreign policies are escalating hunger and poverty worldwide. War on Want obtained documents that reveal the government has been planning the If campaign for two years with NGOs with the aim of portraying the Prime Minister as a leader on the world stage. Furthermore, War on Want argue that the campaign ignores the key causal roots of the food crisis, failing to address food sovereignty or engage with farmers movements. (War on Want)

Anti-Hunger Campaign 'If' Launches with Call For G8 to Act (January 22, 2013)

Development agencies and faith groups in the UK are launching a campaign entitled “Enough Food for Everyone If”, which urges David Cameron to use the UK’s presidency of the G8 in June to take positive action against world hunger. The campaign is taking a more radical stance than the “Make Poverty History” campaign during the UK’s last presidency, which concentrated primarily on debt cancellation. The movement focuses on the causal roots of the global food crisis, such as land grabbing, tax evasion and biofuels. These issues significantly exacerbate food insecurity in the global south and if they are successfully addressed could have a major impact on world hunger and poverty. (Guardian)

2012

Industry Pays for Seat at the Food-Policy Table (October 19, 2012)

EU to Limit Use of Crop-based Biofuels - Draft Law (September 10, 2012)

Mozambique's Agricultural Fortunes Rest on a Choice Between Obama and Annan (July 31, 2012)

As Mozambique looks for ways to alleviate rising rural poverty, the country is facing two different agricultural models presented by the G-8 and the Africa Progress Panel. The G-8 model, led by the United States, subsidizes big agribusinesses such as Cargill to invest in underused land and end poverty through “trickle-down” growth. The second model, proposed by Kofi Annan, argues that the pattern of trickle-down growth only increases inequality, and focuses on providing land and agricultural technology to smallholder farmers instead. Mozambique’s agriculture policy should place small farmers at the center, as implementation of the G-8 model will only lead to large-scale land-grabbing and create dependency on foreign agribusiness. (Guardian)

Not Enough: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security at the Three Summits (June 27, 2012)

The outcomes of the recent Rio+20, G-20 and G-8 summits promote the idea of private sector as the savior to food security for the developing world. Instead of pledging any significant amount of public funding or regulatory reforms that would support more sustainable agriculture and food security, all three summits called for greater private sector investment in agriculture. Over the past decade, the rapid increase in private financial investment funds in agriculture has led to food price volatility, land grabbing and biofuel production with negative social and ecological impact. Coordinated public regulation, rather than voluntary measures championed by the private sector, is needed to meet the challenge of sustainable food security. (Triple Crisis)

 2011

WTO Defending an Outdated Vision of Food Security (December 16, 2011)

In this article, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Olivier de Schutter argues that WTO must prioritize global food security. Trade should complement local production, not justify its abandonment, says De Schutter. He calls on WTO to adopt new policies limiting price volatility and supporting the needs of small-scale farmers, two necessities that “even the G20 has recognized.” (SR Food)

"CAP Reform Must Put an End to Dumping" - UN Expert (October 12, 2011)

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Olivier De Schutter has spoken out against the EU's newest Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) proposal, calling it a "50 billion euro contradiction to the EU's commitment to help put the developing world back on its feet." De Schutter warns that generous Western subsidies, endorsed by the CAP reforms, monopolize markets and marginalize small farmers from the Global South.  This makes it impossible for developing world farmers to compete in their home markets. De Schutter argues that "farmers need support," but the CAP reforms must be reassessed if they are to be in line with the universal right to food. (UN OHCHR)

EU Agriculture Policy ‘Still Hurting Farmers in Developing Countries’(October 11, 2011)

Documents leaked to the Trade Justice Network show that Europe's Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is set to rise by 11% for 2007 – 2013. Subsidies from the CAP will keep commodity prices artificially low, making it impossible for small farmers in the Global South to compete with agribusinesses. Ironically, the CAP reforms are part of the EU's "policy coherence for development," which seeks to ensure that all policies promote growth in developing countries. The EU is set to discuss subsidy proposals from October 10 – 14, 2011. (Guardian)

Africa: Successful Alternatives to Corporate 'Green Revolution' (March 24, 2011)

EU Ministers to Ban Fish Discards (March 1, 2011)

Fishermen discard more than 10 per cent of all the fish caught for human consumption. As much as two-thirds of the fish caught in some areas ends up back into the water, usually dead, due to the current EU system of fishing quotas. EU Ministers plan to make the most radical change to fisheries policy in 40 years. A common fisheries policy, reform fishing quotas, means that fishermen do not need to throw away large amounts of their catch. (Guardian)

North Korea Sends SOS to World to Feed its Starving People  (February 11, 2011)

Around 40 North Korean Embassies are asking foreign governments for aid to help feed hungry people close to starvation. China usually provides food supplies in response to requests by North Korea, however China too is facing food shortages due to ongoing drought. Some key food donors make humanitarian aid contractual on the North Korean government's nuclear program and other security issues. Both the US and South Korea have reduced food aid during recent political tensions.  (The Independent)

Backing Out of Commitments: History Repeating Itself  (February 5, 2011)

How Much Do Rich Governments Really Worry About Feeding the World  (January 27, 2011)

A recent report by hundreds of scientists presented to the UK government recommends that decision-makers should prioritize food production and food systems on the global political agenda. In 2009, after the global food crisis of 2008, many rich governments committed to solve problems related to agricultural production and output. Eight of the richest nations promised $20 billion over three years for food security and agricultural development, however less than one third of that has actually been allocated to developing countries. Much of those funds have actually not been delivered. (The Economist)

2010

Africans Face Competing Visions of Agricultural Development at a Critical Juncture (May 20, 2010)