Public Events | NGO Working Group Meetings
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Public Events
2012
Nora McKeon |
On November 8, 2012, GPF and the Working Group on Food & Hunger invited Nora McKeon from Terra Nuova (Rome) to discuss the Committee on World Food Security. Ms. McKeon addressed the role of civil society in the process and discussed the recent policy developments in Rome, arguing for better cooperation between Rome in New York in this UN process. The policy luncheon was a part of ‘The Future of Global Food Policy’- forum series at the United Nations and was heavily attended by both delegations and members of civil society.
ActionAid Representatives and Jim |
Land Grabbing - A Grassroots Perspective: A Discussion with ActionAid Representatives (September 13, 2012)
On September 13, 2012, GPF and the Working Group on Food and Hunger organized a policy luncheon on land grabbing with ActionAid representatives from Senegal, Tanzania and Bangladesh. The representatives provided examples of cases of land grabbing from their countries, highlighting the existing challenges concerning land tenure. In addition to the specific country representatives, Ruchi Tripathi and Marie Brill from ActionAid International introduced the different ways ActionAid is working on land tenure issues globally. The policy luncheon was a part of the 'Future of Global Food Policy' - forum series at the United Nations and was heavily attended by both delegations and members of civil society.
Noelle and Jim |
Advancing Farm Workers’ Rights in the Corporate Food Supply Chain: A discussion with Rev. Noelle Damico (May 10, 2012; New York)
Haroon Akram-Lodhi |
Hedge-funds, governments, and agro-industrial industries have been buying or leasing large blocks of agricultural land around the world in a process widely known as "land grabbing." Land grabbing has displaced tens of millions of small producers, who have lost their livelihoods as a result. Global Policy Forum invited Professor Haroon Akram-Lodhi of Trent University to speak about the issue.
Pat Mooney, David Weaver and Dena Hof |
The Movement for Food Sovereignty: A discussion with La Via Campesina (March 26, 2012; New York)
La Via Campesina coined the term, "Food Sovreignty," in 1996. The term refers to a policy framework advocated by small-scale farmers that allows them to define their own agricultural system
Marion Nestle presents |
Corporate Influence on Food Policy - A discussion with Marion Nestle (February 15, 2012; New York)
This discussion with Professor Marion Nestle examined the increasing influence of corporations on food policy. Through the deregulation of Wall Street, a sharp rise in lobbying power and billions being poured into marketing, giant corporations have taken over the food system. Nestle warned against public institutions partnering with food companies and advocated for tighter regulation of corporations.
Paul Mikov, James Paul and Doreen Stabinsky |
This discussion featured Doreen Stabinsky, Professor of Global Environmental Politics at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbon, Maine. With Rio + 20 coming up in June, this timely discussion was focused on the link between climate change and agriculture. Professor Stabinsky warned that “business as usual is not an option” and advocated for a reform of the overall agriculture and food system: a paradigm shift away from industrial agriculture and towards sustainable production and consumption. She warned that unless we address the current model of development, we will be unable to achieve global food security. Delegates, UN staff and members of the NGO community participated.
2011
Picture Credit: ohchr.org |
Recent Developments on the Right to Food - A Conversation with UN Special Rapporteur Olivier de Schutter (November 16, 2011; New York)
In this discussion, UN Special Rapporteur Olivier de Schutter gave an update on the Right to Food since the start of his second term as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. De Schutter talked about the urgent need to curb commodity speculation, end subsidies and for the WTO to change trade rules that privelege exporting countries. De Schutter also touched upon the negative impacts of biofuels, land grabbing, and the need to recognize and support small-scale farmers.
Ken Davies & Jim Paul |
Purchase for Progress - Connecting Smallholder Farmers to Markets in Africa and Central America: A discussion with Ken Davies (October 28, 2011; New York)
This discussion featured Ken Davies, Coordinator of UN World Food Programme’s “Purchase for Progress” (P4P) initiative. This five-year pilot program began in September 2008 and is based in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Davies spoke about the structure of the program and efforts by WFP to buy staple crops from farmers’ organizations in these countries, through direct or forward contracts. P4P trains small and medium traders in farming techniques and crop quality control. P4P is primarily funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and has connected over 500,000 small farmers to markets.
David Pimentel & Jim Paul |
Energy and Eating - How biofuels affect the world's food supply and what we should do about it: A discussion with David Pimentel (March 16, 2011; New York)
The diminishing supply of oil and high energy prices encourages the conversion of grain and other food products into biofuels. This luncheon discussion with David Pimentel, Emeritus Professor at Cornell University, addressed the negative impacts of biofuels on the environment and economy. Delegates, NGOs and UN staff participated. Pimentel talked about the challenge of energy conservation and how grains should be used to feed the 4.5 billion people who are currently malnourished worldwide.
Martin Lees & Jim Paul |
The Food Crisis and the Limits to Growth: A discussion with Martin Lees (February 9, 2011; New York)
Frederick Kaufman & Jim Paul |
In this discussion, investigative journalist Frederick Kaufman addressed wheat market prices, grain futures and the "financialization of food", as well as the "subversion" of market. Karen Hansen-Kuhn, International Program Director at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy discussed government food reserves as a method to confront price volatility.
2010
Danny Chingimbu presents |
Olivier de Schutter and Jim Paul |
This forum, organized by Church World Service and co-sponsored by the NGO working Group on Food and Hunger, was held in connection with a UN summit to assess progress on the eight Millennium Development Goals to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. The participants, coming from a range of humanitarian, church and advocacy groups, discussed what systemic change is needed to empower impoverished people around the world. The event was followed by a reception at GPF's office.
Noel de Luna |
Chavannes Jean-Baptiste |
2009
Ricardo Sanchez presents |
Gerda Verburg presents |
Molly Anderson presents |
NGO Working Group Meetings
(Not including advocacy meetings)
2012 l 2011 |2010 | 2009 | 2008
2012
December 6, 2012: Meeting of the Working Group
December 5, 2012: Policy Luncheon with Molly Anderson on the IAASTD report
November 13, 2012: Briefing on “Building on the consensus: FAO’s first steps after endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines on Land Tenure” (organized by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)*
November 12, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
November 8, 2012: Policy Luncheon with Nora McKeon on “The Committee on World Food Security: Civil Society Participation and Recent Policy Developments”
November 8, 2012 Meeting of the Working Group
October 22, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
October 18, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
October 17, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
October 15-16, 2012: 39th Session of the Committee on World Food Security*
October 13-14, 2012: Civil Society Forum preceding the 39th Session of the Committee on World Food Security*
October 10, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
October 10, 2012: WhyHunger – Food Sovereignty Prize awards*
September 27, 2012: UN Women, FAO, IFAD and WFP: empowerment of women in rural areas is pre-requisite for global food security*
September 27, 2012: High level meeting on Scaling up Nutrition (SUN)*
September 26, 2012: US Secretary of State Clinton, event on the New Alliance Against Hunger*
September 26, 2012:Meeting with Ugandan Civil Society Representatives
September 26, 2012: Save the Children and World Vision: A panel discussion on undernutrition and child survival*
September 25, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
September 18, 2012: Meeting of the working group
September 13, 2012: Policy Luncheon with four ActionAid representatives on “Land Grabbing – a grassroots perspective"
September 5, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
August 1, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
July 20, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
July 10, 2012: Meeting of the Working Group
July 3, 2012: “Promoting Decent Work in Rural Areas to Achieve Food Security”, High Level Segment ECOSOC*
July 3, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
June 22, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
May 23, 2012: “Resilience, Crisis and Food Security: A Path to Stability?” at IPI*
May 16, 2012: Meeting of the Working Group
May 10, 2012: Policy Luncheon with Rev. Noelle Damico on “Advancing Farm Workers’ Rights in the Corporate Food Supply Chain”
April 23 -25, 2012: Global AgInvesting Conference, NYC – help with protest and (letter to Presidents of Harvard, Yale and Princeton)
April 19, 2012: Advocacy Meeting with Delegation
April 11, 2012: Policy Luncheon with Haroon Akram-Lodhi on Land Grabbing
April 3, 2012: Meeting of the Working Group
March 26, 2012: Policy Luncheon with Dena Hoff and Pat Mooney on "La Via Campesina and the Movement for Food Sovereignty"
February 23, 2012: Meeting of the Working Group
February 15, 2012: Policy Luncheon with Professor Marion Nestle on "Corporate Influence on Food Policy"January 18, 2012: Policy Luncheon with Professor Doreen Stabinsky on "Climate Change and Agriculture: Looking towards Rio + 20"
January 11, 2012: Meeting of the Working Group
2011
December 6, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
November 16, 2011: Policy Luncheon with UN Special Rapporteur Olivier de Schutter on Recent Developments on the Right to Food
October 28, 2011: Policy Luncheon with Ken Davies of World Food Programme on “Purchase for Progress”October 5, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
September 7, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
July 26, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
June 23, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
April 1, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
March 30, 2011: Meeting with Aparjita Mazumdar, PhD Candidate, School of International Studies, Jawaharal Nehru University, New Delhi
March 16, 2011: Luncheon Event on "Energy & Eating" with David Pimentel, Emeritus Professor, Cornell University
February 22, 2011: Luncheon Meeting with Martin Entz, agroeconomist
February 16, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
January 20, 2011: Luncheon Event on "Speculation and Food" with journalist Frederick Kaufman and Karen Hansen-Kuhn of the Institute for Agriculture and Food Policy
January 11, 2011: Meeting of the Working Group
2010
December 15, 2010: Luncheon Event with Danny Chingimbu, farmer from Zambia
December 1, 2010: Luncheon Event with Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
November 18, 2010: Meeting with Nora McKeon and Kathy Ozer of Via Campesina
November 9, 2010: Meeting of the Working GroupOctober 7, 2010: Meeting of the Working Group
August 3, 2010: Meeting of the Working Group
July 19, 2010: Special Luncheon with Noel de Luna, Chairman of the Rome-based Committee on World Food Security
July 8, 2010: Meeting of the Working GroupJune 14, 2010: Side event of the UN MDG Consultation Summit with Civil Society "Achieving the MDGs in Haiti" with Chavannes Jean-Baptist, director of MPP
June 10, 2010: Meeting of the Working Group
May 26, 2010: Meeting of the Working Group
May 20, 2010: Meeting of the Working Group
April 29, 2010: Metting of the Working Group
April 21, 2010: Meeting of the Working Group
April 15, 2010: Meeting of the Working Group
2009
December 15, 2009: NGO Working Group Meeting
October 16, 2009: NGO Working Group Meeting
August 4, 2009: NGO Working Group Meeting
May 12, 2009: NGO Working Group Meeting
April 8, 2009: NGO Working Group Meeting
April 7, 2009: Special Meeting with Thomas Forster (New School) and Flavio Valente (FIAN)
March 8, 2009: NGO Working Group Meeting
January 8, 2009: NGO Working Group Meeting
2008
December 5, 2008: NGO Working Group Meeting
* These events were not organized by the Working Group but attended by the members