tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90662180661620297092024-03-13T22:20:29.741-07:00Global Food Sufficiency VideoconferenceActivity blog of the Global Food Sufficiency VideoconferenceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-32148223088667715872009-05-04T02:59:00.000-07:002009-05-04T03:24:05.545-07:00Pictures from the VideoCon in Manila<center><p style="visibility:visible;"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widget-55.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" width="426" style="width:426px;height:320px"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-55.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="scale" value="noscale" /><param name="salign" value="l" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/> <param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=3098476543647744597&site=widget-55.slide.com"/></object><p style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=fl&id=3098476543647744597&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-55.slide.com/p1/3098476543647744597/ms_t017_v000_s0fl_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=fl&id=3098476543647744597&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-55.slide.com/p2/3098476543647744597/ms_t017_v000_s0fl_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=fl&id=3098476543647744597&map=E" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-55.slide.com/m/3098476543647744597/ms_t017_v000_s0fl_f00/images/xslide9_1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></p></p></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-19079409521864904542008-05-30T21:37:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:44:01.565-07:00Program<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Global Food Sufficiency: Towards sustainable food production and consumption</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday 29 April 2009 9:30-18:30</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Videoconference</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></div><p> </p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday 29 April 2009</span><br /></div><table><tbody><tr><td width="104" height="20"><br /></td><td width="567" height="20"><p> </p><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104"><em><strong>09:30</strong></em></td> <td width="567"> <p><em>(Brussels 9:30, Dakar 7:30, Manila 15:30)<br /><br /></em><strong>Welcome</strong> by the co-president of the Green Group in the European Parliament <strong>Monica Frassoni</strong> and <strong>Friedrich Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf</strong>, Vice-President of the Committee on Agriculture at the European Parliament</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104"> <p align="left"><em><strong>09:45</strong></em></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="567"> <p><em>(Dakar 7:45, Manila 15:45)</em></p> <p><strong>Key note message</strong> from <strong>Mamadou Cissokho</strong>, farmer leader, facilitator of the Pan African Platform of Farmers organizations</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"> <p align="left"><em><strong>10:00</strong></em></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="567" height="20"> <p><em>Manila(16:00)<br /><br /></em><strong>An Asian perspective on food sufficiency</strong><em><strong><br /></strong></em>(With specific comments on food governance, local food stocks, farmers empowerment and rural development infrastructure and environmental sustainability)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"> <p align="left"><strong><em>10:30</em></strong></p> </td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p align="left"><em>(Dakar 8:30, Manila 16:30)</em></p> <p align="left"><strong>Comments from Dakar and Brussels</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>10:45</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><strong>Feedback from Manila</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>11:00</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><em>(Dakar 9:00)<br /><br /></em> <strong>An African perspective on food sufficiency<br /></strong>(With specific comments on domestic and regional food culture and market; sustainability and sufficiency criteria; food stocks and food supply management including the regional and domestic agriculture and trade policy)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>11:30</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Comments from Manila</strong> <em>(17:30)</em> <strong>and Brussels</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>11:45</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><strong>Feedback from Dakar</strong> <em>(9:45)</em></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>12:00</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p align="left"><strong>Welcome of the participants from Brasilia</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>12:00</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><em>(7:00 Brasilia)</em></p> <p><strong>A Latin-American perspective on food sufficiency<br /></strong>(With specific comments on the "<em>zero hunger"</em> program in Brazil: Challenging the agro-industrial model: perspectives to increase food security from sustainable family farming, how to link urban food sufficiency with family farming and rural development)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>12:30</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Comments from Dakar</strong> <em>(10:30)</em> <strong>Manila</strong> <em>(18:30)</em> <strong>and Brussels</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>12:45</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Feedback from Brasilia</strong> <em>(7:45)</em> <strong>and final comments before leaving the conference from Manila</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>13:00</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20">Lunch break</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>15:00</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><em>Dakar 13:00, (Washington 9:00), Brasilia 10:00</em><strong><br /><br />Welcome of the participants from Washington<br />Short summary of results of the morning session</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>15:15</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><em>Brussels</em><strong><br /><br />A European Perspective on food sufficiency<br /></strong>(Imports of feedstuff and re-integration of crop and meat production, food sufficiency and agro-fuels, food waste, sustainability and sufficiency criteria for public support; reconnection of farmers and consumers; food stocks, strategic reserves and supply management as agricultural policy tools to manage price levels and volatility)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>15:45</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Comments from Washington</strong> <em>11:30</em> <strong>and Dakar</strong> <em>13:45</em> <strong>Brasilia</strong> <em>10:45</em></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>16:15</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Feedback from Brussels</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>16:30</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><em>(Washington 11:30)</em></p> <p><strong>A US-American perspective on food sufficiency<br /></strong>(With specific comments on promoting a multi-functional approach to agriculture, commodity regulation, competition reform and aid reform)</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>17:00</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Comments from Brasilia</strong> <em>12:00</em><strong>, Dakar</strong> <em>15:00</em><strong>, Brussels</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>17:15</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Feedback from Washington</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>17:30</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"> <p><strong>Towards a global action plan to achieve global food sufficiency<br /><br />Final round of debate with regional conference participants</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>18:15</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>Conclusions</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="104" height="20"><em><strong>18:30</strong></em></td> <td width="567" height="20"><strong>End</strong> of video conference</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p align="left"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French, Portuguese.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-68781256019104860202008-05-29T21:12:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:44:24.847-07:00Activity Background<span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >THE CHALLENGE</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The World Food Crisis - a major threat</span><br /><br />The world food crisis is a major threat. Now almost one billion people go hungry. Most of them live in rural areas or in slums around cities. Lacking land and jobs, they cannot feed themselves. Global food stocks are at the lowest level in forty years. On top of that, climate change will make harvests insecure and the threat of famines will become more severe, mainly in the global South.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Growing populations and competition for land - an explosive mixture</span><br /><br />With globally growing populations and emerging consumer economies in China, India and Brazil, competition for land between food and energy production is rapidly growing. Production costs for oil-dependent agriculture increase, while soils, water and biodiversity are depleted in many regions of the world. Adding the current global financial and economical crisis this is an explosive mixture.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">No fair share of global energy and food resources</span><br /><br />North America and Europe today consume about 60% of the world's available energy and 40% of the world's food, representing 19% of the world's population. In Europe, about 30% of available food is thrown away. Industrial processing, long distance transport between farms and consumers, as well as wasteful production patterns and consumption habits contribute to this extreme loss. This is unethical and unfair.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Challenging the agro-industrial model: enhancing local food security</span><br /><br />Furthermore, agro-industrial meat production, based on feedstuffs which are mainly imported from developing countries or emerging economies compete with sustainable, low input local food systems. The recently published world agriculture report of the United Nations (IAASTD) points out that small scale and organic farming is more productive and less resource consuming as compared to agro-industrial production. However, the Common agriculture policy of the EU still promotes industrialised, high input and export-oriented agriculture.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A Green New Deal for global food sufficiency</span><br /><br />In order to avoid rising conflicts on access to energy and food, a GLOBAL GREEN DEAL must tackle these unsustainable and wasteful patterns of food production and consumption and support people in changing lifestyles. In order to achieve a sustainable food system and a fair share of global food resources, the growing pressure on natural resources for food, feed and fuel must be substantially reduced.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Beyond food security and food aid - common food sufficiency</span><br /><br />Discussing the concept of common food sufficiency will go beyond the often technical debate on global food security, which does not challenge the problems linked to global food trade and food aid. The conference will focus on the human right to sufficient and healthy food, and it will challenge wasteful food production and consumption patterns. It will include the relevant stakeholders and actors from around the world in this debate.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >THE FORMAT</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The global video conference experiment</span><br /><br />This conference is an experiment which uses videoconferencing in order to connect simultaneous regional conferences dealing with the same issue: How to achieve global food sufficiency. The format will allow avoiding large distance travel. Participants may not be able to communicate as if they were in the same room. But they may better grasp the dimension of the food crisis and agree on possible common action.<br /><br />With just short time slots for contributions of each region, the conference format demands a high focus on key messages and strict discipline of the participants to respect time limits of their presentations.<br /><br />The conference will be moderated from the European Parliament in Brussels, but it will offer to the parallel regional conferences in Asia (Manila, Philippines), West Africa (Dakar, Senegal), Latin America (Brasilia, Brazil), and the USA (Washington DC) to manage their one hour input independently.<br /><br />The one hour slots include 30 minutes for short presentations or internal debates on reasons for food insecurity, possible solutions and suggestions for common global action between the regions.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >THE THEMES</span><br /><br />The perspective of the Philippines may focus on the question of good governance in the field of food security, the empowerment of small farmers and on the demand for a local and regional stock-keeping system in order to stabilize farm gate prices and agricultural markets.<br /><br />The West African perspective may demand for the appreciation of alternative food cultures such as family farms, local and regional markets and discuss strategies to make food production systems more sustainable regarding environmental threats.<br /><br />The European perspective may focus on the negative impact of competitiveness and export oriented EU farm policy and the negative impact of feed imports, as well as on failures in the internal food system – the constant decrease of farm revenues, increased market power of retailers and increased waste of food.<br /><br />The Brazilian perspective may focus on contradictions and complementarities between family farming based food production and export oriented production of commodities. The assembly of CONSEA on Zero Hunger programme of the government may allow participants to analyse the options for farmers' organisations and consumers to achieve a fair deal<br /><br />The North American perspective may wish to discuss internal and external food aid and the role of the US farming sector in a global food sufficiency system. The impacts of the current financial crisis as well as the speculation on food commodities on global food security will also be main points.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-51632056042316639902008-05-28T21:35:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:47:21.062-07:00Regional Paper - Latin America<span style="font-weight: bold;">Global good sufficiency - a Brazilian Perspective</span><br /><br /><br />Food and nutritional security is intimately linked to development, in which the agri-food system, particularly the small and medium-sized producers, play a significant role<br /><br />1. Analysis of the situation in Brazil: two projects in dispute:<br /><br /><ul><li>The hegemony of agri-business which controls production, processing and marketing of food; the high concentration of land ownership; enjoying government incentives; export-orientated monoculture; technological model which is causing rapid degradation of natural resources.</li><li>Rural Brazil is also the Brazil of family agriculture and traditional population groups, which are seeking to affirm their specific cultural and historical identity and are responsible, in an absolute majority of the country's rural establishments; for driving the local economies, producing most of the food consumed by the Brazilian population, and applying the most sustainable (agri-ecology) and solidarity-based production systems.</li></ul><br />2. Measures taken to improve food security:<br /><br /><ul><li>The ZERO Hunger programme,....</li><li>Family farms have won significant victories at the level of the federal government's public policies, which have made viable and strengthened alternatives which have in turn boosted and encouraged family-based ways of life and production: increased resources of the PRONAF (National Programme for strengthening Family Farms) and diversified its line of action; creation of food and nutritional security-oriented programmes; implementation of programmes designed to ensure agricultural production and marketing (harvest-guarantee and price guarantee, acquisition of foods – PAA (Food Acquisition Programme)); establishment of a new policy on technical backup and rural extension; the law on Family Farms and the law on the SUASA (Single System for Dealing with Agri-Stockbreeding Health Issues). Extending these achievements means a chance of moving forward in the direction of strengthening 'family agriculture'.</li></ul><br />3. Position of Family Agriculture and the CONSEA (National Council on Food Security):<br /><br /><ul><li>We advocate that in establishing the sustainable, solidarity-based development project, the State should intervene in the economy with all instruments available, establishing demands and conditions to boost the internal market.</li><li>Family agriculture is a constituent element for developing a policy of sustainable, solidarity-based development and food sovereignty, and should be subsidised so that it can affirm itself and ensure control of all stages of the production process, with particular priority being given to production for own-consumption and the domestic market, encouraging cooperation between producers and consumers, on the basis of a new technological approach capable of responding to the growing social and environmental demands, and ensuring the supply of healthy, quality food.</li><li>In all international negotiations, including and prioritising 'non-commercial considerations with regard to agriculture', ensuring the sovereign exercise of policies of supporting food production and supply to the detriment of strictly commercial logic.</li><li>Following the example of the REAF (Commission on Family Agriculture) within Mercosur, to create international institutional spaces bringing together representatives of government and of civil society, with a view to coordinating the putting forward of proposals for technical and political measures, so as to guarantee special, differentiated treatment conditions, e.g. food security and nutritional policies, the preservation of the environmental goods and services production capacity of family agriculture, traditional communities and indigenous peoples.</li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-81660977456024267772008-05-28T21:33:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:47:21.062-07:00Regional Paper - North America<span style="font-weight: bold;">The U.S. Charts a New Path</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Overview of the U.S. Problem</span><br /><br />The U.S. has been a main driver in promoting global food and agricultural markets. It heavily influences the direction of the world market and is host to some of the major transnational agribusiness corporations and commodity exchange markets. U.S. agricultural policy may have created new global markets but it has had certain negative impacts. U.S. agricultural production is based on energy-intensive approaches such as monocropping, confined animal operations, use of pesticides, GMOs and fertilizers, which have been shown to have damaging effects on biodiversity and the environment. U.S. policy has allowed it to dump its products into other countries at below the cost of production. Dumping has led to problems such as food insecurity, unemployment in the rural sector as well unsustainable migration patterns. U.S. investment has prioritized increased food production and new markets rather than more comprehensive long-lasting healthy solutions for food and agriculture. This approach contributes to market volatility and allows U.S. agribusiness to consolidate operations around the world at the expense of consumers and producers.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What are possible U.S. solutions to the problem?</span><br /><br />The U.S. has a responsibility to acknowledge that this approach is not working at home or abroad. It is time to make a change. Moving in a more positive direction, the U.S. should adopt the Right to Food and incorporate it as a guideline for its policymaking. It should create a new Farm Bill in 2013 that is mandated to ensure that all people have access to healthy food, farmers receive a fair price for their production, and that climate-friendly agricultural practices are implemented. It should promote more effective food aid and investment in agriculture. The U.S. should be a leader in addressing market volatility by supporting food stocks and regulations to deter excessive commodity speculation. It should also redirect its trade policy to eliminate dumping practices and allow developing countries to protect their domestic agricultural markets. Finally, the U.S. has a particular challenge to reign in agribusiness from setting national and foreign policy. No tax payer money should be directed to support agribusiness from having any unfair advantage over prioritizing local, resilient food and agricultural systems.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Change we can believe in</span><br /><br />The global crises have opened the U.S. public's eyes to the fact that markets need to be regulated so as to serve social and environmental goals. This, along with the rhetoric and action of the Barak Obama administration to re-engage in the world and to strengthen democracy at home, opens an important window for new rules and actions that meet the needs of the time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-10880546978776383232008-05-28T21:30:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:47:21.062-07:00Regional Paper - Asia<span style="font-weight: bold;">Global Food Sufficiency: The Asian Perspective</span><br /><br />Agriculture continues to contribute to the engine of growth for the economy of the countries of ASEAN. With rice being the common staple food for the people of ASEAN, the sector is closely linked to food security situation in the region.<br /><br />Rice is also the most important crop to millions of small farmers who grow it on millions of hectares throughout the region, and to the many landless workers who derive income from working on these farms. At low levels of income, when meeting energy needs is a serious concern, people tend to eat coarse grains and root crops such as cassava and sweet potato. At that lowest stage of economic development, rice is considered a luxury commodity. With increasing income, demand shifts from coarse grains and root crops to rice. At high levels of income, rice becomes an inferior commodity, and consumers prefer diverse foods with more protein and vitamins, such as vegetables, bread, fish and meat<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Call for Food Sufficiency for ASEAN</span><br /><br />In this context, and in the light of the food crisis, food security requirements and the issues of climate change, sustainable , organic, ecological friendly agriculture becomes the key strategic response that governments may take, as also emphasized by the report of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, Technology Development (IAASTD), signed by 60 countries and the World Bank.<br /><br />With food surpluses being traded at local, national, regional and international markets, trade agreements that should be entered by ASEAN should preserve member state's capacities to exempt sectors important to food security, livelihood security, rural development and poverty alleviation and ensure the benefit for smallholder producers; as well as provide sufficient safeguard measures and remedies.<br /><br />We ask ASEAN governments, both at national and the regional level to promote sustainable agriculture by redirecting its agricultural investments, funding and policy focus. Specifically, we ask that ASEAN and their member governments to:<br /><br /><ul><li>develop a common agricultural policy and action plan that aims to improve access of small poor rural people to land, water and other natural resources, increase their productivity and incomes through sustainable, ecological-friendly agriculture for the benefit of small-scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples. The policy and action plan can contain clear objectives, targets, timeframes, and can use participatory processes involving lead agencies and departments and organized groups of small scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples. Corollary to this, establish a common agricultural development fund that will help carry out the action plan.</li><li>emphasize the promotion of Sustainable agriculture in ASEAN's SPA-FS and AIFS framework. The development of this Plan can include workshops with various sectors to provide specific details to the SPA-FS.</li><li>review / revise the ASEAN Rice Reserve/Food Reserve Scheme to help stabilize rice supply and prices in the region; since the true spirit of economic cooperation and integration should be reflected in the way ASEAN addresses the issue of food security in the region. </li><li>regularly consult an advisory council composed of representatives of small-scale men and women agricultural producers (farmers, fishers, indigenous peoples) across the region on policies, programs and initiatives affecting, or has the potential to impact on agriculture.</li><li>provide continuing processes and sustain mechanism that will strengthen social accountability towards realizing the vision for a people-centered ASEAN.</li></ul><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Solidarity with global action for food sufficiency</span><br /><br />We, as civil society groups working for sustainable rural development, for the promotion of sustainable, ecological friendly agriculture, and the development of small scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous people can cooperate with global action for food sufficiency. We can share our own experiences and technical expertise. Furthermore, we can help study and monitor how much governments allocate for agricultural programs and services benefiting small scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-60113561096163160422008-05-28T21:28:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:47:21.062-07:00Regional Paper - Africa<span style="font-weight: bold;">Africa's quest for productive, wealth-creating, income-generating and sustainable agriculture</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Specific features</span><br /><br />Africa still has a significant amount of land that it can use and a variety of natural resources, but does not produce enough to meet its food requirements. 20 billion worth of food imports per year. African agriculture is based on two production systems:<br /><ol><li>Family farms account for more than 85% of agricultural production. Most of them are medium-sized. They are multifunctional and produce for their own family consumption, local markets and export markets (cotton, peanuts, bananas, palm oil, etc.). The millions of farmers in Africa, most of them illiterate, are spread out across the continent and poorly organised. Producing food in difficult conditions, these farmers are responsible for the lot of so many affected by poverty and food insecurity (40%). Structural adjustment between 1980 and 1985 made life more complicated for rural communities by forcing privatisation and liberalisation of the economy on governments through the dismantling of development companies! This situation developed against a background of drought and economic crisis (1973-1984,…). Rural areas suffered from a lack of public investment and of consideration for the living patterns of populations in the programmes designed to assist them. Young people left the land to swell the populations of towns and cross the seas. They became providers of assistance to farmers, their parents.</li><li>Farms producing goods for the export market (coffee, cocoa, bananas, pineapples and maize) occupy fairly extensive areas in only a few countries (Kenya, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and a number of countries in Central Africa). They are mechanised and use a poorly paid labour force.</li></ol><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Significant changes over the past ten years</span><br /><br />Farmers have set up and structured groups at various levels, from village to national and subregional level. African states have reinvigorated subregional organisations with a view to promoting further integration. Agriculture is a priority again in development policies and programmes. The AUO has become the AU and has been active in defining and implementing NEPAD, of which agriculture is a priority. The WTO and EPA negotiations have provided farmers with an opportunity to make representations and consolidate their structures. Climate change has become more visible, in addition to soaring prices and food crises. Networks of farmers' organisations have joined forces with social movements to fight for food sovereignty, respect for lifestyles, supply management and market regulation.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What we need to do</span><br /><br />Hold elected representatives at all levels to account. Develop consensual agricultural and agrifoods policies that will promote our crops and develop culinary values. Develop protected subregional markets. Invest in agriculture, stockfarming, fisheries and forestry. Take on board sustainable management of natural resources. Join forces with social movements which share our values. Be more self-critical and prepare our own development strategies.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-60386739171488900712008-05-28T21:26:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:47:21.063-07:00Regional Paper - Europe<span style="font-weight: bold;">Europe redefines its agro-food policies</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What is the European piece of the problem?</span><br /><br />The European Union is a global player in production, processing, consumption and trade of food. However, its 27 member states are all together net- importers of farm and food products. A very high percentage of feedstuff consumed in the EU is imported. Based on these imports and on various forms of subsidies, exports of processed meat, milk and cereals are encouraged. Feedstuff imports and subsidies both favour specialization and concentration of production in just a few areas of the EU. The food system of the EU is therefore not sustainable. It highly depends on imports and public aid, it splits rural regions and farmers into a few winners and many losers and it undermines the food systems in other regions of the world.<br /><br />Even though the historic objectives of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) of the EU stressed food security for consumers and sufficient income for farmers, the EU food system is today dominated by the principle of global competitiveness of its agro-industry. As a consequence, the biological and economical diversity of small scale farming systems, slaughter house facilities and dairy industries which can offer local food supply disappears. An increasing part of food consumers buy is processed. Ever increasing food miles between farm gate and plate disconnect farmers from consumers. This allows retailers and supermarkets to accumulate market power and increase their share of value added to food. On top of this, up to 30 % of food is wasted- although the number of hungry people increases even in Europe.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What are possible European contributions to the solution?</span><br /><br />The sufficiency principle would set the priority in a sustainable farming and food distribution system which provides enough and wholesome food for all citizens, a fair income for farmers, and which includes the best possible management of water, soil, biodiversity and landscapes. Reform of the CAP due to be prepared before 2013 therefore must include environmental, employment and public health criteria into the food system and integrate new challenges like climate change into policy objectives and instruments.<br /><br />On the global level the EU must use its weight in multilateral negotiations like the Kyoto process, trade negotiations and biodiversity convention to go for more ambitious goals to establish global food sufficiency systems. Non-trade concerns like environmental and social standards as well as food sovereignty of the states must be included into these negotiations. Standards for qualified market access, CO2-saving methods in food production and consumption must be promoted both in research and daily practice. Export subsidies have to be abandoned immediately and replaced by efficient and flexible internal demand orientated systems of supply management.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">European stakeholders go for global action</span><br /><br />We should put our own house in order - while working globally on a food system which is sufficiency based. Food should be carried as a common good and value by producers and consumers. Food prices should internalise all externalized social and environmental costs. Local markets should be the main provider of food. International trade should be based on a fair and climate-friendly organization.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9066218066162029709.post-51796006208720814972008-05-28T21:22:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:45:10.706-07:00Organizers<span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >IN THE PHILIPPINES</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AFA - Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development</span><br /><br />Since 2002, AFA has organized for its members, 15 regional and 13 national consultations on agricultural trade liberalization, mainstreaming sustainable agriculture, climate change, regional economic integration; 4 training workshops on leadership, organizational management, advocacy: 3 farmers' exchange visits on farmers' organizing, agrarian reform, sustainable agriculture technologies, farmer-led marketing and trading, agricultural processing; 7 issue papers translated in eight Asian national languages; participated in 48 gatherings organized by UN, FAO, IFAD, ASEAN, key CSO coalitions.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.asianfarmers.org/">www.asianfarmers.org </a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AsiaDHRRA - Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia</span><br /><br />Both AFA and AsiaDHRRA are part of the Solidarity for Asian Peoples' Advocacy (SAPA) which looks at policy advocacy and engagement of key intergovernmental bodies at regional and global levels, where AsiaDHRRA is a member of the Steering Committee and co-convener of the Rural Development Working Group (RDWG) under SAPA. Both are members of the ASEAN-Working Group which engages ASEAN on its three community pillars towards integration (Political and Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.asiadhrra.org/">www.asiadhrra.org</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >IN WEST AFRICA AND SENEGAL</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CNCR - Conseil National de Concertation & de Coopération des Ruraux</span><br /><br />CNCR was created in 1993 and contributes to the development of peasant farming in Senegal through the organisation of the various rural actors. It promotes communication and cooperation of its members and of the political dialogue with political decision-makers of the region of West-Africa.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cncr.org/">www.cncr.org</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ROPPA - Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest </span><br /><br />ROPPA, created in 2000, is the network of the national FOs (see Annex 1.c for the list of members) from twelve[1][1] of the fifteen ECOWAS countries and maintains regular coordination with some of the largest national organisations from the other three countries – namely Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. It represents about 45 million small producers, cattle farmers and fishermen, to whom the national organisations deliver advice, support and diverse services for the promotion of their activities and profile.<br /><br />ROPPA's objective is to strengthen the capacities of African FOs to defend the interests of their members and to influence the policies linked to agriculture, rural development and food security. It aims at this through (i) promotion of values of competitive and sustainable agriculture based on family farming and agricultural producers; (ii) support to the formation and structuring of producer organisations in each country; (iii) training and informing the agricultural socio-professional organisations based on the experiences of their members and those of other development actors; (iv) promoting inter-African solidarity and (v) representing the farmers' organisations and agricultural producers in sub-regional, regional and international levels.<br /><br />ROPPA is actively advocating the interests of small-scale and family farming in the sub-region and in international level, aiming to promote agricultural and commercial policies that would benefit all producers. It has a fundamental role in supporting national organisations' initiatives and in strengthening their capacities. ROPPA has also taken up a coordinating role in various pan-African activities undertaken jointly by the African regional FOs networks.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.roppa.info/">www.roppa.info</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >IN BRAZIL</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FETRAF - Federaçao dos Trabalhadores na Agricultura Familiar</span><br /><br />FETRAF is a trade union and movement of family farmers. FETRAF-SUL is a regional organization based in the southern Brazilian states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. FETRAF-SUL has 100,000 members and works with 300,000 union and non-union families.<br /><br />Through its organizing, FETRAF-SUL has developed networks of economically autonomous farmers (union and non-union) building on-the-farm agro-industries. The farmers add value to their farm products with the agro-industries, taking the transformed products all the way to market. In addition to this, FETRAF has negotiated as a union with the government for credit, housing, and education. (Click here to read an interview with Altemir Antonio Tortelli, general coordinator of FETRAF-SUL).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fetrafsul.org.br/">www.fetrafsul.org.br</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CONSEA - National Food and Nutritional Safety Council</span><br /><br />The CONSEA is an instrument of articulation between government and civil society for the proposal of guidelines for action in food and nutrition safety. Installed in 2003, the Council is consultative and advises the President of the Republic in the formulation of policies and definition of guidelines so the Country secures the human right to food. CONSEA encourages society to take part in the formulation, execution and monitoring of the Food and Nutritional Safety policies and regards the organization of society as an essential condition for social conquests and definitively surmount exclusion.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.consea.mg.gov.br/">www.consea.mg.gov.br</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >IN THE UNITED STATES</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IATP - The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy</span><br /><br />IATP works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems. The Trade and Global Governance program promotes democratic institutions, human rights, a healthy environment, and fairer global rules in food and agriculture. IATP supports the notion of food sufficiency as a means to frame a new model for agriculture that strengthens the Right to Food and promotes concrete policy reforms to support resilient, local food systems and sustainable agriculture.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.iatp.or/">www.iatp.or</a>g<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >IN EUROPE</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CSA - Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires</span><br /><br />CSA is a Brussels based development NGO specialized in agricultural and food policy issues. The organization works in three main areas: Organizing dialogue between NGOs at local, national, European and international levels; Supporting the organisation of national, regional and international farmers' movements and Advocacy work on agricultural and food policies. The organisation's approach involves simultaneous efforts to: a) Develop consultation with different types of NGOs (development, environment, consumers) and farmers' organisations. B) Create direct links between farming and rural organisations in the South and farmers' organisations in the North (plus South-South and North-North connections).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.csa-be.org/">www.csa-be.org</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Green/EFA group in the European Parliament</span><br /><br />For many years The Green/EFA Gropup has been running the Green Food Campaign ("Join the Food Revolution") putting pressure on policy makers and European Institutions to reform the European Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) in order to move away from industrialized and export oriented factory farming and to reconnect farmers with consumers to achieve fair farm gate prices and reasonable consumer prices, to sustain the diversity of European family farming and to promote sustainable food production and consumption systems.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.greens-efa.org/">www.greens-efa.org</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com