A meeting of G8/G20 countries June 25-27 in Canada must provide leadership in tackling the rising food crisis.
Decades of misguided economic and agricultural policies have finally become too much for farmers and people around the world to withstand. A record one billion people are now chronically hungry. One in every seven does not have the food needed for basic life.
G8 and G20 of developed and emerging economies must reverse global food policies by supporting small-scale, sustainable agriculture in developing countries over industrial agriculture.
Development and Peace/Caritas Canada’s Executive Director Michael Casey said, “Faced with hunger in many parts of the world, Caritas believes that agricultural policies must promote the small farmer over and local food production.
“G8 and G20 countries must show the necessary leadership to reverse disastrous food policies of the past. Aid commitments must also be met. We need more aid, better spent. And we need to see effective action on climate change.”
Catholic Archbishop James Weisgerber of Winnipeg joined other faith leaders from around the world in Winnipeg 21 -23 June to ask for G8 governments to address poverty, invest in peace and care for the Earth. A statement by the Interfaith Leader’s Summit said, “At the summits in 2010, we expect leaders to put first the needs and values of the majority of the world’s population, of future generations and of Earth itself.”
The religious leaders called on governments to reach their promises of 0.7 percent of their income to be spent on overseas aid. Caritas says that past progress on aid is being undone as resources are scaled back.
There has been a 35 percent increase in aid since 2004 that has delivered better education and healthcare to millions of people in developing countries. However, overseas aid was $21 billion short in 2009 of pledges made at the G8 in Gleneagles in 2005, according to the OECD.
Food security will be further impacted by climate change. Rich countries must commit US $195 billion additional public financing per year by 2020 to support poor countries to adapt to climate change and to develop sustainably. There must also be a commitment to keep global warming well below 2°C.