We urge you to take immediate action to address the current situation of global food insecurity.
We are in the midst of a global food crisis linked to record increases of 83% in food prices. A situation not seen in the world in fifty (50) years.
Increased demand linked to biofuels production with increased meat and dairy consumption, high oil prices, climate change, lack of investment in rural development and agriculture, and the liberalization of markets are underlying causes of hunger and the current food crisis.
For years, governments - advised by international financial institutions and donors -have dismantled public support to agriculture and neglected the small farmers, particularly women farmers, who feed their people. Now the poor are literally paying the price while agribusiness reaps the profit.
Everyone has the right to adequate food and states have an obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil this right. To realize this right to food, please immediately:
BOOST PURCHASING POWER OF THE POOR AND MARGINALIZED - by expanding locally effective social security measures such as food for work programmes, employment guarantee schemes, targeted cash transfers, etc. -- by removing sales taxes or VAT on staple food
BOOST SMALL FARMERS' CAPACITY TO PRODUCE FOOD - by reintroducing or expanding subsidised credit, input subsidies, price supports, seedbanks. -- by stopping diversion of land from local food production into other uses. Specifically,
-Southern governments must regulate biofuel investment to ensure local food production is not displaced.
-Northern governments must drastically reduce or eliminate targets and subsidies for domestic biofuel production.
BECAUSE WOMEN PRODUCE UP TO 80% OF THE FOOD IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, YET NOW COMPRISE 60% OF THOSE SUFFERING FROM HUNGER - ALL THESE MEASURES SHOULD PRIORITIZE WOMEN.
Donor countries and international financial institutions must support poor countries' fund responses to the food crisis by cancelling debts, increasing aid, and restructuring trade rules to support and protect small farmers.
The above measures should not come without the long term commitment of governments to invest in rural development and small-scale agriculture. They must also adopt a plan of action that will regain their food self-sufficiency and secure people's right to food immediately.
As main guarantors for the protection, respect, fulfilment of human rights, we hope that world leaders will take the above measures to end this crisis now... and permanently
