G8 Again Betraying Africa, ActionAid Says
ActionAid
Jul 7, 2008
As the G8 leaders meet African heads of state today (Monday), ActionAid voices fears that smallholder farmers who provide the backbone of African food production are being ignored once again.
“We are concerned that the G8 is again betraying Africa by backtracking on its aid commitments. The G8 has now become a graveyard of broken promises,” said John Samuel, ActionAid’s International Director Asia.
ActionAid warned that if the G8’s agriculture action plan is based on the outcomes of the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, held in May, it will be geared towards promoting heavy use of fertilizers and high yield seeds instead of on the needs and experiences of small-scale farmers. ActionAid’s recent report, “Cereal Offenders: How the G8 has Contributed to the Global Food Crisis and What They Can Do to Stop It.” lays out a set of core recommendations to G8 leaders on how best to promote agricultural development.
"We welcome the G8’s newfound attention to agriculture, but we need an approach which is environmentally and financially sustainable for the women smallholders who are the backbone of Africa’s food system," said Carol Kayira, ActionAid’s Food Rights Coordinator from Malawi.
“With more investment in direct support to farmers, a renewed extension system to spread agricultural knowledge, greater access to credit, more secure tenure rights for women, and a greater investment in sustainable low-input farming methods, Malawi's small farmers would be able to produce much more food,” Kayira added.
If the G8 intends to support agriculture in Africa, action on climate change is also necessary. ActionAid USA’s Food Rights Policy Associate Ilana Solomon stated that, “G8 countries are largely responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions which are already having devastating impacts on agricultural production in developing countries. The G8 must agree to short term targets for emissions reductions by at least 25 – 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change on agriculture.
“Additionally, the G8 has the responsibility to provide at least $55 billion to help developing countries cope with the impacts of climate change.”
Meanwhile, there are fears that the G8 will default on past promises of aid to Africa, including funds for the fight against AIDS. Earlier drafts of the summit communiqué showed signs of backtracking from the promise of a US$25 billion increase in annual aid to Africa by 2010. ActionAid understands that the $25 billion pledge to Africa has been restored to the text, but expressed concern that the pledge of US$50 billion by 2010 worldwide is still missing from the current draft.
ActionAid believes that three years after the Gleneagles summit, the G8's commitments to HIV and AIDS are as important as ever to Africa. Seventy percent of people who need treatment in low and middle income countries are still not receiving it. Last year, 2.5 million people were newly infected and over 2 million people died from AIDS. Two thirds of HIV-positive pregnant women are still unable to get drugs that could prevent the virus being passed on to their child.
“Further inaction by the G8 threatens millions of women living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS globally. The G8 communique must include a 2010 target for universal access to prevention, treatment, care, and support” said Jacqui Patterson, Women’s Rights Policy Analyst with ActionAid USA.
ENDS…
Contact:
Ilana Solomon – 202-222-5004 or 202-370-9927, ilana.solomon@actionaid.org
Shafqat Munir - 090-5323-3080 or +92 300 500 3959, shafqat.munir@actionaid.org
