FOOD SECURITY AND AGRICULTURAL TRADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

At the annual UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, an expert appointed to report on the "right to food" took a tough position on the negative impact of agricultural trade under the WTO on small peasant farmers and their food security. Meanwhile, at a conference in Kampala, Ugandan President Museveni called on developed countries to open up their agricultural markets, allowing Africans to export their way out of poverty and food insecurity. In related news, a treaty to secure the genetic diversity of farm crops received the requisite ratifications to enter into force.

Human rights expert blasts the WTO

Speaking on agricultural trade under the WTO, Jean Ziegler, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, reported to the UN Commission on Human Rights on 30 March that "agricultural trade is far from being free, and even further from being fair". He stressed that market forces cannot solve the problem on hunger seeing that 840 million people are undernourished -- although global food production is sufficient to support the global population -- and urged WTO Members to focus on "food sovereignty". He emphasised the dire situation of small peasant farmers, which represent three quarters of the 1.2 billion poorest people in the world, and said that "models of export-oriented agriculture that threaten the livelihoods of millions of peasant farmers should be reviewed," as should the dominant role played by large agribusiness companies. He suggested that, in addition to rejecting liberalisation measures, countries should be able to use protectionist tariffs in sensitive agricultural sectors.

Kampala conference addresses food security in Africa

Meanwhile, a conference organised by the International Food Policy Research Institute and hosted by the Government of Uganda, sought to find technical, institutional and political solutions to change a situation in which 200 million Africans are undernourished. The conference on assuring food and nutrition security in Africa was held in Kampala from 1-3 April. Attended by over 500 participants representing different parts of society, including three heads of state, the meeting produced an outcome document on the way forward towards food security. The document identified priority actions for Africa, including: strengthening governance and public accountability; fostering macroeconomic growth and stability; investing in food processing for value addition; investing in pro-poor health policies and actions to raise labour productivity and nutrition security; investing in raising agricultural productivity; and investing in human capacity.

In his address to the conference, Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni stressed access to developed countries markets as the key to ensuring food security. In the words of Museveni, "you cannot talk of sustainable food security without speaking of commercial agriculture which means market access". Several other speakers also addressed the issue of market access for African products and the need to address developed country farm subsidies.

International seed treaty to enter into force

In related news, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was ratified by twelve European countries and the European Community on 29 March, and will enter into force in three month's time. The treaty seeks to ensure that the wide genetic variety of food crops, passed down through generations of farmers, is preserved. This genetic variety provides an insurance against possible climatic and other changes, and access to a wide range of food products improves the diets of both the farmers themselves and other consumers. The treaty establishes a system to facilitate access to plant genetic resources, and provides for benefit-sharing if products are commercialised as a result. "The Treaty provides an international legal framework that will be a key element in ensuring food security, now and in the future," said Jose Esquinas-Alcazar, of the FAO. FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf added, "the Treaty is an important contribution to the achievement of the World Food Summit's major objective of halving the number of hungry people by 2015".

To access the report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, visit http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/E.CN.4.2004.10.En?Opendocument

For further information and full reporting on the Kampala meeting, see http://www.ifpri.org/2020africaconference/index.htm

ICTSD reporting; "Treaty on biodiversity to become law," FAO RELEASE, 31 March 2004; "Summary Report Of The Conference On Assuring Food And Nutrition Security In Africa By 2020," IISD, 5 April 2004; "U.N. Rights Expert Slams WTO's Trade Policies," UNWIRE, 31 March 2004.