Interview with the Wall Street Journal’s Roger Thurow

Oct 21st, 2009 10:06 AM EST
By David Cole

A few weeks ago Roger Thurow, Wall Street Journal reporter and author of “Enough- Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty”, dropped in to the Berlin ONE office for a discussion with poverty activists. He also made time for a brief interview with ONE staff member Andreas Huebers…

Your book “Enough“ describes the global food crisis as consequence of political failure. What, in your opinion, are the most important political actions necessary to overcome that crisis?

Political will is most important…the will among the world’s leading politicians and statesmen to make a major assault on hunger. They must reverse the neglect of agricultural development in the developing world, particularly in Africa.  Investment in rural development and agricultural production has declined drastically over the past two decades, leaving the farming infrastructure in wretched shape in many countries. Also, as we point out in the book, Europe and the U.S. must get their policies right, namely that their agricultural subsidies don’t harm the farmers in the developing world and create trade imbalances.

As part of an American initiative, the G8 decided to invest $20 billion in agriculture. Do you think this is the right approach?

This is the first step in reversing the neglect of agriculture development.  First, the G8 governments must actually deliver the money that they have promised.  Then, as we say in the book, there must be a policy framework that allows these investments to flourish.

How do you think we should channel resources in order to effectively contribute to an improvement of global food security?

The investments would be best tailored to help the small farmers who make up the majority of the population in many African countries.  So many farming programs that we take for granted in the U.S. and Europe have fallen into grave disrepair in Africa: agricultural research, extension services to carry information to the farmers, irrigation systems, rural roads, market structures…The best investments, as we illustrate in the book, are those that bring incentives to these farmers to grow as much food as they can and then market any surplus production.

Are there positive examples – even in times of a food crisis – that demonstrate ways of overcoming the crisis?

One of the most positive examples is the life of Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who recently died at the age of 95.  He showed how determined individuals can make a huge difference in the fight against hunger.  He also showed us that boosting agriculture production and reducing hunger in a time of increasing population is possible.  He gave the world the knowledge and the tools, and the moral imperative to attack hunger.

We have other positive examples in the book, such as Eleni Gabre-Madhin who has established the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange to increase the marketing opportunities for Ethiopian farmers.  And we describe how other individuals, be they in churches, corporations or community organizations, are making a difference in reducing hunger.

ONE’s Reaction to the Pittsburgh G20 Communique

Sep 28th, 2009 8:19 AM EST
By Virginia Simmons

Overall, the Pittsburgh G20 Summit appears to have made some progress towards reshaping global power structures to make them more representative, but it still has some way to go before it becomes a truly representative global decision making body.

I spent the summit with our US Government Relations Director Tom Hart, who said:

“Moving from the G8 to the G20 is a seismic shift: it brings many more of the world’s people to the table, but the new expanded world body must now start addressing the needs of the poorest countries, especially in Africa. For nearly a decade now, Africa has been squarely on the G8’s agenda, even if delivery on their commitments has been mixed. During this transition time, African development must not fall through the cracks. One way to show the world will not forget Africa would be to hold an upcoming G20 summit on the African continent.”

As I posted earlier here, we passed our petition, in which 75,000 ONE members worldwide call for a G20 Summit to be held in Africa, to the US delegation at the summit.

Below are some key points in the summit’s communique that are relevant to Africa:

• Agriculture - The G20 called on the World Bank to develop a new trust fund, as a way to implement the G8’s food security initiative announced at the L’Aquila Summit in Italy in July. This multilateral fund will support the set of principles championed by the White House to make aid for agriculture more effective, coordinated and geared towards the strategies developed by poor countries themselves.
• Climate change – The G20 failed to call for resources to help the poorest countries adapt to the harmful impacts of climate change, and tackle its causes. It was disappointing that there was no mention of the urgency of addressing these needs.
• African Development Bank – The G20 have reaffirmed the commitment to make sure the multilateral development banks have enough finance, especially the World soft loan arm, the International Development Association (IDA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The African bank has increased its lending to respond to the financial crisis by as much as US$4bn and now needs support to replenish its coffers. ONE welcomes Canada’s announcement of an extra US$2.8bn in loan guarantees for the Bank.
• World Bank and IMF- Both International Financial Institutions took steps towards increasing representation of developing countries.

Secretary of State Clinton Declares U.S. Commitment to End Global Hunger

Jun 15th, 2009 2:11 PM EST
By Beth Adler

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday made it clear that investment in agricultural productivity and the fight against hunger are priorities for the government, saying, “The issue of chronic hunger and food security is at the top of the agenda that we’re pursuing here in the State Department and in the Obama Administration,” She was speaking at the 2009 World Food Prize Awards ceremony, which honored Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, an agricultural scientist who helped develop hybrids of sorghum, a vital African crop, which are resistant to many common problems, including drought and weeds. Dr. Ejeta’s scientific advances have helped increase agricultural yields in regions most prone to food insecurity.

In her speech at the prize ceremony, Secretary Clinton spoke to the growing challenges caused by global hunger. Hunger is not merely a physical condition, she said; hunger also threatens economic productivity and global security, as well as the success of education and health programs. Hungry children, for example, struggle to concentrate in school and cannot make the most of their education. Despite the growing global number of hungry people, and the mounting difficulties caused by hunger, Secretary Clinton emphasized that with a comprehensive, long-term strategy, and donor support, it is possible for the planet to produce enough for all people to feed themselves and their families.

Secretary Clinton outlined the seven principles guiding this Administration’s effort to construct a comprehensive agriculture plan to achieve global food security and economic productivity:

• Increase agricultural productivity by improving access to quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, tools, and credit, and train farmers to use these inputs effectively.
• Stimulate the private sector by improving storage and food processing facilities, rural roads and transportation, and other infrastructure that enables farmers to get their products to market.
• Maintain natural resources so farmland remains productive in the future, including helping countries to adapt to climate change.
• Expand knowledge by investing in research and development, as well as training, cultivating the next generation of plant scientists.
• Facilitate increased trade to help farmers to sell crops domestically and internationally.
• Support policy reform and good governance which will help agriculture flourish.
• Support women and families, as 70% of the world’s farmers are women who are, to this point, largely neglected by agricultural programming.

In the near future, Secretary Clinton, President Obama, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will seek guidance from experts in the field as the administration creates a strategic agricultural initiative. Secretary Clinton stressed that agricultural development will not come from a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Secretary Clinton concluded that an international strategy is necessary to increase agricultural productivity and address global hunger, and that the U.S. has a particular opportunity to lead. “Now for us, sustainable agriculture won’t be a side project. It is a central element of our foreign policy,” she declared. She encouraged the international community to also make agriculture a priority.

This is an excellent first step towards fulfilling the administration’s commitment to address food insecurity, and increase agricultural investment and productivity. We at ONE look forward to what comes next. We will continue to track the administration’s commitment to agriculture, and encourage you to check back to the blog for updates.

-Beth Adler and Pooja Gupta

More on the Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting

Apr 20th, 2009 7:24 PM EST
By John Ryan

It is likely that agriculture will attract more international attention at the G8 Summer itself following this first G8 Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting. The food crisis is the one crisis that directly affects billions of people on earth, claiming lives every day. Still, the final communiqué represents much less of a breakthrough than hoped for. The outcome document seems to suggest a very “noisy” silence from the invited developing and emerging countries - we will be investigating whether this was a result of differences between delegations from the G8 on one side and developing and emerging country partners on the other.

During the press conference most questions from journalists were directed at developing countries who were asked specifically for their views on trade distortions that penalize them. The Italian agriculture Minister Zaia tried to point out the trade distortions that harm countries like Italy - not a good sign. The communiqué did not contain figures on resources for agricultural investments in Africa, or even an indication of a set of rules that should reduce or eliminate speculation. On the positive side those omissions mean we have plenty of room for manoeuvre in the run-up to La Maddalena. We will need that time to make sure that this agriculture summit does not turn out to have been one more exercise in empty rhetoric to save face, but not lives.

-Francesco Oddone

At the Agriculture Ministers’ meeting

Apr 20th, 2009 1:24 PM EST
By Tyler Douse

This weekend the G8 countries’ Agriculture Ministers met, in Cison di Valmarino, Italy, to discuss the pressing urgency of the world food emergency. ONE’s Francesco Oddone brings us analysis of this historic event on the ground:

Hope and a bit of scepticism: it is with a combination of these conflicting feelings that I approach Cison di Valmarino - 60 km from Venice, birthplace of Italian Agriculture Minister Luca Zaia - set in a beautiful hilly landscape in a region with great agri-food traditions.

There is definitely much hope for this G8 agriculture Ministers’ meeting which is an absolute first. the fact it is taking place shows how important food issues have become in the highest policymaking circles. The recent food crises, precursor of the larger economic one, has shown just how precarious the global system is when market speculation overtakes peoples’ basic needs. Having leaders from the North and the South, as well as the most relevant international organisations openly discussing the problems should certainly be considered in a positive light.

On the other hand, at least one thread coming out of the first day of the meeting certainly calls for some caution, or even suspicion. Mr Zaia’s call for some form of “shield” for Northern growers (his specific example was about Thai vs. Italian rice producers) cannot but be identified as potentially damaging protectionism that goes against the South’s opportunities to escape the vicious cycle of underdevelopment through trade. It is trade itself that can open the path for sustainable growth by providing reliable sources of income which can be locally re-invested. Blocking that route in times of a severe economic downturn does not seem an enlightened way to proceed, especially when it would harm people in the poorest countries that have had least to do with the crisis.

Work on the meeting’s outcome document is still in progress as of Sunday evening: there is talk that the document that might be approved by the G8 + G5 + 3 (Argentina, Australia, Egypt). That will depend on whether fundamental questions such as northern protectionism can be resolved during the next few hours.

-Francesco Oddone

More on the Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting

Apr 20th, 2009 1:21 PM EST
By Tyler Douse

It is likely that agriculture will attract more international attention at the G8 Summer itself following this first G8 Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting. The food crisis is the one crisis that directly affects billions of people on earth, claiming lives every day. Still, the final communiqué represents much less of a breakthrough than hoped for. The outcome document seems to suggest a very “noisy” silence from the invited developing and emerging countries - we will be investigating whether this was a result of differences between delegations from the G8 on one side and developing and emerging country partners on the other.

During the press conference most questions from journalists were directed at developing countries who were asked specifically for their views on trade distortions that penalize them. The Italian agriculture Minister Zaia tried to point out the trade distortions that harm countries like Italy - not a good sign. The communiqué did not contain figures on resources for agricultural investments in Africa, or even an indication of a set of rules that should reduce or eliminate speculation. On the positive side those omissions mean we have plenty of room for manoeuvre in the run-up to La Maddalena. We will need that time to make sure that this agriculture summit does not turn out to have been one more exercise in empty rhetoric to save face, but not lives.

-Francesco Oddone

On Eve of Agriculture Meeting, UN Says 100 Million More People Could Face Hunger

Apr 17th, 2009 1:27 PM EST
By Beth Adler

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that 50 to 100 million additional people will become hungry in light of the ramifications of the global financial downturn. Dr. David Nabarro, Coordinator of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis (HLTF) explains, “The evidence that we have, still anecdotal, is that the problem is starting up.”

As jobs in poor countries are eliminated and remittances from abroad decrease, the economic situation for many becomes more tenuous. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), two years of a global economic crisis could mean 50 million more people will be unemployed. This new challenge comes in the wake of last year’s global food crisis, the repercussions of which – high food prices, low food stores, volatile markets – are still affecting people in the developing world.

This new burden threatens to push more people over the threshold into hunger and poverty. Nabarro warns, “’We’re anticipating that, with the reduction of their purchasing power as a result of this unemployment, they are going to be facing extreme problems with ensuring that they could feed themselves and their families. As well as the many other difficulties that people of the world are facing… they’re also going to be heading into another period of hunger’.

These projections come just before G8 agriculture ministers meet in Italy to discuss the issue of food security and develop a proposal for addressing the global food crisis. The meeting begins on Saturday with ministers from the G8; it then continues on Sunday and Monday with representatives from other countries including Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, and Egypt. Global bodies such as the FAO, World Food Program, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank, the High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis, and African Union have also been invited.

We at ONE will be tracking the agriculture meetings; look out for updates next week.

-Beth Adler

A-LIST PICK: Vusi Mahlasela Recommends

Apr 16th, 2009 12:42 PM EST
By Herman Marin

In an effort to highlight the richness and beauty of African arts and culture, ONE is turning to its community of artists and friends and asking them to give us their top picks on the latest trends coming out of the continent. Our first guest contributor is Vusi Mahlasela - a South African singer-songwriter, poet-Activist and guitarist, who simply known as “The Voice” in his home country.

…………………………………………………………….

I first met Nigerian author Chris Abani at a conference in Tanzania and was immediately captured by his amazing ability to tell a story and by his gift for finding a balance between good and evil– for finding the silver lining in bad situations. Abani has a lot of insight from his own experiences growing up as a refugee in exile and this insight is evident in his writing. He is one of the greatest authors from Africa and his voice should be heard throughout the world. I really recommend all of his novels, especially Graceland which I read last month.

http://www.chrisabani.com/

-Vusi Mahlasela

New Tool Will Help Track Food Prices

Mar 31st, 2009 1:29 PM EST
By Beth Adler

Last week the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) unveiled a tool that will help track 800 monthly local retail and wholesale food prices for staple foods eaten in 55 developing countries. This technology – called the National Basic Food Prices Data and Analysis Tool - will enable the FAO and other agriculture and development organizations to better monitor the status of food prices on both domestic and international markets. The tool allows the FAO to compare prices in local currency or in dollars, and allows for price comparisons between domestic and international markets, between country markets, and between different markets within the same country.

Despite lower global commodity prices, recent data from the FAO confirms that food prices in Sub-Saharan Africa are still higher than a year ago. As the Financial Times reports, sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries are still suffering the effects of high food prices, which, coupled with effects of the global financial crisis like slow economic growth and decreased remittances, threaten to exacerbate the precarious situation of hunger and poverty in the developing world. Already 963 million people in the world are hungry – an increase of 40 million from 2007 to 2008 – and the World Bank estimates that the financial crisis could push a further 53 million people into poverty this year.

Liliana Balbi, a senior economist with FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System explains that “while food prices have fallen internationally, as indicated by the FAO food price index, this tool shows that in developing countries they have not fallen so fast, or at all.” In Kenya, wholesale maize prices were at $367 per ton, up from $222 a year ago; in Burkina Faso, the cost of sorghum, the country’s staple, had risen to 13,500 CFA francs ($27.71) per 100kg, up from 11,500 CFA francs a year ago. High food prices hit poor families hardest as they spend a much greater percentage of their household income on food compared to wealthy families.

Even though there is little respite in sight for high domestic food prices, the hope is that tools like this one will help predict food shortages before they become dire, and will be able to better target assistance to countries and regions that need it most.

-Beth Adler

A New Era for Chocolate and West African Cocoa Farmers?

Mar 6th, 2009 1:30 PM EST
By Tyler Douse

Cadbury’s UK announced their intention this week to convert approximately 20% of their chocolate range to Fair trade, joining Divine Chocolate on a journey we started 10 years ago.

Seventy percent of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa. Big chocolate companies such as Cadbury’s have been sourcing from the region for a century. While Ghana cocoa has developed a global reputation for its quality, cocoa farmers remain poor and unable to access the true value of what they create.

Divine is delighted that Cadbury is joining us in saying that the current way of working is neither sustainable nor fair. Together we can create a step change, where the very least companies should do is pay a Fair Trade price for the ingredients they buy, and that anything less is just not acceptable.

Today is the 52nd anniversary of Ghana achieving independence from colonial rule. We wonder whether this anniversary marks another historic moment for West Africa. Is this the new era of fairness in the chocolate industry, of real partnership between chocolate brands and the cocoa farmers who help make chocolate great?

We believe that it will be so – with your support.

My challenge to you is this:

1. If you’re planning on purchasing chocolate, use your purchasing power to support Fair Trade for cocoa farmers. You can find a full list of Fair Trade chocolate brands at www.fairtradecertified.org
2. Ask for Divine Chocolate and other Fair Trade products whenever and wherever you shop.

And – I invite you to join in our celebration of this new age of fairness for cocoa farmers. Enter to win a gorgeous Divine Chocolate basket. Share it with your friends and family and ask them to join in and to make trade sweet for cocoa farmers!

-Erin Gorman, Divine Chocolate