Christian Development Agencies criticize G8’s plan for African food security
(Vatican Radio) A new report issued this week criticizes the G8’s “Alliance for Food
Security and Nutrition in Africa” saying it ignores human rights and the root causes
of hunger. Entitled “Whose Alliance?”, the report is published by CIDSE, an international
alliance of Catholic development agencies and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.
The report accuses the G8's New Alliance of focusing too much on the role of markets
as a food security strategy. CIDSE Secretary General Bernd Nilles spoke to Susy Hodges
about their main objections to the G8's plan.
Listen to the extended interview
with Bernd Nilles:
Referring
to the upcoming G8 leader’s summit, Nilles says whilst they welcome that the issue
of "food security is high on the agenda” at this meeting, they are not so pleased
that the G8 leaders are focusing “mainly on the private sector”. He sees this emphasis
by governments on the role of big corporations “as a cheap excuse not to pay for development
aid they promised a couple of years ago.”
Nilles says instead of focusing
like the G8 leaders on the amount of food produced in Africa, CIDSE and other development
organisations focus more on “access to food and the distribution of food.” He reminds
us of the crucial role played by small holder food producers in ensuring food security.
“Small-scale farmers are the ones who produce 80 percent of Africa’s food and we must
help them to flourish.” Nilles goes on to explain: “One of the root causes of hunger
(in Africa) is that small and poor farmers are excluded from markets, are discriminated
against and don’t get the support (they need) from their governments.”