Brussels - what should the G20 do to confront us food crises prepare now and in the future? World Bank President Robert Zoellick should be listed before recently nine measures adopted by the G-20 under its current French Presidency. These range from improving information on inventory levels and development of better weather forecast from methods to strengthen the social safety nets for poor and helpers small farmers benefit from invitations to tender from humanitarian customers such as for example the world food programme.
Although welcome, overcome these measures only the symptoms of global food system weaknesses, leave the root causes of the crises without prejudice. You can mitigate the effects of peak prices, but you are not sufficient to prevent the recurrence of shocks that can be achieved if the G-20 on eight priorities acts.
Firstly, the G-20 countries should support capacity to feed themselves. Since the early 1990s, many poor countries food bills are up five or inauguration thanks not only to population growth, but also your focus on export-led agricultural. A lack of investment in agriculture, which makes local communities feeds these countries vulnerable to international shocks, as well as exchange rate volatility.
Mozambique, for example 60% of its energy consumption wheat and Egypt imports 50% of their food supplies. Rising prices affect ability to eat at acceptable cost directly to these countries. This trend must be reversed by helping developing countries protect your farmer where domestic supply sufficient before dumping by foreign manufacturers.
Second, foods that are reserves, should set not only for humanitarian aid in disaster-prone, infrastructure poor areas, provides as Zoellick, but also suggests as a means to support stable revenue for agricultural producers and affordable food for the poor. If managed way, the transparent and participatory and countries unite their efforts, regional, can eat reserves an effective way to increase seller's market ' power and speculation of traders limit reduce price volatility.
Third, financial speculation should also be limited. While no cause of price volatility, essential food of commodities worsens it significantly speculation on derivatives. Such speculation is enabled by massive deregulation of commodities derivatives markets, which began in 2000 - and now must be cancelled. Major economies should ensure that such derivatives on qualified and experienced investors as possible restricted rather on the basis of expectations regarding market fundamentals, trading mainly or only for short-term speculative profits.
Fourth can developing countries fear that social safety nets, once introduced, many funds are fiscally unsustainable, due to a sudden loss of revenue export, crop failures, or sharp rise in prices for imports of food. The international community can help to overcome this reluctance by a global reinsurance mechanism. If premiums were partially paid through the country, finding insurance and matched contributions donor countries a strong incentive to implement robust social protection programs.
Fifth, farmers need support organizations. An important reason why the majority of starving under which are which is dependent on small-scale farming, being poorly organized. The creation of cooperatives, drag in the processing, packaging and marketing their products of the value chain. Can its negotiating position, both for input purchases than for the sale of their crops. And you can a major political constituency, became so that decisions about not made without you.
Sixth, must we access land to protect. Every year an area is larger than France farmland assigned to foreign investors or Governments. This land grab which is mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, is a major threat to future food security of the population. What gains in agricultural production resulting from these investments of foreign markets, benefit from non-local communities. The G-20 large-scale investments might call for a moratorium on them until it reaches an agreement on appropriate principles.
Seventh, must complete the transition to sustainable agriculture. Weather-related events are a major cause of price volatility in agricultural markets. In the future, climate change might cause more supply shocks. And agriculture is change, a major culprit in climate responsible for 33% of all greenhouse gas emissions, if deforestation for crops and pastures in the tally. We need the agricultural systems to climate change more resistant and which can contribute to the reduction. Agroecology points to solutions, but strong support from Governments is practices required to scale up existing best.
Finally we have the human right to food to defend. People are hungry, not because too little food produced is, but because their rights violated will go unpunished. Victims of hunger must grab appeal if their authorities not effective action against food insecurity. Governments must guarantee a living keeping wages, adequate health care and safe conditions for the world's 450 million agricultural workers by the Convention on the rights of workers in rural areas, subject to independent monitoring force.
Hunger is a political issue, not just a technical problem. We need markets, of course, but we need a vision for the future that goes beyond short-term fixes. Always fire fighters require the global food system. But we need more urgently architects, are one more fire, to design system.
Olivier de Schutter is the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations for the right to food Copyright: project syndicate, 2011.
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