Washington, DC
June 6, 2008
By Joachim von Braun
Director General, International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
The UN food summit closes with a
strong statement on agriculture, but fails to adequately address
trade, biofuels, safety nets, and implementation
The final declaration of the “Conference on World Food Security:
Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy” strongly affirms the
need for investing in agriculture, a very positive development.
It is noteworthy that governments recognize the need to
dramatically increase food production and to provide assistance
to small-scale farmers in developing countries to boost their
productivity. This focus on agriculture is very much needed and
long overdue.
However, the summit declaration is weak in four other areas:
trade, biofuels, safety nets for vulnerable people, and
accountability for implementation. Looking forward, strong
action is needed in each of these areas.
Trade
Export bans and other trade distorting measures only
exacerbate the crisis. Unfortunately, the summit barely came
to a consensus for recognizing the problem, let alone taking
action. IFPRI research found that the elimination of export
bans would stabilize grain price fluctuations, reduce price
levels by as much as 30 percent, and enhance the efficiency
of agricultural production. The G-8 summit and international
meetings should take a stronger stance on this issue.
Biofuels
Biofuels that use grains and oilseeds contribute
significantly to food price inflation. IFPRI analysis shows
that these types of biofuels accounted for 30 percent of the
rise in grain prices between 2000 and 2007. Corn-based
ethanol accounted for 40 percent of the increase in maize
prices during this period. Nevertheless, the summit shied
away from distinguishing between beneficial and risky types
of biofuels. Ultimately, the declaration dodged the issue by
calling for “in-depth studies.”
Safety nets
Poor people are hit hardest by food price increases.
Governments need to invest more in measures such as child
nutrition, school feeding, and conditional cash and food
transfer programs, to mitigate the price effects for people
living on the edge. Safety nets like these help avoid the
suffering of people who are unable to afford enough food,
and they increase the long-term resilience of poor people to
crises. A substantial body of research by IFPRI and other
organizations has confirmed that well designed safety-net
programs have high payoffs, both in terms of economic
productivity and poverty reduction.
Implementation
The declaration lacks clarity as to who is responsible
for its implementation. Without these specifics, the outcome
could be similar to the previous two food summits in 1996
and 2002: a lot of good intentions, but few results. Global
hunger has barely declined since 1996, and is now getting
worse in light of the current food crisis.
Progress must be made on these
issues to address the global food crisis. Throughout much of the
world, the poorest people are being squeezed by high food
prices. They need action now.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI
is one of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research, an alliance of 64
governments, private foundations, and international and regional
organizations. Please visit our website at
www.ifpri.org. |
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