Eurostep WeeklyRegular News Update from Eurostep, N° 520 15 September 2008 SAAPE welcomes Commission proposal to commit €1bn from the CAP to help resolve food crisis The EU plans to commit €1bn from the budget of the common agricultural policy to help combat the impact of the global food crisis, by redirecting it to impoverished small farmers in developing countries. The €1bn comes from a fund known as the ‘agricultural price support fund', which is intended to support EU farmers should they require it but is otherwise refunded to the Member States. The initiative was welcomed by SAAPE, a South Asian alliance of civil society organisations, which said it could save "millions" from falling into destitution and hunger. "On moral grounds, the EU must pay back to small farmers in developing countries the €1bn it has saved by way of farm export subsidies," said Prerna Bomzan, of the group's EU advocacy initiative. Josette Sheeran, Director of the UN's World Food Programme, told Parliament on Wednesday, "The world's poorest farmers are in crisis mode. Some of the most vulnerable people in the world are still in the danger zone so, clearly, this money is urgently needed." Irish MEP Gay Mitchell, who was appointed Parliament´s rapporteur on the issue in July, said: "Some Member States feel that this surplus cash should be returned to them while some members of the budget committee believe that committing such a large amount to the developing world would set a dangerous precedent. But there is support from both the Commission, Parliament and the French presidency of the EU for this surplus to be used to help tackle the global food crisis." Parliament´s Development Committee will vote on the proposal on 7 October. Source: Philippines farmers embrace organic farming Increasing numbers of Filipino farmers are turning to organic farming methods, according to a recent IPS article. With the help of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), farmers who were previously purchasing expensive chemical pesticide and fertiliser, usually funded by borrowing from local money lenders who charge high interest, have been persuaded to substitute chicken manure and indigenous herbs. The global market for organic food products is increasing by 20-30 percent every year, and is estimated to be worth 100 billion dollars. "Sustainable agriculture in rice farming addressed the problem of high cost of chemical farming and acted on health, environmental and ecological considerations,'' the Manila-based Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) noted in its study, published in 2007. At a press briefing last month, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap announced that the Philippine government would set aside P800 million (16 million dollars) to encourage rice farmers to engage in organic farming for the September-October planting season. Source : Civil Society makes key recommendations a head of Financing for Development (FfD) conference in Doha On August 30, civil society organisations monitoring the review process of the Financing for Development (FfD) published a document entitled "Key Recommendations for the Doha Draft Outcome Document", which calls for "a package of new, concrete, monitorable measures, coupled with a strong and explicit political commitment to implement them." The FfD conference is scheduled to take place on 29 November - 2 December 2008 in Doha. Just some of the recommendations, which have 60 signatories including Eurostep, Action Aid and Oxfam International, include binding timetables to reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNI to ODA by 2015 at the latest, making use of the proceeds from emissions trading for international measures to combat global warming, expanded debt cancellation and the removal of aid conditionalities. The document highlights that: "it has now become clear that agriculture, food security and food sovereignty need to be put back on to the development agenda." It also stresses the need to address the challenge of financing climate adaptation and mitigation, to allow "democratic and equitable participation of all countries in global and national-level policy-making" and to recognise gender concerns and women's participation as integral to effective policy-making Read the full text of the recommendations at:
http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/doha/hearings/civilsociety/KeyRecommendations.pdf Zimbabwean diaspora discuss recent developments in the country in Parliament On Thursday 11 September at the European Parliament a hearing on the situation in Zimbabwe took place, entitled "Zimbabwe: recent developments and the humanitarian situation". The meeting was co-hosted by MEP Thijs Berman, Zimbabwe Watch and Global Diaspora Zimbabwe Forum. The debate focused on what more can be done for Zimbabwe at the EU level, and what could be expected from the French presidency concerning the political and humanitarian crisis. The speakers, who included Promise Mkwanzani of the Global Diaspora Zimbabwe Forum and award-winning author Dr. Chenjerai Hove, discussed the pros and cons of a possible power sharing deal between Robert Mugabe and the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The deal, brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki the day after the hearing, is likely to retain Mugabe as head of state and head of government with curtailed powers, but will not give Morgan Tsvangirai absolute control. Source: Irish Lisbon Treaty anxieties revealed The Irish government announced on Wednesday 10 September the opening of a national consultation process on Ireland's future relationship with the EU, marked by the publication of a government-commissioned study on the causes of Irish voters' rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in the referendum of 12 June. The research suggests that, as well feeling that they had not been provided with sufficient information on which to base their decision, two key issues for Irish voters were the defence of Irish military neutrality and the existence of a guaranteed Irish Commissioner. The study reveals fears, particularly among women voters, that young Irish men could be conscripted into an EU army. The results of the study will be influential on any compromise package that Ireland receives in a bid to revive the Lisbon Treaty. The Irish government is already exploring the possibility an opt-out out from European security and defence policy, and the French EU Presidency has announced its willingness to consider amendments to the treaty aimed at reassuring Irish voters. However, opinion polls show a majority of Irish voters still oppose the Lisbon Treaty and it remains uncertain whether and when this situation could be reversed. Source: |
