Maintaining Momentum in Global Agricultural Development
For the second panel discussion of day two of the Power 100 Summit, we had moderating Katrin Kuhlmann, President of the Global Works Foundation, and panel speakers Lisa Eakman from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Rev. David Beckmann from Bread for the World, and Franklin Moore from USAID. Ms. Kuhlmann specifically works with trade and the effects it has on the developing world. Is it helping or is it not? We really need to start from the ground up and figure out what opportunities there are for global success. Many of the African nations are all land-locked and do not have access to ports which can sometimes open markets for a country. That is why trading with neighboring nations is so important. Also, creating a trading system to connect all levels of the economy to ports to make the entire continent successful.
Mr. Moore spoke about the 1 billion hungry people that live on this earth. He started out by saying about 50%, as a group, are not terribly productive and the quality of food they produce is not very good. If they were able to become net sellers of food, they would be able to meet the complex nutritional needs of the human body. Another 10% are rural by location and they mainly make a living from livestock or fishery.
Another 20% of them have such small amounts of land that they will not be to actually produce enough to have a health lifestyle. The final 20% are poor, making less than a $1.25 a day, and ultra poor, making less then $0.20 a day.
About 40% of the produce harvested in Africa and Southeast Asia spoils before it even arrives at market. Women do about 70% of agricultural labor and we are in need of reform to make sure that equal rights are given.
Ms. Eakman spoke much about the importance of just having one or two movers and shakers to really make something happen. People such as Senator Lugar, who are able to stand up and say we need to do something, are inspiring. We students are the people that can be the movers and shakers that can really do something about this.
Mr. Beckmann spoke about the importance of supporting and lobby or public officials to be able to make sure that they really get things done. Bread for the World has been pushing the current administration to really make U.S. foreign assistance more effective. Secretary Clinton and President Obama have made commitments to make international farms flourish and end hunger.
In 2010, we need to make sure that the plans to make the farms flourish are implemented and celebrate the hope for people to not go hungry any longer. And in 2012, we need to reform the Farm Bill to make sure that the food we eat is good for us, and make it much more environmentally effective.
- Steven Thai, Campus Outreach Ambassador for Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota
February 14th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
What exactly is in the Farm Bill? What exactly do Clinton and Obama mean by “flourishing farms”? This is important because there are a lot of supposed “good” things going on in the “agricultural” world that are supposed to be solutions to end world hunger. But are they really? Is the food organic or GMO? Does anyone else out there care about that? No where on the ONE site does it say anything about organic food when it speaks of agriculture. Nor does it talk about different sustainable agricultural methods … what are the methods ONE and it’s partner organizations are supporting? I don’t believe they are totally sustainable ones. I know that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (up until now, MAYBE) were supporting GMO agriculture. I say up until now MAYBE because I went to a welcoming at my school (Maharishi University of Management) for former president of Mozambique, Jauquim Chissano, and he said he was late because he was having a meeting with Bill Gates in Des Moines, Bill was talking to Mr. Chissano about the possibility of going organic. I don’t know what has happened since then.
These are just a few things all of us participating with the ONE campaign might want to pay attention to. I have posted some websites that provide solutions to unsustainable and GMO agriculture.
Peace, Love and Happiness,
Daniel Skiles,
Student Leader of Maharishi University of Management (The only college in the United States to have a “Sustainable Living” degree program.)
http://www.mum.edu/sustainable_living/welcome.html