ONE Calls on G8 to Deliver Bold, Smart Plan on Agriculture
Washington, DC– With five days until the G8 Summit at Camp David, the global advocacy organization ONE is calling on world leaders to take bold, smart and targeted actions to fight hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. ONE, along with other leading organizations, are encouraging the G8 to deliver an ambitious and practical new global food security framework that aligns behind country-led investment plans and proven nutrition solutions to help lift 50 million people out of poverty and prevent stunting in 15 million children due to chronic malnutrition.
Leading up to the G8 Summit, Bono, the co-founder of ONE, will be attending the Chicago Council’s 3rd Annual Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security on May 18th. The high-level event will include remarks from President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and AU President Yayi Boni of Benin, among many other global leaders who will address G8 efforts on food security and the benefits of private sector investment in agriculture in Africa.
ONE is rallying behind 30 low-income countries that have internationally-endorsed agriculture investment plans in place. Combined these countries are home to around 27% of the 1.4 billion people in extreme poverty, and 90% of the poorest people in sub-Saharan Africa. If fully funded through smart investments by country governments, donors, and the private sector, these 30 country investment plans could lift an estimated 50 million people out of poverty within the coming decade. Additionally, investing in nutrition interventions in agriculture-ready countries that are committed to reducing child malnutrition could prevent 15 million kids from stunted development, reduced earnings and a shortened lifespan. Together these programs will give farmers the tools and techniques they need to produce more crops to feed their families and sell to market, helping to pull their families, communities and countries out of extreme poverty for the long term.
“We urge the G8 to create a new global framework for agriculture and nutrition, centered on investment in smart, country-owned plans,” said Michael Elliott, President and CEO of ONE. “This isn’t about massive new funding increases. But it’s vital that the G8 maintain the financial commitments made at the L’Aquila summit in 2009, and, this time, with a greater focus on outcomes. Africa in particular has enormous untapped potential to be a greater contributor to the global economy – feeding itself and increasingly helping to feed the world. Smart and highly targeted aid, alongside investments from African governments and the private sector, will help to make this a reality.”
Voices Around the Globe Send Message to the G8
ONE is currently running Thrive, a campaign aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger. As part of the campaign, more than 280,000 people worldwide have “planted a seed for change” in the heads of G8 leaders with a petition asking them to make bold commitments on country-owned agriculture and nutrition programs at Camp David. As a sendoff to the Summit, campaigners in France, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. will deliver these petitions to their leaders.
To add to the chorus of voices calling on the G8, ONE launched the ONE Street Tweeter — a mobile, hydraulic robot that will take our message to the streets in the run-up to the G8. The Street Tweeter asks supporters around the world to tweet short inspiring messages (40 characters or less) to @ONEStreetTweet to motivate G8 leadership to take actions to fight hunger and extreme poverty. People who are not on Twitter can submit their message online at www.one.org. Messages printed on road surfaces will be photographed and sent back to the original tweeter, as well as featured in on an online gallery of images on ONE’s web site.