Anglican Alliance: Food Campaign Targets G20 Agriculture Ministers

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Anglican Alliance: Food Campaign Targets G20 Agriculture Ministers

Posted On : June 8, 2011 4:18 PM | Posted By : Webmaster

ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/6/8/ACNS4877

> Related Categories: ACO - Anglican Alliance

The Anglican Alliance launches a food campaign
targeting G20 and African governments in the
run-up to this month?s meetings on the global food crisis.

Support for women farmers will be a focal point
for the campaign which will also call for action
to control speculation, improve market access for
developing country farmers, and increase spending on agriculture.

The Alliance, the initiative of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, brings together development, relief
and advocacy across the Anglican Communion: the
third biggest grouping of churches with a
presence in over 160 countries, including 13 of the G20 countries.

This month G20 agriculture ministers are due to
meet to consider the food crisis, and the
Alliance will be targeting ministers in the
countries in which Anglicans have a presence. It
will also be asking churches in Africa to write
to heads of government to prioritise food at their meeting later this month.
In most developing countries, women produce
between 60 and 80 percent of the food. Research
shows that equalizing women's access to
agricultural inputs can increase output by more
than 10 percent. Among the measures put forward to support women farmers ar e:
·         More secure land tenure for women
·         Women?s participation in decision
making in agriculture, rural development and resource management.
·         Equal access to credit, loan subsidies
and guarantees, and targeted support.
·         Access to markets for small farmers,
including through co-operatives, and equal access for women farmers.

The Alliance also supports the emerging consensus
over the need for controls on speculation in food
commodities to tackle the growing problem of food
insecurity which leaves over 900 million people
worldwide short of food. Meanwhile, the Alliance
campaign also for African heads of government to
give priority to food at their meeting this month.

Sally Keeble, Anglican Alliance director said:
?Anglicans in African identified food as their
top concern in the run-up to the G20 meetings
this November. There?s a growing consensus over
the need for action from G20 governments - the
agriculture ministers have a chance this month to
put forward some radical proposals to tackle the crisis.?

Further information on the food advocacy campaign
can be found here: http://www.anglicanalliance.info