Anglican leaders press G20 ministers over food crisis

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Posted On : June 19, 2011 4:44 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO

ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/6/19/ACNS4882
Related Categories: ACO - Anglican Alliance

Anglican leaders press G20 ministers over food crisis

Anglican church leaders have written to G20

agriculture ministers to press for measures to
combat high food prices ahead of the ministers? meeting next week.

Control of the speculation in commodity trading
that has pushed up food prices for the poorest
people in the world, and more support for women
farmers who form the majority of subsistence
farmers are some of the measures that archbishops
from G20 countries have urged their agriculture ministers to support.

The moves have come amidst mounting concern over
the price spikes and food insecurity that have
left 900 million people around the world hungry.
The French President has put food on the agenda
for the G20 meeting in November, and next week?s
agriculture ministers meeting will seek an agreement on the way forward.

Ahead of the meeting letters to G20 agriculture ministers have been sent by:

·         Most Rev Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop
of Brisbane and Primate of Australia,
·         The Primate of the Anglican Church of
Canada, and president of the Primate?s World
Relief and Development Fund, President, the Most Rev Fred Hiltz
·         The Rt Rev Paul Keun-Sang Kim, the
Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church of Korea and Bishop of Seoul
·         The Most Rev Purely Lyngdoh, Moderator,
Church of North India and Bishop of North East India
·         The Most Rev Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Archbishop of Capetown
·         The Most Rev Dr Barry Morgan, Arcbishop
of Wales and Bishop of Llandaff

Welcoming the emerging consensus on the need for
global action to reduce food price volatility and
increase security, they call for a package of measures including:

·         More support for small farmers ? most
of whom are women who produce 60 to 80 per cent
of food in the poorest countries.
·         More investment in agriculture, especially research and develop ment
·         Measures to stop speculation in food commodities.
·         Better training, access to credit and
markets, and insurance schemes for small farmers.
·         Backing for recommendations that have
come from agriculture ministers in developing countries.
·         G20 countries to keep the promises of
the 2009 Aquila Food Security Initiative to
achieve clear targets for higher spending on agriculture:

Canada being the one country that has a record of meeting the goal.

> Advocacy on the global food crisis is being
> co-ordinated by the Anglican Alliance for
> development relief and advocacy. The Alliance
> brings together the work of the Anglican family
> of churches worldwide. It grew from a decision
> taken by the Lambeth conference in 2008 and
> started its formal operations in January this
> year. The decision on food advocacy came at its
> inaugural consultation meeting in Nairobi in April.