wfn.org | St. Louis event will focus on world's food availability

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Feb. 21, 2000 News media contact: Linda Bloom·(212) 870-3803·New York
10-24-71B{084}

NOTE: This report may be used as a sidebar to UMNS story #083.

By United Methodist News Service

About 30 people are expected to participate in a United Methodist
consultation on "food security in a global community" April 7-8 in St.
Louis.

The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries -- through its Sustainable
Agricultural and Rural Development Initiative (SARDI) - is sponsoring the
consultation.

Participants will consider factors affecting food availability, food
security and sustainable development, with attention to the roles that
globalization, agribusiness and biotechnology play in those issues. 

Jim Gulley, SARDI program director, noted that the consolidation of
agribusiness has been a continuing concern during the farm crisis. "There
are fewer actors who are involved in the processing and handling of food,
and they are the ones that control the market," he explained.

The human consequences of genetic engineering of foodstuff and world trade
issues also are factors. "We're a global church with global constituents,"
he said. "We can't just see this in a narrow way for farmers here. The
reality of globalization is we have to look at what our neighbors are doing
and how what we're doing impacts them."

Participants will examine the issues from faith perspectives and recommend
follow-up actions that United Methodists can take, both individually and
collectively.

Besides the Board of Global Ministries, groups represented at the event will
include the United Methodist Rural Chaplains Association, United Methodist
Board of Church and Society, National Council of Churches, Society of St.
Andrew and the Foods Resource Bank.

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United Methodist News Service
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