The Global Hunger
Alliance
....is an international coalition of organizations, scholars,
and community activists dedicated to effective, equitable, ethical,
and environmentally sustainable solutions to hunger and malnutrition.
Partners in the Global Hunger Alliance work together concerning
global food and agriculture policies and practices. At the same
time, the Alliance serves as a network to support and facilitate
the local and national projects of its partners. The Global
Hunger Alliance Statement of Principles has now also been endorsed
by the EVU:
"Hunger is a global emergency. The problems of hunger and
malnutrition will be solved by more efficient and equitable
use of existing world food resources and by increased international
support for the self-determined efforts of low-income food-deficient
nations to redevelop sustainable agricultural operations. Neither
of these aims will be met by the expansion of industrial animal
agriculture operations into low-income food-deficient nations.
Actions taken to address hunger must be cost-effective so that
they will feed the greatest number of people possible. Because
industrial animal agriculture operations entail higher usage
of land, plant, water and fuel resources per calorie or unit
of protein than the cultivation of plant
crops for human consumption, the expansion of such operations
in low-income food-deficient nations would worsen rather than
lessen the problems of hunger and malnutrition in those nations.
In contrast, sustainable cultivation of plants for human consumption
offers a cost-effective method of producing healthy food for
hungry people.
Foods produced as a result of hunger relief efforts must be
safe, healthy, and consistent with traditional diets. Hunger
relief plans which elevate consumption of animal-based foods
are culturally inappropriate and likely to increase the incidence
of diseases which are known to be related to high
levels of consumption of animal-based foods. Low-income nations
would be left to bear the health care costs and lowered levels
of productivity associated with these diseases.
Pollution and depletion of natural resources also threaten human
survival. The impending global water crisis is a particularly
emergent problem. Demands upon and pollution of already depleted
water resources by new industrial animal agriculture operations
would worsen this growing worldwide crisis. Land degradation
and desertification associated with intensive grazing would
worsen the impact of cycles of drought and flooding, further
threatening global water security.
Poverty eradication must be pursued in the context of self-determination.
External corporate control of industrial animal agriculture
operations in low-income food-deficient nations would lead to
profit extraction from impoverished nations as well as diminished
self-determination within the agricultural sectors of those
nations.
A reasonable measure of self-sufficiency is required for food
security. Industrial animal agriculture operations are highly
dependent on capital and technology. They require large amounts
of bought-in feed inputs, energy, and water. Therefore, the
expansion of such operations in low-income food-deficient nations
would worsen, rather than lessen, food insecurity in those nations.
The aim of agriculture is to feed people. Low-income nations
must not be pressured to convert their agricultural sectors
into profit-generating components of foreign-owned corporations
or to place the demands of international markets above the needs
of their own citizens. Conversion of agricultural resources
now devoted to food for local and regional consumption into
resources devoted to the production of commodities for foreign
markets would increase vulnerability to market shocks and, hence,
increase food insecurity.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
must act in the interests of low-income food-deficient nations
and must also recognize the shared interest of the citizens
of the world in the preservation of the environment. The FAO
must not cede to the interests of private corporations by promoting
practices which would ultimately further impoverish low-income
food-deficient nations and further despoil the environment upon
which we all depend.
The Global Hunger Alliance calls upon participants in the World
Food Summit to rise above national interests and profit motives
in order to agree upon a set of genuine solutions that will
feed the world while preserving the planet."
www.globalhunger.net/sop.html
info@globalhunger.net
www.globalhunger.net
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