The current world food crisis results from an unsustainable food system that includes:

Ø Extremely unequal access to land, seeds and water;
Ø Concentrated markets favouring the transnational food industry;
Ø A shift of land use from food to agro-fuel production;
Ø Dumping practices in food trade; and
Ø Worldwide speculation in feed and food commodities.

The widening gap between demand and supply for grain is leading to an explosion in the price of basic food. Rising global temperatures, water scarcity, increased food demand including increased meat consumption, the newly emerging economies of India and China, the explosion in the price of oil as well as an increasing allocation of farmland for the production of crops for agro-fuels are some of the reasons that have led to scarcity of grains and food. The results are higher food prices and reduction of reserves at an extremely rapid rate.

The dominant model of industrial agriculture imposes an unsustainable use of natural resources: soil, water, seeds, biodiversity, including the use of energy. Global Greens will work towards establishing sustainable farming methods and food supply systems that set the political priority on food security through local and regional food supply and consumption.

Global Greens will work towards a more sustainable balance between plant and animal production in agriculture, which will lead a more sustainable allocation of resources for food security worldwide. The increased demand for meat in emerging economies and the negative impact on environment and public health of factory farming in industrialised countries demand a radical change in farming practices.

We need to increase food grain harvests while at the same time we need to ban all GMOs. It is urgent to improve the use of land, increase the production for local and regional needs by using sustainable and organic methods, reduce the dependency on fossil resources as well as empowering small farmers.

Global Greens demand that the competition between land-use and production for local and regional markets and land-use and production for cash crops for export has to be decided in favour of production for local and regional markets. Exports of cash crops should be considered only once local and regional demand is satisfied.

Crop lands now used to produce agro-fuel crops need to be reconverted to produce grain. Set aside farmland in some cases can be included again in the farmed surface. Priority should be given, anywhere where it is possible to local basic needs, the only way to comfort self sufficient feeding.

Global Greens will promote the suppression of public subsidies by rich countries to agricultural exports, which contribute to a dumping system.