Workshop: Green Policies to Solve the World Food Crisis

Enough wholesome food for all is high on the political agenda, since food prices skyrocket worldwide. Many factors have contributed to the current food crisis. Liberalisation of trade in food, speculation with growing volatility of supply, climate change effects like droughts and floods, but also the current boom of investments in agro-fuels have provoked a serious destabilisation of farming, allocation of food and feed production and growing hunger.

The dominant industrial agriculture has played a destructive role in this. It has not only destroyed fertility of soils, depleted water resources and rapidly reduced biodiversity. It has also driven millions of small farmers off their land which now have no means to feed themselves and depend on food aid.

This workshop will include discussions on the effects of the Brazilian Zero Hunger programme and other examples of hunger prevention and alleviation. We will also look at current campaigns on food priority measures such as the European food campaign of the European Greens.

And as such we need a good food policy that includes the right of the poor to feed themselves; that reflects the sustainability and diversity of agriCultures and that shares responsibilities between farmers, fishers and consumers for fair prices and fair trade.