The Anglican Alliance has launched a food campaign targeting G20 and African governments in the run-up to this month’s meetings on the global food crisis.
Support for women farmers will be a focal point for the campaign which will also call for action to control speculation, improve market access for developing country farmers, and increase spending on agriculture.
The Alliance, the initiative of the Archbishop of Canterbury, brings together development, relief and advocacy across the Anglican Communion: the third biggest grouping of churches with a presence in over 160 countries, including 13 of the G20 countries.
This month G20 agriculture ministers are due to meet to consider the food crisis, and the Alliance will be targeting ministers in the countries in which Anglicans have a presence. It will also be asking churches in Africa to write to heads of government to prioritise food at their meeting later this month.
In most developing countries, women produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food.
Research shows that equalizing women’s access to agricultural inputs can increase output by more than 10 percent. Among the measures put forward to support women farmers are:
· More secure land tenure for women
· Women’s participation in decision making in agriculture, rural development and resource management.
· Equal access to credit, loan subsidies and guarantees, and targeted support.
· Access to markets for small farmers, including through co-operatives, and equal access for women farmers
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The Alliance also supports the emerging consensus over the need for controls on speculation in food commodities to tackle the growing problem of food insecurity which leaves over 900 million people worldwide short of food. Meanwhile, the Alliance campaign also for African heads of government to give priority to food at their meeting this month.
Sally Keeble, Anglican Alliance director said: “Anglicans in African identified food as their top concern in the run-up to the G20 meetings this November. There’s a growing consensus over the need for action from G20 governments – the agriculture ministers have a chance this month to put forward some radical proposals to tackle the crisis.”
Further information on the food advocacy campaign can be found here: http://www.anglicanalliance.info