A Critical Look at ADB Food Policies: Investment for Whom?
A self-organized roundtable discussion by the Asia-Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty (APNFS), the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and the Focus on the Global South
APNFS joins the People’s Food Sovereignty Forum in Rome
Asia Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty sent a delegation* from India, Bangladesh and the Philippines to the People’s Food Sovereignty Forum held in Citta dell’Altra Economia (Center for Alternative Economy), Rome, Italy on November 13-17, 2009.
The Forum was held parallel to the World Summit on Food Sovereignty, also held in Rome on November 16-18, 2009. The Forum, which gathered more than 600 farmers, indigenous peoples, rural youth, women, food security advocates and other social organizations, was aimed at pushing for reforms in mainstream agricultural and food policies to effectively address the root causes of hunger and poverty.
RECLAIM OUR WATER RIGHTS, RECLAIM OUR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
The dramatic rise of global food prices in the first
half of 2008 to as high as 75% to 85% from their 2006 levels, severely affected not
only the more than 800 million alreadyhungry and impoverished people in the world but also sent 50 million
more into poverty. The devastating social impact of the crisis also underscores
the vulnerability of poorer countries to food price and supply volatilities - a
phenomenon that has been recurring within the present context of globalization
and increased economic integration among countries.