Food security poses challenge to EU CAP reform

How are we going to feed nine billion people in our global village while farmers only have the capacity to produce enough food for six billion?

That question is key to this debate among the 400 delegates present here in Brussels. Among them, also representatives of farmers from Africa, South America, Asia and North America.

Together with officials from the European Union and the United Nations, the delegates seek to make a recommendation to the G20 farm ministers who will meet at the end of June in paris.

- Elisabeth Atangana, President, Sub-Regional Platform of Peasant Organisations of Central Africa (PROPAC), Cameroun

- Ron Bonnett, President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

If there’s one thing clear from this conference at the European Economic and Social Committee, it’s that there is not one single solution to this problem of food security.

- Staffan Nilsson, President, European Economic and Social Committee

- Dacian Ciolos, European Commissioner for Agriculture

Agricultural innovation has great potential to boost food production,. But reducing price volatility and granting proper market access are seen as equally important. Global Trade policy and Regulation for commodity futures markets definitely are part of the debate.

The challenge has to addressed from different directions at the same time, delegates were told.

France wants to use its G20 presidency to table a full-fledged Food Security Action Plan by the end of the year.

- Jean-Marc Bournigal, Director of Cabinet, French Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire,

- David Nabarro, United Nations Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition

Europe is seen as a crucial partner in this debate, given the global influence of the Common Agricultural Policy in the European Union. In the upcoming talks about CAP reform, global development issues are to be considered.

- Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development
- Hafez Ghanem, Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Development Department, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

VO:
This conference conference has demonstrated clearly that all key global policy issues are affecting food security, directly or indirectly.

Especially in Europe, farm policy, can no longer be seen seperately from development issues.

Climate change, global trade talks and energy supplies such as biofuels also are all key elements.

So when it comes to ensuring that there will be enough food for all people living in the global village, there clearly is a special responsibility on Europe.

Raymond Frenken. EUX.TV
Email: Raymond.frenken@eux.tv