WFP Urges Europe To Take Lead In Helping Poor Farmers

Main Category: Water - Air Quality / Agriculture
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 12 Sep 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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A unified plea on behalf of the world's poorest farmers echoed around the European Parliament's Development Committee , as leaders of the three Rome-based United Nations agencies - the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), as well the World Bank - urged assistance to ease the global crisis caused by high food prices.

"We are in an extraordinary situation which calls for extraordinary action - and the European Commission's funding proposal is the right idea at the right time," said Josette Sheeran, WFP's Executive Director, referring to the proposal by the European Development Committee to place €1 billion saved in unspent subsidies into a fund to fight food shortages.

"With poor farmers unable to feed their own families, we are in the danger zone," she added, saying that lower food stocks threatened to cause further unrest.

Many poor farmers in developing countries are unable to plant their fields because they cannot afford to buy seeds and fertiliser. Those people living on US$2 or less per day are swelling the numbers of those requiring food assistance, and an additional 130 million people have been pushed deeper into poverty and hunger due to high food and fuel prices.

"It would be bold and even poetic if this Committee were to approve the funding proposal for European farmers, who have benefited from high food prices to give it to poor farmers across the developing world," Sheeran said.

"The European Commission has taken the leadership in this innovative, timely and generous proposal, which we and our fellow agencies welcome in addressing urgent needs," said Gemmo Lodesani, Director of WFP's Brussels office

Acknowledging the necessity of solving various technical problems before the €1 billion fund can be approved, Sheeran quoted Nelson Mandela: "True leadership requires a cool head and a warm heart."

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency and the UN's frontline agency for hunger solutions. This year, WFP plans to feed around 90 million people in 80 countries.

WFP

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