time for a new g8 hunger commitment?
This year, G8 aid funding for sustainable hunger reduction pledged in 2009 as part of the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative comes to an end.
Sadly, close to a billion people still don’t have enough to eat, and half of these hungry people are farmers themselves who struggle to produce enough. A new hunger commitment is desperately needed to help turn this situation around.
When world leaders gather at the US G8 summit on 19th May, food security, agriculture and nutrition will be a key focus. Next year, G8 leaders will meet here in the UK. This means the UK Government is in a great position to push for all G8 leaders to make a new and improved commmitment to reduce world hunger, and the UK can continue to lead the way when we host the summit next year.
ASFG member Concern Worldwide UK has been running its Unheard Voices campaign since 2007, championing the cause of smallholder farmers with donors and decision makers. The charity works with smallholders in 25 of the world’s poorest countries. Concern uses evidence from this work to show that with appropriate support poor farmers can grow more, eat more and better food, and even go on to employ others, helping their communities to thrive.
Concern is calling for a new hunger commitment to be developed in partnership with poorer countries, so they can say how best money can be spent to ensure the poorest people have access to nutritious food. It makes sense to focus on sustainability as well, and this will mean support to the poorest farmers to help them grow more. Finally, Concern is calling for the new commitment to be measured not on funds committed but against impact on hunger, so donors can be sure it is working.
Prime Minister David Cameron will represent the UK at the G8 summit, and he can push for a new hunger commitment. Concern is encouraging supporters of a new hunger commitment to get their voices heard by emailing their MPs, asking that MPs write to the Prime Minister. If enough MPs write, quoting emails from constituents, this will give a clear message that the UK public care about hunger.
You can help by emailing your MP today – With Concern’s online action, entering your postcode will generate an email to your MP which you can edit before sending. It takes less than 2 minutes.
