Securing Future Food
24 September 2010, Friends House, London
Chair: Patrick Mulvany
Chair UKFG and Senior Policy Adviser, PracticalAction,
Keynote address: Olivier De Schutter
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
Download the powerpoint presentation | Listen to audio file
Download the agenda as a 70kb PDF
UK Food Group briefing "Securing Future Food: towards ecological food provision"
Go to webpage
"At the meeting in London today, De Schutter said the only long term way to resolve the crisis would be to shift to "agro-ecological" ways of growing food. This farming, which does not depend on fossil fuels, pesticides or heavy machinery has been shown to protect soils and use less water." John Vidal, The Guardian, 24 September 2010
Organised in the run up to World Food Day and the FAO Committee on World Food Security (CFS) with the help of many UK Food Group members and Sustain volunteers, the conference explored approaches and models of production, including ecological food provision and strengthening local food webs, that would achieve a more equitable food system. Olivier De Schutter’s presentation focused on the impact of speculation on the food price crisis and proposed solutions including more agroecological approaches practiced by small-scale farmers. 
Caroline Lucas emphasised the importance of localised food systems and called for the implementation of the IAASTD findings among other recommendations. Willem Olthof, from the European Commission’s Development Division, spoke about the opportunities afforded by the new EC policy on food security, including protecting and developing more ecological approaches. In the round up session at the end of the conference Sam Bickersteth from DFID encouraged us to continue dialogue on these important issues with DFID and others. Partners and UK Food Group members presented examples and commentary from the West, Central and East African farmers’ regional networks (ROPPA, PROPAC and EAAF), about local food systems in the UK and Hungary, the new structure of governance of food and agriculture provided by the FAO Committee on world Food Security, and the need to promote research systems that support the model of production that we advocate.
"Green MP Caroline Lucas called for tighter regulation of the food trade. "Food has become a commodity to be traded. The only thing that matters under the current system is profit. Trading in food must not be treated as simply another form of business as usual: for many people it is a matter of life and death. We must insist on the complete removal of agriculture from the remit of the World Trade Organisation."
John Vidal, The Guardian, 24 September 2010
Speakers
| Olivier de Schutter | United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food | Download as a 242kb PDF Download as a 5961kb WMA |
| Caroline Lucas | Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion, former MEP | Download as a 57kb PDF Download as a 2652kb WMA |
| Djibo Bagna | President, ROPPA, West African network of peasant and family farmers (by video link) | Download as a 1173kb WMA |
| Willem Olthof | Policy Adviser, European Commission DG Development | Download as a 196kb PDF Download as a 2474kb WMA |
| Gustave Ewole | Sub regional Platform of Farmers Organisations in Central Africa (PROPAC), Cameroon | Download as a 237kb PDF |
| Stephen Muchiri | Chief Executive, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), Kenya | Download as a 596kb PDF |
| Joy Carey | Associate Director, f3, UK | Download as a 2400kb PDF |
| Geza Varga | GAIA Foundation, Hungary | Download as a 2600kb PDF |
| Sam Bickersteth | UK Department for International Development (DFID) | |
| Michel Pimbert | International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) |
The programme was participative with contributions from many in plenary and working groups. The afternoon session had working group sessions whose goal was to examine issues in greater depth and determine actions that could be developed to promote solutions. Each working group was moderated by a UK Food Group member.
Working Groups
| Topic | Moderator | |
| What to Eat? Meat Crisis: producing healthier food better vs. industrial livestock systems |
Joyce D’Silva, Chief Executive, Compassion in World Farming |
|
| Who Controls? Food sovereignty vs. imposed solutions |
Jocelyn Jones, World Family | Download as 25kb DOC |
| Who decides? Policy processes and governance options: EU, FAO/CFS etc |
Jean Blaylock, Policy and Advocacy Advisor, ACORD | Download as 35kb RTF |
“The world’s food futures are in the balance. Not only in regions such as sub- Saharan Africa where hunger is endemic in many countries, but in all regions, North and South, the sustainability of food supplies is threatened. The livelihoods of the small-scale food providers who produce, harvest and collect most of the food we eat, are being eliminated. And the productive, biodiverse environment and its natural wealth, which are used for food provision, are becoming increasingly degraded.” Securing Future Food: towards ecological food provision.
Downloads
UK Food Group briefing "Securing Future Food: towards ecological food provision"
Go to webpage
Securing Future Food Conference flyer
Download as a 679kb PDF
Values, Systems and Sustainability. Executive Summary. Andy Jones, Michel Pimbert and Janice Jiggins. IIED.
Download as a 1900kb PDF
Making agricultural research work for small farmers and agroecological approaches in West Africa, by Dr. Michel Pimbert, IIED.
Download as a 234kb PDF