Civil society opposes G7's New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition

On the 3rd of June the Leadership Council of the G7 New Alliance holds its annual meeting in South Africa. At the same time civil society organisations across the world raise their concerns on this initiative, because this is a threat to African food sovereignty and family farmers’ control over land and seeds. The exchanges between different civil society organisations at the World Social Forum amounted to a declaration.

 

AEFJN, together with more than 100 civil society organisations (CSOs), is supporting a declaration on the G7/8’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in Africa. At the World Social Forum, African CSOs shared their analyses of the impacts of the New Alliance in their countries. They stated that this initiative is a real threat to Africa’s food security as its chief focus is the strengthening of agri-business. In the meantime, the main producers are being left out, chiefly peasants and family farmers who account for approximately 70% of food production in Africa. Studies from different CSOs show that policies established in the context of the New Alliance favour the large-scale acquisition of land and natural resources while undermining the small farmers’ livelihoods and the environment.

 

Read the full statement:

 

Statement on the New Alliance

 

the list of signatories:

 

International:  ActionAid International, Africa Europe Faith and Justice Network, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), CIDSE, Coalition for Equitable Land Acquisitions and Development in Africa (CELADA), Compassion in World Farming, Corporate Europe Observatory, Fern, Food & Water Europe, Friends of the Earth International, GRAIN, Grassroots International, Greenpeace Africa, La Via Campesina Southern and Eastern Africa, Inades-Formation, Organisation des Jeunesses Panafricanistes (OJP), Oxfam, Panafricaine pour l’Éducation au Développement Durable (PAEDD), Society for International Development, The African Organic Network (AfrONet), Transnational Institute (TNI), VECO West Africa, WhyHunger

Argentina: Unión Solidaria de Comunidades - Pueblo Diaguita Cacano

Australia : MADGE Australia Inc 

Belgium : Réseau Foi & Justice Afrique Europe Antenne Belgique, SOS Faim Belgique

Burkina Faso : Initiatives des journalistes Africains pour la cooperation et le developpement, Réseau MARP Burkina Faso 

Cameroon : Association Citoyenne de Défense des Intérêts Collectifs, SAILD (Service d’Appui aux Initiatives Locales de Développement) 

Canada: National Farmers Union, The Ram's Horn, The United Church of Canada

Ethiopia: MELCA

France : Association Survie, CADTM-France (Comité pour l'annulation de la dette du Tiers Monde), CCFD-Terre Solidaire, FIAN France, Peuples Solidaires-ActionAid France, Réseau Foi & Justice Afrique Europe Antenne France, SOLIDARITÉ

Germany: Agrecol e.V. (Association for AgriCulture & Ecology), Bread for the World -  Protestant Development Service, Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung / NGO Forum, Environment & Development, INKOTA-netzwerk, MISEREOR, Pesticide Action Network Germany

Ghana: Agriculture Sovereignty Ghana (ASG), Farmers Development Movement (FDM), Food Sovereignty Ghana, General Agricultural Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Vegetarian Association of Ghana

Indonesia: KRuHA (People's Coalition for the Right to Water)

Italy: Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti (COSPE), Terra Nuova

Kenya: Building Eastern Africa Community Network (BEACON), Fahamu Africa-Networks for Social Justice, Growth Partners Africa –GPA, Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), Kenya Food Rights Alliance –KeFRA, PELUM-Kenya, Permaculture Research Institute of Kenya

Luxemburg : SOS Faim Luxembourg

Malawi: Coalition of Women's Farmers (COWFA)

Mali: CNOP Mali

Mozambique: ADECRU (Academic Action for the Development of Rural Communities)

Nepal: Garjan-Nepal

Nigeria: Association of Small-Scale Agro Producer in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) ; Center For Environmental Education And Development; Centre For Peace Projects & Development; Community Development Committee; Environmental and Rural Mediation Centre; Hope Foundation for the Lonely; Justice, Development and Peace Centre(JDPC);  League of Democratic Women; Nigerian women agro allied farmers association ; WOFAN Women Famers; Women Youths and Children Advancement Program ; Youth Programme on Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria

Senegal: ASPSP (Association Sénégalaise des Producteurs de Semences Paysannes), Enda Pronat, Fahamu - Réseaux pour la justice sociale, Fédération des ONG du Sénégal (FONGS - Action paysanne), Forum social sénégalais (FSS), Réseau Africain Pour le Droit à l'Alimentation (RAPDA), WiLDAF/Sénégal

South Africa: African Centre for Biodiversity – South Africa, Surplus People Project (South Africa)

Switzerland: Bread for all, the Development Service of the Protestant Churches in Switzerland

Tanzania: African Centre for Biodiversity – Tanzania, Green Belt Foundation, Irrigation Training and Economic Empowerment Organization (IRTECO), MVIWATA Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity (TABIO), Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement

The Netherlands: Saka Mese Nusa AlifURU Foundation, Stichting Down2Earth, The Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples

Togo: Friends of Earth-Togo

Uganda: Citizens Platform for Democracy and Accountability

United Kingdom: Biofuelwatch - UK, The Ecologist, EcoNexus, Find Your Feet, Global Justice Now, Permaculture Association, Scientists for Global Responsibility, UK Food Group, War on Want, Women’s Environmental Network (WEN), World Family

United States of America: Africa Faith and Justice Network, Biofuelwatch – US, Bioscience Resource Project, Community Alliance for Global Justice, Culinary Kids Culinary Arts Initiatives, Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy , Fair World Project, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth USA, Global Policy Forum, Inclusive Development International, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Labelgmos.org, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Oakland Institute, Other Worlds, PLANT (Partners for the Land & Agricultural Needs of Traditional Peoples), Vivat, Washington Biotechnology Action Council

Zambia: PELUM Association