Global Food Security
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House of Commons International Development Committee Global Food Security First Report of Session 2013–14 Volume II Additional written evidence Ordered by the House of Commons to be published 9,17 January, 12, 19, 26 March, 18 April and 9 May 2013. Published on 4 June 2013 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited The International Development Committee The International Development Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Office of the Secretary of State for International Development. Current membership Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Bruce MP (Liberal Democrat, Gordon) (Chairman) Hugh Bayley MP (Labour, York Central) Fiona Bruce MP (Conservative, Congleton) Richard Burden MP (Labour, Birmingham, Northfield) Fabian Hamilton MP (Labour, Leeds North East) Pauline Latham OBE MP (Conservative, Mid Derbyshire) Jeremy Lefroy MP (Conservative, Stafford) Mr Michael McCann MP (Labour, East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow) Fiona O’Donnell MP (Labour, East Lothian) Mark Pritchard MP (Conservative, The Wrekin) Chris White MP (Conservative, Warwick and Leamington) The following members were also members of the Committee during the parliament: Mr Russell Brown MP (Labour, Dumfries, Galloway) Mr James Clappison MP (Conservative, Hertsmere) Mr Sam Gyimah MP (Conservative, East Surrey) Richard Harrington MP (Conservative, Watford) Alison McGovern MP (Labour, Wirral South) Ann McKechin MP (Labour, Glasgow North) Anas Sarwar MP (Labour, Glasgow Central) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at www.parliament.uk/parliament.uk/indcom. A list of Reports of the Committee in the present Parliament is at the back of this volume. The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in a printed volume. Additional written evidence may be published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Dr David Harrison (Clerk), Chloe Challender (Senior Committee Specialist), Judy Goodall (Inquiry Manager), Louise Whitley (Inquiry Manager), Rob Page (Committee Specialist), Anita Fuki (Senior Committee Assistant), Annabel Goddard (Committee Assistant), Paul Hampson (Committee Support Assistant) and Hannah Pearce (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the International Development Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 1223; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] List of additional written evidence (published in Volume II on the Committee’s website www.parliament.uk/indcom) 1 ActionAid Ev w1: Ev w115 2 Agricultural Biotechnology Council Ev w8 3 All-Party Group on Agriculture and Food for Development Ev w11 4 BBC Media Action Ev w14 5 Benny Dembitzer Ev w16 6 Christian Aid Ev w20 7 Concern Worldwide Ev w24 8 The Co-operative Group Ev w28 9 The Fairtrade Foundation Ev w32 10 Farm Africa and Self Help Africa Ev w36 11 Food Ethics Council Ev w39 12 Friends of the Earth Ev w42 13 The Hunger Alliance Ev w47 14 Institute of Development Studies Ev w48: Ev w113 15 Mercy Corps Ev w50 16 OECD Ev w54 17 The Planetary Boundaries Initiative (PBI) Ev w59 18 Research Councils UK (RCUK) Ev w62 19 SABMiller Ev w68 20 Small Foundation Ev w72 21 The Soil Association Ev w74 22 War on Want Ev w76 23 Tearfund Ev w80 24 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ev w84 25 Professor Tim Benton, University of Leeds Ev w88 26 The Vegan Society Ev w92 27 WaterAid Ev w96 28 Wellcome Trust Ev w97 29 World Vision Ev w98 30 WWF-UK Ev w99 31 Business Action for Africa Ev w106 32 ONE Ev w110 cobber Pack: U PL: COE1 [SO] Processed: [31-05-2013 17:16] Job: 027171 Unit: PG01 Source: /MILES/PKU/INPUT/027171/027171_w034_027388_w015_michelle_GFS 26B ActionAid.xml International Development Committee: Evidence Ev w1 Written evidence Written evidence submitted by ActionAid About us Founded as a British charity in 1972, ActionAid is an international NGO working in 45 countries worldwide, and our positions and recommendations reflect the experiences of our staff and partners in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. Our vision is a world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to a life with dignity. We work with poor and excluded people to eradicate poverty and injustice. Drawing on ActionAid’s long experience of promoting food rights, this submission highlights in particular our concerns and recommendations on the impact of biofuels on global food security. Summary ActionAid1 welcomes this inquiry. The global food system is failing to ensure the right to food for an estimated 2.56 billion people daily. Only deep reforms will ensure a resilient and sustainable food system capable of feeding 9.3 billion people by 2050. Current policies—such as the introduction of mandates for the use of biofuels in transport fuels are adding to the problem. Forecasts suggest the EU’s biofuel policies may increase food prices by up to 36% by 2020, reducing the food intake of the world’s poorest people.The period 2001–10 saw 203 million hectares of land around the world under consideration in large-scale land acquisitions. (See Section A) Crops for possible biofuel use are estimated to account for 58% of global land acquisitions. Much of this land could produce food or had been previously. The UK must commit to ending the use of food for fuel by calling for the removal of land-based biofuels from EU mandates. It must also do more to persuade other Member States to follow suit. (See Section A) This year represents an important opportunity for the UK to demonstrate effective global leadership by using forums such as the G8 in June 2013 and the preceding Hunger Summit to commit to take action. As the Government will play host to key global players, there can be no better time to make the case for effective and long-lasting reform. Reforms must prioritise the eradication of gender discrimination as a key way to promote food security. Women farmers are not receiving enough support from governments and donors. In addition the waste of food—currently a third of produce—through the production of biofuels, animal feed and for use in industry must be addressed. (See SectionsB&C) Population and income growth, urbanisation, changing consumption patterns, stagnant yields, demand for land, feed and biofuels, as well as climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, are driving limited resources of food, energy, water and materials towards critical thresholds. (See SectionsD&E) Food demand will increase as incomes rise and diets switch towards more meat and dairy. Meanwhile, the effects of climate change could place 526 million people in the tropics at increased risk of hunger by 2050. (See SectionsF&G) In order to promote global food security, and demonstrate its commitment to ending hunger and ensuring the right to food for all, in our submission we propose the UK Government: 1. Scrap its target to have 5% biofuel in transport fuel. 2. Push for zero crop-based biofuel to count towards the European Union’s 10% renewable energy in transport target and lobby for the EU to account for the true scale of carbon emissions by including “indirect land use change” in calculations. 3. Use its financial and political influence, including in the G8 and G20, to improve governance, transparency and accountability around large-scale land acquisitions in developing countries, ensuring protection of human rights. 4. Push for implementation of all relevant aspects of the UN Voluntary Guidelines on land tenure. 5. Ensure renegotiation of the principles on responsible agricultural investment at the UN’s Committee on World Food Security reflect the fact that investment must work for poor communities. 6. Work within the G20 and use its G8 leadership to strengthen the level and quality of development finance for agriculture through increased aid, the promotion of pro-poor investment and firm steps to tackle tax evasion. 7. Use its influence to help ensure the UN Committee on World Food Security is supported as the foremost inter-governmental platform for coordinating global food security efforts and addressing the structural problems affecting the right to food. 8. Support policies and programmes that tackle gender discrimination. cobber Pack: U PL: COE1 [E] Processed: [31-05-2013 17:16] Job: 027171 Unit: PG01 Source: /MILES/PKU/INPUT/027171/027171_w034_027388_w015_michelle_GFS 26B ActionAid.xml Ev w2 International Development Committee: Evidence 9. Strengthen links between agriculture and climate change by increasing UK support, including finance, for national adaptation plans. 10. Support, financially and politically, well governed national and regional food reserves. 11. Back national and global efforts to support social protection as a vital tool to fight hunger. 12. Ensure DFID programmes focus more support towards agro-ecology and women’s rights. Inquiry Issues A. Land competition—the impact of biofuels on food security A.1 Land competition in developing countries has intensified over the past decade, due partly to rising agricultural and land prices driven by population growth and rising demand for food, biofuels, raw materials and timber.2 A.2 Globally, in 2001–10, 203 million hectares of land were under consideration or negotiation in large- scale land acquisitions.3 Crops that could be used for biofuel are estimated to account for 58%of all global land acquisitions (with agriculture and livestock explicitly 18% of deals and forestry 13%).