European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2009 on the FAO Summit and food security

The European Parliament

–   having regard to Article 33 of the EC Treaty,

–   having regard to its resolutions of 25 October 2007 on the rise in foodstuff prices(1) and of 22 May 2008 on rising food prices in the European Union and developing countries(2) ,

–   having regard to its resolution of 29 November 2007 on advancing African agriculture - Proposal for agricultural development and food security in Africa(3) ,

–   having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1337/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 establishing a facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries(4) ,

–   having regard to its resolution of 13 January 2009 on the Common Agricultural Policy and Global Food Security(5) ,

–   having regard to the Agricultural Outlook 2008-2017 released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),

–   having regard to the recommendations of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD),

–   having regard to the outcome of the "Health Check" reform of the common agricultural policy,

–   having regard to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness,

–   having regard to the conclusions and declaration issued by the FAO World Summit on Food Security held in Rome from 16 to 18 November 2009,

–   having regard to Rule 110(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.   whereas the European Union is the leading global donor of development and humanitarian aid, but whereas at international level the share of official development assistance (ODA) allocated to agriculture, particularly by the European Union, has steadily diminished since the 1980s, falling from 17 % in 1980 to 3,8 % in 2006; whereas, against a background of pressure on natural resources, global food demand is expected to double by 2050 and global food production will need to increase,

B.   whereas the final declaration of the 2009 World Summit on Food Security neither sufficiently analyses the reasons for the failure to eradicate hunger, nor does it make concrete proposals on how to step up the fight against hunger; whereas, according to the FAO, an investment of EUR 30 billion per year would be enough to ensure food security for a world population which will reach 9 billion by 2050,

C.   whereas the European Union remains a major food producer, but is also a major importer of agricultural products, falling significantly short of self-sufficiency in numerous agricultural commodities; whereas the rise in the prices of animal feed is increasing production costs, with the risk that output of stockfarming products will fall,

D.   whereas dramatic fluctuations in commodity prices may become a more pronounced and regular feature of the global market; whereas higher food prices do not automatically translate into higher farm incomes, mainly due to the speed at which farm-input costs increase and the growing divergence between producer and consumer prices,

E.   whereas world food stocks have fallen to critically low levels, from one year's supply of food in stock after the Second World War to just 57 days" stock in 2007 and only 40 days" stock in 2008,

F.   whereas depleted stocks, even in the EU, have an adverse effect on the emergency food programme, which has, at present, less food to distribute; whereas this problem and the global food-price crisis have had the immediate and serious consequence of increasing the number of hungry people in the world to 1 billion in 2009 according to the FAO, meaning that one person in six is currently undernourished and suffering from chronic hunger,

G.   whereas more than 40 million people die of hunger and poverty every year, including one child every six seconds; whereas these developments have sparked riots and unrest throughout the world, further destabilising countries and regions around the globe; whereas at the World Food Summit in 1996 representatives from 185 countries committed themselves to cutting the number of hungry people by half by 2015; and whereas family farmers, herders and rural workers account for more than half the world's population and are the primary victims of hunger,

H.   whereas climate change is having a serious impact on farming, for example by reducing crop yields because of the water shortages affecting local agricultural activities in the poorest countries,

I.   whereas agriculture provides employment and a livelihood for more than 70 % of the labour force in developing countries, and for more than 80 % in many African countries, and, as a consequence, rural development policies are essential in order to tackle poverty and hunger effectively; whereas the World Bank estimates that growth in the agricultural sector is twice as effective at reducing poverty as growth in other sectors,

J.   whereas the European Union provides more than 50 % of all development aid worldwide, including the Member States' contributions; a fact confirmed by the current contribution through EC instruments (around EUR 1,8 billion: EUR 1 billion through the new facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries and the rest through existing development and humanitarian aid instruments),

K.   whereas the proportion of deforested land and agricultural resources used for the production of animal feed, meat and biomass for agro-fuels has grown, contributing considerably to worldwide speculation in agricultural commodities,

1.  Stresses that the number of people suffering from hunger and poverty now exceeds 1 billion and that this is an unacceptable blight on the lives of one-sixth of the world's population; notes that the effects of longstanding underinvestment in food security, agriculture and rural development have recently been further exacerbated by food, financial and economic crises, among other factors, and that the overall efforts have so far fallen short of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); notes that collectively steps need to be taken to reverse this trend and gradually make the right to adequate food a reality in the context of national food security;

2.  Stresses the right of everyone to have access to sufficient safe and nutritious food; calls for a world free from hunger and points out that a genuine fight against hunger requires the establishment of comprehensive policies which enhance sustainable farming and food production systems, so as to improve developing countries' capacity to feed their people; calls on countries to implement the FAO 'Voluntary guidelines for the progressive realisation of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security' and supports the practical application of these guidelines on the basis of the principles of participation, transparency and accountability; welcomes the undertakings given in principle at the Rome Summit, but expresses disappointment at the lack of specific financial pledges and the poor attendance by G8 high-level representatives; in this context, calls on all Member States to redouble their commitment to achieving MDG 1 (to halve hunger by 2015) and endorse a global goal to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2025 or, failing that, the earliest possible date;

3.  Stresses the importance of the common agricultural policy (CAP) as the means of securing food production in the European Union; believes that the CAP has provided EU citizens with a secure food supply since its inception in 1962, in addition to protecting and enhancing the rural environment and EU food production standards which are the highest in the world; stresses the need for Community agriculture to continue to play that role in the future;

4.  Stresses that since 2007 agricultural commodity prices have fluctuated dramatically and that between mid-2007 and mid-2008 prices rose steeply, followed by a sharp increase in consumer prices; notes that this steep increase in basic commodity prices was followed swiftly by a sharp fall in commodity prices to unsustainable levels; remains concerned that food prices may surge again as the global economy recovers, as many of the structural problems, including lack of investment and high demand in certain regions, persist;

5.  Notes with concern the escalating costs of farm inputs (for instance increases in prices of fertilisers and seeds ) which have translated into a rise in costs for which not all farmers (particularly in the livestock sector) have been equally compensated and which has significantly eroded any potential increase in farm incomes stemming from higher commodity and food prices, thus lessening the stimulus to increase sustainable agricultural production; is concerned that dramatic increases in input prices could result in less use of inputs and potentially reduced output, which would exacerbate the food crisis in Europe and the world;

6.  Points out that the price volatility of recent years - both the highs and the lows - has made guaranteeing food security a particularly elusive goal; stresses that if farmers do not receive a fair price for their produce they will cease production; points out once again that EU farms produce between 17 % and 30 % of the world's wheat, milk and beef; stresses that maintaining viable farms in the EU will be of paramount importance for food supplies in the EU and throughout the world in the years to come;

7.  Draws attention to the longer-term structural causes at play in the recent increase in prices of agricultural commodities, including steadily rising global demand and sustained reductions in investment in productive agriculture; notes that, among these factors, the increase in the price of energy, and in particular in the oil price, has had a major impact on global agricultural production (due to increasing production and food-distribution costs) and on the frequency of food crises in poor countries (owing to higher food transport costs within those countries);

8.  Notes that to feed a world population expected to surpass 9 billion in 2050, agricultural output will have to increase by 70 % between now and then; points out that over 860 million people globally suffer from chronic hunger; notes that the World Bank predicts that the surge in food prices and the current fuel and food crisis will push an additional 130-155 million people into deeper poverty compared to 2008;

9.  Believes that the CAP should remain the cornerstone of EU food security policy and that it should be further adapted to meet food security concerns in Europe and at world level; cautions against the dismantling of market-support measures and cuts in farm-support payments in the light of the extreme volatility of commodity prices and, hence, farm incomes;

10.  Stresses the importance of international cooperation and solidarity and the need to refrain from taking unilateral measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations which endanger food security; calls for balanced trade agreements, as they are an essential element of a global food security response;

11.  Urges the Commission and the Member States to include equitable financial mechanisms and concepts of burden-sharing in the context of climate adaptation in the forthcoming negotiations in Copenhagen, paying special attention to support for climate-friendly agricultural practices as a coherent means of fighting hunger, to take coordinated measures to halt any further loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, two essential components of food production systems, to increase overall efficiency and reduce waste in global food chains, and to improve local market access;

12.  Acknowledges the FAO's view that net food-importing countries are hardest hit by rising food prices and that many of these countries are the world's least developed; points out once again that poverty and dependence on food imports are leading causes of food insecurity; is mindful of the fact that only a small percentage of global food production, which increasingly comes from only a small number of exporting countries, is actually traded on international markets;

13.  Is alarmed by the current global financial crisis, which may result in a reduction in the amount of funding available for farming; calls on the Commission to analyse the effects of the financial crisis on the agricultural sector and to consider proposals to ensure the stability of the sector, also in terms of access to loans and credit guarantees; points out that the food crisis is closely bound up with the financial crisis, in the context of which liquidity injections made by central banks to prevent bankruptcies may have increased speculative investments in commodities; calls on the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Stability Forum to assess this side-effect and take it into account when proposing global remedies;

14.  Believes that the CAP is an important element of EU food security policy now and beyond 2013 and that it should play a significant role in development policies, with specific regard to external food security policy; considers that functioning ecosystems, fertile soils, stable water resources and a diverse rural economy are essential in the interests of long-term food security; believes that, besides securing the European Union's food production, the CAP can contribute to meeting the increased demand for food globally without distorting the market; calls for measures to stabilise local and regional farming systems which are based on sustainable farming practices and provide strategic food reserves;

15.  Considers that the financing facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries is a necessary first step towards meeting the immediate needs of those most affected by the food crisis; takes the view that the Commission should audit how the money is spent, ensuring that it is always used where the need is greatest, and that it should submit regular reports to Parliament;

16.  Calls on the Commission to strengthen its existing programmes designed to ensure food security in Europe and the world; calls for funding for the Food Security Thematic Programme (2007-2010), currently endowed with a budget of EUR 925 million for the entire programming period, to be increased; calls on the Commission to conduct a full impact assessment of the EU's policies and programmes in the areas of agriculture, development and trade in order to guarantee a coherent, sustainable policy approach to global food security;

17.  Reaffirms that food security is a national responsibility and that any plans for addressing food security challenges must be thought out, coordinated, owned and led at national level and based on consultation with all key stakeholders; stresses that food security should be a high priority and that its importance should be reflected in national programmes and budgets; stresses that good governance should play a key role and that corruption at national level should be tackled; believes that the fight against hunger must be based on the recognition of the right to food sovereignty, defined as the capacity of a country or a region to democratically implement its own agricultural and food policies, priorities and strategies;

18.  Believes that ongoing research into sustainable agriculture production systems is essential; stresses the role of publicly-funded research programmes, of the EU technology platform for ecological agricultural research and of the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development; calls for programmes for technology transfer to developing countries to be implemented where appropriate; calls on the FAO member governments to follow the recommendations made in the IAASTD to reverse top-down transfer-of-technology concepts and replace them with bottom-up, participatory, farmer-oriented innovation concepts;

19.  Considers that one serious obstacle to increased agricultural output in developing countries is the lack of access for small farmers to loans and micro-credits for investment in seeds, fertilisers and irrigation mechanisms; stresses, furthermore, the issue of loan guarantees, which, in most cases, are not available; calls on the European Investment Bank to look into ways of providing programmes to assist local food producers in developing countries with loan guarantees to support access to credit and micro-credit;

20.  Resolves to establish a high-level standing working group on the EU's contribution to achieving global food security, in order to draw up common approaches to the major challenges the Commission has identified for sustainable agriculture, fisheries and rural development;

21.  Notes that the global food crisis is one of the major threats to peace and security in the world; welcomes, in that connection, the recent efforts by the Commission to investigate ways of tackling the global food security issue; calls on the Member States to support such initiatives at national and local level;

22.  Stresses that farmland acquisition by foreign investors, particularly in Africa, must not have an adverse impact on local food security or lead to unsustainable land use; points out that it may also have positive effects by bringing land into productive use; urges the FAO and the Member States to work towards common rules and legislative proposals which recognise the right of local people in every country to control farmland and other natural resources vital to their food security;

23.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

(1) OJ C 263 E, 16.10.2008, p. 621. (2) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2008)0229. (3) OJ C 297 E, 20.11.2008, p. 201. (4) OJ L 354, 31.12.2008, p. 62. (5) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2009)0006.