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Madrid World Food Conference - Outcome
Publication date: 02-02-2009
The outcome of the Madrid High Level Conference from January 26-27, 2009, on Food Security can be considered a victory for those who want to see the multilateral governance of the global food and agriculture system improved and strengthened, and conducted within the Right to Adequate Food framework.
This was only possible due to
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The strong and unified position of producers´ organizations, civil society organizations and NGO´s against the proposal to institute a Global Partnership on Agriculture and Food Security, by the G8, that could weaken the role of the UN in this governance, in special the Rome based agencies, and increase the influence of agroindustrial and food related TNCs´ on national and international food security policy making;
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The firm position of the Latin American countries, against the creation of the GPAFS, and its support to the multilateral governance system, with one country-one vote.
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The strong position of FAO in defence of the multilateral system and the call for a World Food Summit as the adequate political space to discuss next steps.
At the same time, civil society welcomed the clear inclusion of the Right to Adequate Food Framework as the third track in the global and national strategies against Hunger and Undernutrition, as spelled out in the UN Secretary General's final speech. This guarantees a window of opportunity to effectively incorporate the provisions of the guidelines on the Right to food into these strategies, increasing their effectiveness through adequate assessment, definition of Rights Based goals and benchmarks, more participation and accountability.
It is clear that the GPAFS proposal continues alive, but it did not get the political support expected by the G8 in the Madrid Conference. The debate will continue.
More information with Flavio Valente at valente at fian.org
Final Declaration of Farmers´and Civil Society Organizations
Evaluation of Madrid of Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food De Schutter
