Have a look at the declaration that came out of the International Summit of Co-operatives that was held this week in Quebec City. Note the emphasis on food co-operatives. What do you make of this? Is there anything in here that excites or inspires? What would you add or change? Finding 3: We need cooperatives to contribute to food security. Whereas we will need to feed 9 billion people by 2050, and millions lack food security, despite the progress made; Whereas in 2012 FAO recognized the irrefutable contribution of agricultural cooperatives to global food security; Whereas numerous phenomena such as urbanization, climate change, conflicts, speculation, and natural disasters can compromise food security or aggravate problems; Whereas one out of every two people around the world depends on a cooperative for their livelihood. Cooperatives declare themselves key players in the global fight against hunger and are committed to increasing food security. To this end, cooperatives and mutuals undertake to: -Actively support international efforts, including those of FAO, to achieve food security, reduce poverty, and eradicate hunger worldwide -Help end discrimination in certain countries against women with regard to their right to own land -Pursue efforts to improve the access of rural populations to affordable energy for food processing and preservation -Promote better management of agri-food systems to reduce speculation and price fluctuations while strengthening the role producers play -Be present throughout the supply chain locally, regionally, and internationally -Facilitate access to farmland and help maintain local ownership -Put in place mechanisms to support the next generation of farmers, particularly through training and access to financing and innovation, and promote a smooth transfer between generations to ensure sustainable, human-scale agriculture that is rooted in the local community intlsummit.coop/cms/en_CA/sites/somint/home/declaration.html
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 12:00:01 +0000
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