Kids selling cooked yam on the street in China.
Image courtsey of EastSouthWestNorth
The following is a statement by the citizen's groups* that attended the United Nations' “International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD)” in Johannesburg last week.
The final report, approved last week by 54 governments -- although not the U.S. -- is a sobering account of the failure of industrial farming. It calls for a fundamental change in the way we do farming, to better address soaring food prices, hunger, social inequities and environmental disasters.
The report reflects a growing consensus among the global scientific community and most governments that the old paradigm of industrial, energy-intensive and toxic agriculture is a concept of the past. The key message of the report is that small-scale farmers and agro-ecological methods provide the way forward to avert the current food crisis and meet the needs of local communities. For the first time an independent, global assessment acknowledges that farming has a diversity of environmental and social functions and that nations and peoples have the right to democratically determine their best food and agricultural policies.
The IAASTD process itself was a path-breaking one, in which governments, major research institutions, industry and civil society shared equal responsibility in its governance and implementation. Its success proved that civil society participation as full partners in intergovernmental processes is critical to meeting the challenges of the 21st century. The global community’s widespread acceptance of this report is reflected in its approval by the vast majority of participating governments.
Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have as yet not signed on to the final report. After watering down the formulation of several key findings during the meeting in Johannesburg, the Bush administration still claimed the assessment was unbalanced. That precise allegation came some months earlier from the agrochemical and biotech industries.
However, the report’s lack of support for the further industrialization and globalization of agriculture as well as for genetically engineered plants in particular, was based on a rigorous and peer-reviewed analysis of the empirical evidence by hundreds of scientists and development experts. These experts had been selected, together with other stakeholders, by the very same governments and companies that are now calling the assessment “unbalanced.”
The civil society groups that have participated in the IAASTD process over the past six years may not fully agree with some of the government-negotiated conclusions of the report, but they respect the fact that this report reflects the current consensus within the scientific community. We call on all governments, civil society and international institutions to support the findings of this report, implement its progressive conclusions, and thereby jump start the revolution in agricultural policies and practices that is urgently needed to attain more equitable and sustainable food and farming systems in the future.
Statements from civil society representatives present in Johannesburg, 7-12 April 2008:
“This report proves one thing: Yes, we can produce more and better food without destroying rural livelihoods and our natural resources,”
Kevin Akoyi, Uganda, for Vredeseilanden (Belgium)
“This report clearly shows that small-scale farmers and the environment lose out under trade liberalization. Developing countries must exercise their right to stop the flood of cheap, subsidised products from the North.”
Lim Li Ching, Malaysia, Third World Network
“The Green Revolutionaries of the past, with all their expensive and toxic products, have left a trail of destruction. The IAASTD essentially says it's time to clean that up and move on.”
Romeo Quijano, Philippines, Pesticide Action Network
“This marks the beginning of a new, of a real Green Revolution. The modern way of farming is biodiverse and labour intensive and works with nature, not against it.”
Benny Haerlin, Germany, Greenpeace
“The IAASTD provides the evidence to show that locally-controlled, biologically-based intensification of farming is the only way forward. In short, it supports food sovereignty.”
Patrick Mulvany, UK, Practical Action
“This is a wake-up call for governments and international agencies. The survival of the planet’s food systems demands global action to support agroecological farming and fair and equitable trade.
Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, USA, Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA).
“It is heartening to see that the scientists refuted the usual propaganda on genetically engineered (GE) crops. They focused on the real problems and saw very little role for GE crops in their solutions.”
Juan Lopez, Spain, Friends of the Earth International.
“The scientific evidence gives unequivocal support to organic agriculture. Organic Agriculture is a credible solution for the 21st century as a sustainable production method – social, economic and environmental sustainability put into practice.” Prabha Mahale, India, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. ( IFOAM)
* AGENDA (Tanzania), Consumers International, Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, Pesticide Action Network, Practical Action, Third World Network, Uganda Environmental Education Fund and Vredeseilanden.
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Contact Information:
Kevin Akoyi, (IAASTD CSO Bureau Member from Uganda)
Vredeseilanden, Email: kevinakoyim@yahoo.co.uk, mobile:
Benny Haerlin ((IAASTD CSO Bureau Member from Germany)
Greenpeace Intl., Email: haerlin@zs-l.de, Phone: + 49 173 9997555
Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD (Lead Author, Global Report)
Pesticide Action Network North America (in US)
Email: mie@panna.org, Office: +1-415-981-1771, Mobile: 1-510-684-6860
Lim Li Ching (Lead Author, Asia report; note surname Lim)
Third World Network, Email: limliching@myjaring.net, mobile: +6012 2079744
Prabha Mahale, PhD (IAASTD CSO Bureau member from India)
IFOAM, Email: prabhamahale@vsnl.com , Phone: + 91 124 2560886
Patrick Mulvaney, Senor Policy Advisor, Practical Action (UK)
Email: patrickmulvany@clara.co.uk, mobile: +44 7949 575711, Web: practicalaction.org
Romeo Quijano, MD (IAASTD CSO Bureau member from Philippines)
PAN Philippines, Email: romyquij@yahoo.com, mobile: +63-9-27-602-4947
Erika Rosenthal, LLD (Lead Author, Global & Synthesis Report; Trade Theme)
Email: erosenthal@igc.org, Office: +1-202-742-5846, Mobile +1-415-812-2055.
April 14-16 in London: +44-20-7839-9333
Juan Lopez, (IAASTD CSO Bureau member from Spain)
Friends of the Earth International
Email: juanlopezvillar@gmail.com, Phone (Maputo): +258842420298
Jan Van Aken , Greenpeace Intl.
Email: jan.vanaken@int.greenpeace.org, Phone: +49 40 306 18-389, Mobile: +49 151 1805 3415
SPANISH-Speaking:
Luis Gomero (Lead Author, Latin America Regional report)
RAAA, Peru, Email: lgomero@raaa.org, Tel: (51-1) 4257955
Additional Lead Authors (academic/research institutions)
Janice Jiggins, PhD (Lead Author, Global & Synthesis Report)
Wageningen University, Netherlands
Tel: ++ 31 (0) 488 451016, Mobile 06 53 933 863;
Email: janice.jiggins@inter.nl.net
Stephen Biggs, PhD (Review Editor, Globa reportl)
Tel: (44) 1273 414449, Mobile: (44) 07908117974
Email: biggs.s@gmail.com
Jack A. Heinemann, PhD (Lead Author, Global & Synthesis Reports, Biotech theme)
Director INBI, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Eml: jack.heinemann@canterbury.ac.nz, Office : +64 3 364 2926 (or c/o +64 3 364 2500)
Ivette Perfecto, PhD (Coordinating Lead Author, Latin America Report)
University of Michigan, School of Nat Resources/Envir, Tel: +1 (734) 764-1433, ivette@umich.edu
Rajeswari Raina, PhD (Lead Author, Asia report)
Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research,
New Delhi , India (but currently in Berlin)
Email: rajeswari_raina@yahoo.com, Tel: ++30 -89001312
Niels Roling, PhD (Review Editor, Global report)
Wageningen University, Netherlands
Tel: ++ 31 (0) 488 451016, Mobile: 06 20 25 0080
Eml: n.roling@inter.nl.net
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