G-8 PLEDGES TO INVEST 20 BILLION DOLLARS TO INCREASE FOOD PRODUCTION AND FIGHT HUNGER

WORRIED FOR AFRICA OR FOR THEMSELVES?

Leaders of world’s most developed nations, grouped as G-8 have pledged 20 billion dollars to boost agricultural production in Africa so that fear of hunger which is looming large, could be fought. This declaration was made in G-8 summit which has just concluded in Italian city of L‘Aquila.

It is estimated that owing to seemingly unending global financial crisis (GFC), World is likely to face unprecedented hunger situation and Africa naturally will be the hardest suffer. At present, it is estimated, that about 1 Billion people, mostly in African countries, are hungry and this figure would be further enhanced at least by another 100 Million by the end of this year. The world is going to face unprecedented humanitarian crisis amidst examples of lofty success.

In this back drop, the world’s most developed nations deliberated upon and focused on hunger with ‘utmost sincerity’. Climatic change and GFC were of course the major areas of concern, but world leaders vowed that we cannot have a sustained growth and prosperity amidst abject and rampant poverty.

INVESTMENT AND NOT SUBSIDY- the leaders committed that this 20 Billions USD (12.4 Billion £) money would be invested in African countries in Agriculture to boost food grain production over three years. Meaning thereby, this money, African countries are not going to get as farm subsidy or outright humanitarian help.

Many African leaders however casted a doubt on this pledge and said that such pledges have been made by world leaders in past also but their commitments and promises have not been kept.

There are another group of people who actually doubt on the entire gesture of G-8 leaders itself. They opine that this pledge in not blended with ‘philanthropy’ but actually ‘orchestrated’ with economic game plan. With the GFC still ensconced into the American and Western economy, they are looking for another area of investment and consequent returns of their investments. These activists fear that Trans-National Companies (TNCs) and MNCs from these develop countries would invest in agriculture sector of African and Asian countries and convert the very nature of farming. The use of GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SEEDS, INORGANIC FERTILISERS, big machines and high yielding variety seeds into these countries would change the very nature of farming and will make agriculture somewhat unsustainable throwing farmers in an economic quagmire.

They have a valid point when they quote instances of farmer’s suicide in India especially cotton growing farmers in Vidharba and A.P etc. Actually, they say, that use of B-2 cotton seeds and other high yielding variety seeds, most of them are genetically engineered, have made agriculture unsustainable because the cost of production has gone alarmingly high. Moreover the most defective and disastrous part of use of these seeds is that such seeds cannot be re-used. In traditional methods, farmers can use part of the harvested grains as seeds also. Thus once the farmers switch over to these genetically engineered seeds, will have to depend on MNCs and TMCs for uninterrupted supply of these seeds forever.

If this is the game plan of the G-countries, it is afraid that in the coming years, African farmers will meet the same fate as of ours.