One in seven people goes to bed hungry every night—not because there isn't enough food, but because there are imbalances in access to resources such as land, tools and water. Approximately 80% of the world’s poor and hungry live in rural areas, where most depend on food production for their livelihoods. Yet, they lack the resources to grow enough to feed their own families, the rights to own land (especially women, who grow the majority of the world’s food), and face increasing risks from climate change. Additional pressures to use land for biofuels instead of food (currently 40% of the US corn harvest is devoted to ethanol production) and a “land rush” by investors, companies, and governments to buy up farmland in developing countries, poses a serious threat to the rights and livelihoods of small-scale farmers. Moreover, as food prices reach record heights, competition for resources leads to increased violence and instability. The billion farmers who produce food do not possess the power to control their own resources. Instead, corporations and governments monopolize the global food system.
In this session we will discuss opportunities to build a better food system, how to ensure greater economic prosperity, how to develop a better life for impoverished farmers, and how to achieve more stable food system for generations to come.
Moderator
- Mark Tran, Journalist, The Guardian (United Kingdom)
Panelists
- Angus Kelly, Senior Advisor, EU Public Affairs, Syngenta (United Kingdom)
- Roy Prosterman, Founder, Landesa (USA)
- Anne Roulin, VP - R&D Sustainability Manager, Nestlé (Switzerland)
- Irit Tamir, Senior Campaigns and Advocacy Advisor, Oxfam (USA)