UN-world bank Agriculture Assesment Flyer
rajesh
Dear friends
In January 2008, nothing less but the future of agriculture is up for debate. Governments from all around the world will gather in Nairobi to adopt a report on the global state of agriculture. What is known as the UN Agriculture Assessment will analyse the current state of agriculture and will recommend future directions for national and international agricultural research.
It is time for change, and the UN Agriculture Assessment provides a unique opportunity to initiate this change. The time has come to recognise the false promises of industrial farming, genetic engineering and other technological fixes that benefit the few and harm the many. Today’s chemical-intensive agriculture is more like mining than farming, trying to extract as much economic value as possible from each piece of land. While it may provide short-term gains in production, it is not sustainable in the long term and compromises the very earth on which our future food supply depends.
The future of farming lies in a biodiversity intensive agriculture that works with nature, not against it. Millions of farms on all continents already prove that organic and sustainable agriculture can provide sufficient food, increase food security, replenish natural resources and provide a better livelihood for farmers and local communities.
The final drafts of UN Agriculture Assessment summary reports are up for public review from 17 September to 22 October 2007. During past review periods, the genetic engineering industry and the US Department for Agriculture vehemently tried to spin the report towards genetic engineering and chemical intensive techno-farming. It is crucial to counter their propaganda and to ensure that the UN Agriculture Assessment reflects reality, not corporate interests.
Greenpeace along with a lot of other civil groups across the world had been involved in the process from the very beginning trying hard to counter the threat from the Global Agri Industry to get a final document suitable for their vested interests.
The key elements of our work around the UN Ag Assessment are the following:
1. Organise qualified scientific comments as well as mass mails during the official Review Period of the IAASTD in September/October 2007, to counter and balance massive industry and US propaganda during the Review Period.
2. Woking with national delegates to enable them to take a stand for a farmer and environment centric final policy.
3. Draw the attention of national media to this event as it would have a major impact on how agriculture will be percieved in the coming days.
The detailed reports are available in http://www.agassessment.org/index.cfm?Page=Review&ItemID=2713
India with the largest chunk of its population in agriculture has an active role to play in defining and directing future dialogues on Agriculture. The UN-Agassesment provides us with an opportunity. Lets try to get the maximum out of it .Do give your comments on the draft.
Looking forward to working together towards a sustainable world.
Warm regards
Rajesh Krishnan
Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner
Greenpeace India.