G8 leaders must spend US$23bn a year to halt dangerous growth in hunger numbers, warns ActionAid

 

 

ROME, Italy, July 6, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Leaders meeting this week for the G8 Summit in Italy need to find US $23bn a year to meet the MDG goals of halving hunger by 2015, according to latest calculations by development agency ActionAid.

 

“The G8 is failing over one billion hungry people. In 2008 they made commitments to tackle the food crisis but since last year, the number of hungry has risen by 100 million,” said Angela Wauye, food rights coordinator at ActionAid Kenya.  ”Poor people cannot eat promises. This year the G8 must do more.”

 

ActionAid research suggests that trends which have pushed the number of hungry above one billion are set to worsen unless G8 leaders take bold action to revive developing world agriculture and reverse global warming.

 

Food prices are still on the increase in many developing countries while crop yields are stagnant. Rising unemployment and falling incomes as a result of the global recession compound the growing hunger crisis.

 

ActionAid has put together a timetable of action for G8 leaders. They must find US$23bn a year by 2012 to meet the MDG goals of halving hunger and stop it spiralling out of control.

 

France emerges as the champion of current spending on aid to combat hunger while Italy – the current G8 chair – languishes at the bottom, 70% off track on their targets.

 

“As hosts of a summit focusing on food security, Italy must show leadership by putting real money on the table, not empty promises,” said Otive Igbuzor, ActionAid’s Head of Campaigns. “It would be embarrassing for Mr Berlusconi to be hosting this summit and allow his country to remain in last place in the fight against hunger.”

 

ActionAid’s research shows that the UK is in second place in the fight against hunger with Germany third, Japan fourth, Canada fifth, the US sixth and Italy in last place.

 

France currently spends US$0.66billion but needs to spend US$1.99bn by 2012 if they are to pay their fair share of the solution to the hunger crisis.

The UK spends US$0.60bn but must pay US$1.87 by 2012.

Germany is spending US$0.81bn but needs to spend US$2.61bn

Japan is spending US$1.06bn but needs to spend US$3.69bn

Canada spend US$ 0.27bn but must spend US$1.05bn

The US currently spends US$2.04bn but need to up their share to US$10.37bn by 2012.

 

ActionAid is also calling for an ambitious post-Kyoto mitigation and adaptation package, a binding and enforceable code of conduct against land deals in developing countries and stopping enforced trade liberalisation on developing countries.

 

“The G8 leaders provide one last chance to take bold action on hunger,” said Otive Igbuzor, ActionAid’s HungerFREE campaign coordinator. “This week is it. We are throwing down the gauntlet for the G8 to act.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

 

ActionAid is an international anti-poverty agency working in over 40 countries taking sides with poor people to end poverty and injustice together

www.actionaid.org  

 

Our calculations of current donor spending are based on a three-year average of disbursements, in current prices, to the four sectors most relevant to the FAO’s anti-hunger package: agriculture, forestry and fishing (DAC category 310: III.1); rural development (43040); bio-diversity (41030); and emergency food aid (72040). They include an imputed share of donor contributions to key multilateral agencies (EC, IFAD and IDA), as well as an imputed share of budget support that can be assumed to contribute to relevant sectors. The amount of budget support ‘credited’ is based on a rough estimate that 5.5 per cent of developing country government budgets are spent on relevant sectors.

 

Our league table rankings are based on the percentage of their fair share of aid needed that each donor is currently spending (based on a three-year average of disbursements). Aid needed is based on calculations by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and fair share is based on the relative size of each G8 donor’s GDP.

 

ActionAid’s HungerFREE campaign calls on governments to deliver on their commitment to halve world hunger by 2015.

 

SOURCE 

ActionAid