Daily Archives: September 11, 2022

Achieving full gender equality is still centuries away, warns the UN in new report

Multiple global crises and backlash against womens sexual and reproductive health and rights worsen gender disparities

[New York] At the current rate of progress, it may take close to 300 years to achieve full gender equality, the Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): The Gender Snapshot 2022 shows. Global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, violent conflict, climate change, and the backlash against womens sexual and reproductive health and rights are further exacerbating gender disparities. The new report, launched today by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), highlights that, at the current pace of progress, SDG 5 achieving gender equality - will not be met by 2030.

Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director, said: This is a tipping point for womens rights and gender equality as we approach the half-way mark to 2030. It is critical that we rally now to invest in women and girls to reclaim and accelerate progress. The data show undeniable regressions in their lives made worse by the global crises in incomes, safety, education and health. The longer we take to reverse this trend, the more it will cost us all.

"Cascading global crises are putting the achievement of the SDGs in jeopardy, with the worlds most vulnerable population groups disproportionately impacted, in particular women and girls. Gender equality is a foundation for achieving all SDGs and it should be at the heart of building back better, said Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs of UN DESA.

Without swift action, legal systems that do not ban violence against women, do not protect womens rights in marriage and family, for instance denying women their right to pass on their nationality to their children, or to inherit, do not provide them with equal pay and benefits at work, do not guarantee their equal rights to own and control land, may continue to exist for generations to come.

At the current rate of progress, the report estimates that it will take up to 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and at least 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. To eradicate child marriage by 2030, progress must be 17 times faster than progress of the last decade, with girls from the poorest rural households and in conflict-affected areas expected to suffer the most.

The report also points to a worrisome reversal on the reduction of poverty, and rising prices are likely to exacerbate this trend. By the end of 2022, around 383 million women and girls will live in extreme poverty (on less than 1.90 a day) compared to 368 million men and boys. Many more will have insufficient income to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and adequate shelter in most parts of the world. If current trends continue, in sub-Saharan Africa, more women and girls will live in extreme poverty by 2030 than today.

The invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war there is further worsening food insecurity and hunger, especially among women and children, limiting supplies of wheat, fertilizer and fuel, and propelling inflation. In 2021, about 38 per cent of female-headed households in war-affected areas experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, compared to 20 per cent of male-headed households.

Further facts and figures highlighted in the report include:

Ahead of the Transforming Education Summit taking place on the margins of the UN General Assembly, the report points out that achieving universal girls education, while not enough by itself, would improve such an outlook significantly. Each additional year of schooling can boost a girls earnings as an adult by up to 20 per cent with further impacts on poverty reduction, better maternal health, lower child mortality, greater HIV prevention and reduced violence against women.

The report showcases that cooperation, partnerships and investments in the gender equality agenda, including through increased global and national funding are essential to correct the course and place gender equality back on track.

Follow the report launch at the UN daily noon briefing on September 7: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17hethnco

For more information on the report: https://data.unwomen.org/publications/progress-sustainable-development-goals-gender-snapshot-2022

For more information about SGD 5 on achieving gender equality:https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/in-focus/2022/08/in-focus-sustainable-development-goal-5

Media contacts:Maria Sanchez (UN Women) media.team@unwomen.orgFrancyne Harrigan (UN Department of Global Communications) harriganf@un.orgMasayoshi Suga (UN Department of Global Communications) sugam@un.orgHelen Rosengren ( UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs) rosengrenh@un.org

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Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2022 - World - ReliefWeb

VALDOSTA When Stacey Abrams spent a couple of days in Valdosta this past week, the Valdosta Daily Times had a chance to catch up with the Georgia gubernatorial candidate.

After stops at Valdosta State University and John W. Saunders Memorial Park, Abrams visited The Times office and elaborated on her plans for Medicaid expansion, investment in financial aid for college students and redistributing state funds as part of her tax break plan. She also revealed her plans to address workers rights and racial disparities in the states criminal justice system.

VDT Reporter Malia Thomas: Youre passionate about several different pressing issues: affordable college tuition, the expansion of Medicaid and reproductive rights. ... What will be your top priority? What is the first thing that youre going to do?

Abrams: Medicaid expansion, definitely. Medicaid expansion has the effect of becoming the single largest economic development investment in Georgia history. Its $3.5 billion every year. It provides insurance for half a million people. It creates 64,000 jobs. And, whats so important is those jobs are created near the populations that didnt have insurance. And, so these arent going to be jobs concentrated in the wealthiest areas of Georgia.

They are necessarily going to be jobs created, where communities have been left out and left behind. When you do Medicaid expansion, you also tackle the issues of mental health which is a huge issue for our students and for our young people.

You help people who are working hard right now. Theyre making minimum wage, up to $9 an hour, and will suddenly be able to get access to health insurance. Theyre currently making too much for Medicaid and too little for the Affordable Care Act. This (plan) gives them the coverage they need.

It will reduce the pressure on law enforcement. Because right now law enforcement is spending its money on mental health care, because we wont ... expand Medicaid and it will also create the opportunity in the state of Georgia to save hospitals. We have now seen six hospitals either shut down or be prepared to shutdown under this governor and we cant afford it.

Were a fast growing state. Why are we losing access to health insurance? It is solely the responsibility of the current governor. and that is why its so critical that Medicaid expansion move first.

VDT: As we all know, this isnt your first rodeo. I do recall you saying last night (at John W. Saunders Park) that the last governors race was decided by about 54,000 votes and your latest memo said that you and (Brian) Kemp are statistically tied up. Considering the margins here are razor thin and considering your voter turnout efforts in places like South Georgia, how do you think youll be able to turn it around for this upcoming election?

Abrams: We know that since 2018, 1.4 million new voters have been added to the rolls. The majority of those voters actually skewed Democratic. The issue is engagement. and that is why we are going everywhere and talking to everyone. These are voters who dont traditionally show up in polling.

My mission is to find voters where they are. Its what Ive done, not just for the last four years; its what Ive done during my entire career as Democratic leader. We were able to stave off a Republican takeover of the House in a supermajority by going to find voters in places where they werent expected. Its never going to show up in the traditional ways.

But I try not to show up in traditional ways. Thats one of our methods for actually growing the electorate. Instead of trying to change a persons ideology, my goal is to change behavior and get those who do not vote (to) show up.

VDT: At the John W. Saunders rally, you mentioned the death of Brianna Grier (a Georgia woman who died this summer after falling from a moving patrol car after her arrest); instead of having medical care, she ended up getting entangled with law enforcement. So lets clarify your position (on addressing mental health care). When it comes to your budget priorities, do you plan on using some of that funding to give the community more access to mental health resources, things of that nature?

Abrams: Absolutely. The bill that was passed this year by a bipartisan legislature creates mental health insurance parity. What it says is that if you have insurance, you can spend it equally; you essentially get equal coverage for fiscal health care and mental health care.

The challenge is that we have 1.4 million Georgians without insurance. Medicaid expansion will add half a million people to that pool and that community are the people who are the most likely to have the police called when they have a mental health crisis, instead of being able to get preventative or ongoing care.

My mission is to cover those community members with health insurance so they can get the mental health support they need, the substance abuse treatment that they need.

Without that investment, the new laws in Georgia are basically window dressing. They do not solve the problem. In fact, they dont address the challenges because the very communities that are being denied access to health care, access to housing, access to services will continue to be left out and left behind unless we expand Medicaid in Georgia.

VDT: You mentioned underserved communities. What are your other budget priorities as far as positively impacting lower income families?

Abrams: One of those foundational ways to move the community forward is education. We know that Georgia has for 20 years underfunded education. Weve had these moments of equal funding, but that equal funding is based on a formula from 1985.

My first responsibility is to actually update the funding formula so that we recognize that 21st century education cannot be based on 20th century knowledge.

That also means that we have to invest in our educators by increasing their salaries. We are losing teachers at an alarming rate. and one of the issues is their pay and it is insufficient, that the starting salary in Georgia is less than the starting salary in Mississippi. The current governor has actually refused and he disagrees with my intention of raising starting salaries to $50,000 for our teachers, and then raising salaries across the board by $11,000 over four years, but I also want to make certain we help local school boards raise the salaries of paraprofessionals, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, those very workers are the low income members of our community.

But in addition to increasing their pay by adding Medicaid expansion, they get access to benefits. So now youve raised their wages and youve raised their access to health care. Those two pieces are the most likely to guarantee their opportunities.

But the third piece is housing. Affordable housing is a critical issue in Valdosta and across South Georgia. Its across the country, across the state.

By improving access to affordable housing, youve now tackled the three major issues wages, health care and housing. Thats how we move people from being in the lower middle class or the working class into the middle class by giving them the ability and the freedom to actually thrive.

VDT: Speaking of education, and you kind of touched a bit on this. But ... what is your plan as far as getting students access to funding to need-based financial aid?

Abrams: Georgia has a law that allows for need-based financial aid. Unfortunately, the current governor refuses to put money into this process. Georgia has $1 billion sitting in a reserved, unrestricted fund for the purpose of education.

My intention is simply to do with that money what we promised and that is to invest in our students. So the first stage will be to use $300 million from that fund to actually invest in need-based aid and restoration of free technical college.

I am also going to push for the expansion of gaming in Georgia to include casinos and sports betting because that can generate up to $350 million every year, which means that we will create a permanent source of revenue that will fund financial aid, will reduce the reliance on debt and will increase the likelihood that students who may lose HOPE (scholarship) because their GPA falls dont actually lose access to education.

VDT: To go back to Medicaid and health care in general. Can you describe your personal feelings when you found out that the Atlanta Medical Center after over 100 years of service was closing down? I know youve mentioned that it would put our communities in jeopardy and have negative ramifications for the state as a whole?

Abrams: I used to drive past the Atlanta Medical Center every single day on my commute to the Capitol. and what this means for the community is devastating. The day after the announcement happened, we helped hold a press conference.

On one corner, you saw people coming to work in their scrubs, but instead of going to work knowing that they had a life that they were building, they knew that their jobs will be ending in a matter of weeks.

On the corner, there were people being wheeled into the hospital, people whose lives depended on access to that service ... We know 50,000 people who were indigent or charity cases in 2020. If those patients had had access to Medicaid expansion, then the hospital would have been reimbursed for their care.

And while Medicaid expansion may not be the only issue, it is a salient and it is a major issue. and we know it works because it has worked in 38 states.

Georgia is losing hospitals at a rate that is not happening in states that have expanded Medicaid. When we lose AMC, were not only losing a hospital that is an anchor for the community, were also losing one of our five level one trauma centers.

Grady Hospital does not have the capacity to fully absorb what has been coming to AMC. AMC has saved law enforcement, it has saved legislators and it has saved lives of just regular community members. and that will no longer be possible.

And what should be concerning to everyone is that from Dade County near the Tennessee line down to Athens, if we lose AMC, the very next hospital they can get to, if they get turned away from Grady, is down in Macon. Yes, yes, theres only one, there are only two level one trauma centers in metro Atlanta, which is half the population of Georgia.

So if youre in Dade County, and Grady cant accept you, the closest hospital with level one trauma is in Macon.

And this is because Brian Kemp has refused to expand Medicaid. ... Think about it as a single moment in time. This has been for years of refusing $3.5 billion every year, on top of four previous years of refusing that same money.

If that infusion of capital had happened longitudinally, we would still have the Atlanta Medical Center.

VDT: and whats your strategy for rectifying this?

Abrams: First expanding Medicaid, which means that were pouring an infusion of capital, but Georgia also has a $5 to $6 billion surplus that is unrestricted and accessible for any of the states needs.

I liken it to a house that had a roof leak and the basement floods. Under previous governors, for the last 20 years, weve been told to patch the roof and just bail out the basement. We actually have the resources to replace the roof and fix the plumbing. If we do that then we create opportunity for millions of Georgians whove been told that they arent entitled to support, or that we cant afford it.

We can do all of the things Im suggesting raise wages for our teachers and law enforcement. We can expand Medicaid. We can provide need-based financial aid for our students. We can fully invest in our schools, all without raising a dime in taxes. Because we have the money.

Its just the current governor refuses to write the check. Instead, he wants to give the money to his friends and give money to the wealthiest Georgians. I want to invest in Georgia. and the question is, what do we want: someone whos willing to give grift to his friends or give a gift to Georgia, of really fixing the problems that we have?

VDT: Speaking of investing in Georgia, I remember you being critical of Kemps planned tax break at the VSU rally. What is the issue you find with his approach, and what are your plans for aiding Georgians?

Abrams: On average, 20% of Georgians at the bottom will get $27. The middle income Georgians, towards about 40%, will get $193. At the top, if you make more than $600,000, theyll get about $10,000 or more because we have a 5% flat tax.

So if you are wealthy, you are going to get an extraordinary sum of money. and basically, from that point of about $600,000 and up, youll get an average of $10,000, and most Georgians will only see between $27 and $193 in tax relief. Only 50,000 people will get that money a total of $500 million between them.

The tax break has been written into law, but what Brian Kemp is proposing is extending it. He wants to take the surplus and instead of investing that money in solving problems, he wants to give the very same wealthy people even more, so theyll get $20 or $30,000.

My point is that instead of shifting the tax burden, and shifting the tax responsibility to the lowest and middle income, Georgians ... instead we should be investing in the very needs of our middle class and working class families and they will tell you its education, its health care, its housing: the tenants of financial freedom.

VDT: This is unrelated to what you were talking about last night, but I was looking through your social media. and one thing did stick out to me is that you had some statements showing support of labor unions. Being the daughter of a shipyard worker and a librarian, labor-related issues are important to you, of course. However, I do notice that, though it is not as bad as it used to be, there is still an anti-union predisposition that is kind of prominent in the South. How do you plan on advancing these organizations and making them more prevalent in the states workforce?

Abrams: I believe in workers rights, and I know that labor unions have been essential in guaranteeing rights, even those who are not members of unions. The reason we have the ability to have a two-day weekend, the reason that we have paid leave whenever it happens, is that so much of our wage structure is based on the work of labor unions.

I stand with labor, because I know that labor helps move communities forward. I will work to expand access to workers rights. I will expand access through apprenticeship programs to increase the number of young people or anyone who wants to go into the building trades or into construction or into nursing, so they can guarantee their wages.

But lets talk about domestic workers. The National Domestic Workers union was founded right here in Georgia, and it gave women, especially working women, Black women, for the first time equity in how they were treated. That was created by Dorothy Bolden in the 1950s. and what that led to is Black women and domestic workers at large finally being included in Social Security.

There are basic rights like gender equity, that can only be secured when we are working with labor unions. and my mission is to ensure that anybody who wants to join a union can do so in the state of Georgia.

VDT: Piggy backing off of that, I do notice that ... you were passionate about social justice, social reform ... So how would you plan on taking care of disparities when it comes to treatment that certain communities face in regards to law enforcement, medical care and things of that nature?

Abrams: What has been so disingenuous about the current governors administration and his propaganda is that he ignores the very real issue of racial disparity.

We saw that with Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County. We have seen it with others across the state. Racial violence is real. Racial discrimination is real. Weve seen it happen with the spa shootings.

We must have a governor who acknowledges that racial diversity is both an opportunity, but some see it as a threat, and our leadership has to acknowledge and protect those communities. I will and I do, and the first step of protection is acknowledgement, being able to speak aloud the challenges we face.

I point out that I have two brothers, one who has been in and out of the carceral system. I want law enforcement to protect others from his bad behavior, but he shouldnt lose his humanity just because he loses his freedom.

And that is why I want to invest in making sure that we take care of our correctional workers ... correctional workers make less than a living wage in the state of Georgia, which means they cant take care of your families, let alone take care of the prisoners who are in their care.

We also need to make certain that when you are released that you have the ability to actually be on a path to redemption and reform as opposed to recidivism. and that means we need to pay our community supervision officers or probation parole officers a living wage. Im the only candidate proposing to do that across the board.

We have to have a governor who actually believes that when you go to prison, you dont lose, you shouldnt lose, your humanity. But for others, we have to also address the fact that, yes, we want law enforcement that does its job and we want to support them. But when they do something wrong, when theres racial bias, there has to be accountability.

And unfortunately, the current governor has lied about my position. and my position is we dont have the luxury of being disingenuous about the reality of racial violence from police. I believe that, hopefully, we hold law enforcement accountable. ... Protect them and support them when theyre doing right. When they make mistakes, it erodes community trust if we dont (hold them accountable).

More than anything, my mission is to make certain that equity is achieved in Georgia. People of color are 48% of the population. Right now, were 12% of the business revenue, which means the economic inequities are not only persistent, but they have an effect on every other facet of our lives.

So going back to the conversation about financial freedom, social justice and financial security, often move hand in hand. The more you are able to take care of yourself and your family, the better your communities do, that the stronger our communities are. and so my mission is to help our communities achieve financial freedom and financial equity that they deserve so that we can take care of ourselves, take care of our communities and uplift all of Georgia.

The Valdosta Daily Times has extended an invitation to the office of Gov. Brian Kemp to visit the offices of the newspaper for a one-on-one interview with a reporter.

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Stating Her Mission: One-on-one with Stacey Abrams - Valdosta Daily Times

Weston, Florida, 10th September 2022, ZEXPRWIRE, Erin Smith and Thomas Smith of Weston, Florida continue their efforts helping local veterans, as they lead Project We Care, a family-based non-profit organization that works with the Veterans Administration Subsidized Housing program to connect with veterans of the armed services who are in need of household goods, food, clothing, and other necessities. The couple, who are also the parents of four children, founded Project We Care after recognizing a need in their community for assistance to veterans. When we see a veteran in need, its our duty to help, says Thomas Smith. These men and women have given so much for our country, the least we can do is make sure they have what they need to get by.

Project We Care provides veterans with access to necessary resources like food, clothing, and household goods, as well as offering assistance with basic necessities. Our goal is to make sure that no veteran falls through the cracks, says Erin Smith. We want to help as many veterans as possible, and we wont stop until every veteran in need has been connected with the resources they need to thrive. Founded by Erin Smith and Thomas Smith, the main goal of Project We Care is to provide veterans with the best care upon returning home as they work to reassimilate into civilian society. One of the most effective ways to assist veterans in reacclimating has been to help them make their homes into peaceful places to recover physically and psychologically.

The Weston, Florida based non-profit has partnered with multiple organizations in order to make the most impact for veterans, including the Veterans Administration Subsidized Housing program. The VA Subsidized Housing program provides housing assistance to low-income veterans and their families. In addition to partnering with local organizations, Project We Care also relies on donations from individuals and businesses in order to continue their work assisting veterans. Many local businesses, such as All Year Cooling Weston, have joined in by providing monetary contributions as well as offering volunteer time and increasing awareness about Project We Care by wearing its logo and offering information inside their offices. We are so grateful for the support weve received from our community, says Thomas Smith. Its because of the generosity of others that we are able to do the work that we do.

Regarding plans to expand their services and the reach of their operations, Thomas Smith commented, We are always looking for ways to do more. We want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help veterans, and we will continue to look for ways to expand our services. One of the first steps we plan to take is to increase our presence on social media so that we can reach more people and let them know about the work we are doing.

For more information about Project We Care, please visit https://projectwecare.org

About Erin Smith and Thomas Smith

Erin Smith, a philanthropist from Weston, Florida, is involved in a variety of humanitarian organizations and activities. She is most known for co-founding Project We Care, a family-based non-profit that works with the Veterans Administration Subsidized Housing program to give veterans with food, clothing, and the domestic essentials they need to live comfortably and restfully. Erin was born in Santa Monica, California, and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at a young age. She attended South Plantation High School before settling in Weston, Florida, with her husband of nearly two decades, Thomas Smith, and their four children.

Erin Smith is very active in her community of Weston, Florida, and has been a major contributor to local academic causes, including assistance to the JT Reading Room, which helps improve literacy and graduation rates among schoolchildren, as well as frequent donations to the Broward County School system and offering help with organizing and operating extracurricular activities. She enlisted her husband Thomas and his company, All Year Cooling Weston, to assist raise funds for Cancer.org in the fight against breast cancer.

Thomas Smith is a well-known businessman and entrepreneur who was born in Hollywood, Florida. Thomas lives in Weston, Florida, and is the President of All Year Cooling Weston, a family-owned air conditioning installation and servicing company in South Florida. Because of his extensive industry knowledge and decades of leadership experience, Thomas Smith understands how to set his company apart in a crowded market. Following his lead and his work, he has built a team of dedicated professionals who provide the highest quality service and always put the customer first.

From their offices in Coral Springs, All Year Cooling Weston serves customers from Homestead to Vero Beach. Thomas Smith understands the importance of air conditioning in the South Florida area and makes himself available to his customers at all times. All Year Cooling Weston offers same-day service so that customers are not compelled to stay indoors for more than a few hours in the scorching heat. To guarantee that their customers have clean air in their homes, they also offer free estimates and duct cleaning services.

For more information about All Year Cooling, please visit http://www.allyearcooling.com

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Erin Smith and Thomas Smith of Weston, Florida, Support Veterans with Efforts of Project We Care - Digital Journal

How come people are still starving in the 21st century?

Peasant agriculture provides 70% of the worlds food production

This is the direct consequence of the agribusiness model that aims at garnering profits rather than at feeding the people. It is particularly obvious in countries of the global South where the IMFIMFInternational Monetary FundAlong with the World Bank, the IMF was founded on the day the Bretton Woods Agreements were signed. Its first mission was to support the new system of standard exchange rates.

When the Bretton Wood fixed rates system came to an end in 1971, the main function of the IMF became that of being both policeman and fireman for global capital: it acts as policeman when it enforces its Structural Adjustment Policies and as fireman when it steps in to help out governments in risk of defaulting on debt repayments.

As for the World Bank, a weighted voting system operates: depending on the amount paid as contribution by each member state. 85% of the votes is required to modify the IMF Charter (which means that the USA with 17,68%% of the votes has a de facto veto on any change).

The institution is dominated by five countries: the United States (16,74%), Japan (6,23%), Germany (5,81%), France (4,29%) and the UK (4,29%). The other 183 member countries are divided into groups led by one country. The most important one (6,57% of the votes) is led by Belgium. The least important group of countries (1,55% of the votes) is led by Gabon and brings together African countries.

http://imf.orgs and the World BankWorld BankWBThe World Bank was founded as part of the new international monetary system set up at Bretton Woods in 1944. Its capital is provided by member states contributions and loans on the international money markets. It financed public and private projects in Third World and East European countries.

It consists of several closely associated institutions, among which :

1. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, 189 members in 2017), which provides loans in productive sectors such as farming or energy ;

2. The International Development Association (IDA, 159 members in 1997), which provides less advanced countries with long-term loans (35-40 years) at very low interest (1%) ;

3. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), which provides both loan and equity finance for business ventures in developing countries.

As Third World Debt gets worse, the World Bank (along with the IMF) tends to adopt a macro-economic perspective. For instance, it enforces adjustment policies that are intended to balance heavily indebted countries payments. The World Bank advises those countries that have to undergo the IMFs therapy on such matters as how to reduce budget deficits, round up savings, enduce foreign investors to settle within their borders, or free prices and exchange rates.

s structural adjustmentStructural AdjustmentEconomic policies imposed by the IMF in exchange of new loans or the rescheduling of old loans.

Structural Adjustments policies were enforced in the early 1980 to qualify countries for new loans or for debt rescheduling by the IMF and the World Bank. The requested kind of adjustment aims at ensuring that the country can again service its external debt. Structural adjustment usually combines the following elements : devaluation of the national currency (in order to bring down the prices of exported goods and attract strong currencies), rise in interest rates (in order to attract international capital), reduction of public expenditure (streamlining of public services staff, reduction of budgets devoted to education and the health sector, etc.), massive privatisations, reduction of public subsidies to some companies or products, freezing of salaries (to avoid inflation as a consequence of deflation). These SAPs have not only substantially contributed to higher and higher levels of indebtedness in the affected countries ; they have simultaneously led to higher prices (because of a high VAT rate and of the free market prices) and to a dramatic fall in the income of local populations (as a consequence of rising unemployment and of the dismantling of public services, among other factors).

IMF : http://www.worldbank.org/ policies have favoured an intensive form of export-oriented agriculture, competitive and profitable on the global market, squeezing out the production of staple foods and peasant agriculture, which produces 70% of the worlds food[2] . Food has become a commodity subject to speculation on the world market where a handful of large multinationals decide on prices.

Agribusiness grabs more and more land and water resources, destroys peasant seeds in favour of hybrids and GMOs, generalizes the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and increases the production of agrifuel

These large agribusinesses benefit from public subsidies, take over more and more land for the expansion of agrofuel production and drain water resources for high-consuming crops, they destroy peasant seeds in favour of hybrids and GMOs, and generalize the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

This production model considerably increases the vulnerability of crops to external shocks and hugely contributes to climate change and to droughts that affect rain-fedFEDFederal ReserveOfficially, Federal Reserve System, is the United States central bank created in 1913 by the Federal Reserve Act, also called the Owen-Glass Act, after a series of banking crises, particularly the Bank Panic of 1907.

FED decentralized central bank : http://www.federalreserve.gov/ agriculture and dry up the water tables. It is part and parcel of the global capitalist system and its maniy crises of which the food crisis is but one.

About 60% of the population is affected by moderate food insecurity and 20% by severe food insecurity

One person in ten in the World is permanently hungry.According to a wider standard developed by the FAO and other UN bodies, 30% of the worlds population experience moderate food insecurity. The FAO observes that on the African continent about 60% of the population is affected by moderate food insecurity and 20% by severe food insecurity, and those figures are likely to increase with climate instability.

45% of the deaths of children under 5 are due to malnutrition, which means 3.1 million children

In 2020, an estimated 45 million children under the age of five were suffering from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition, which multiplies child mortality rates by up to 12 times. Furthermore, 149 million children under the age of five had stunted growth and development due to a chronic lack of essential nutrients in their diets.[3] 45% of the deaths of children under 5 are due to malnutrition, which represents 3.1 million children.

The gender gap in food insecurity continued to rise in 2021 - 31.9% of women in the world were moderately or severely food insecure, compared to 27.6% of men a gap of more than 4 percentage points, compared with 3 percentage points in 2020.[4]

Unicef announced on 23 June 2022 that almost 8 million children under 5 in 15 crisis-hit countries are at risk of death from severe wasting unless they receive immediate therapeutic food and careCareLe concept de care work (travail de soin) fait rfrence un ensemble de pratiques matrielles et psychologiques destines apporter une rponse concrte aux besoins des autres et dune communaut (dont des cosystmes). On prfre le concept de care celui de travail domestique ou de reproduction car il intgre les dimensions motionnelles et psychologiques (charge mentale, affection, soutien), et il ne se limite pas aux aspects privs et gratuit en englobant galement les activits rmunres ncessaires la reproduction de la vie humaine. . . . Since the start of the year, the escalating global food crisis has forced an additional 260,000 children or one child every 60 seconds to suffer from severe wasting in the 15 countries bearing the brunt of the crisis, especially in the Horn of Africa and the Central Sahel. The Unicef also states, the price of ready-to-use therapeutic food to treat severe wasting has soared by 16 per cent in recent weeks due to a sharp rise in the cost of basic ingredients, 600,000 additional children are without access to life-saving treatment and at risk of death.

Paradoxically a majority of people suffering from malnutrition are farmers, mainly small producers who do not possess land or not enough, nor the means to develop it, and who must sell as much agricultural produce as possible on the market to pay off their debts depriving their families of food. Of course, there are also the impoverished urban classes.

Moderate food insecurity: Refers to the level of severity of food insecurity, based on the FIES, at which people face uncertainties about their ability to obtain food and have been forced to reduce, at times during the year, the quality and/or quantity of food they consume due to lack of money or other resources. It thus refers to a lack of consistent access to food, which diminishes dietary quality, disrupts normal eating patterns, and can have negative consequences for nutrition, health and well-being.

Severe Food Insecurity: The level of severity of food insecurity at which people have likely run out of food, experienced hunger and, at the most extreme, gone for days without eating, putting their health and well-being at grave risk, based on the FIES.

Malnutrition: an abnormal physiological condition caused by inadequate, unbalanced or excessive intake of macronutrients and/or micronutrients. Malnutrition includes undernutrition (child stunting and wasting, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies) as well as overweight and obesity

Wasting Wasting is a lethal form of malnutrition, generally the result of weight loss associated with a recent period of inadequate dietary energy intake and/or disease. In children under five years of age, wasting is defined as weight-for-height less than -2 SD below the WHO Child Growth Standards median. In 2022, over 45 million children under five suffer from it.

Severe wasting: Condition characterized by extreme emaciation in relation to size, which leads to a weakening of the immune system. Severe wasting is the most immediate, the most visible and the most lethal form of malnutrition. In 2022 over 13 million children under five suffer from it.

The global food crisis had started before the Russian invasion of Ukraine

mile Frison, a member of the international panel of experts on sustainable food systems (IPES-food) stated in Le Monde: we must not be misled into believing that the food crisis is the consequence of the Covid health crisis and of the war in Ukraine, and that if those problems are solved, all will be well. Mathilde Grard, a journalist with Le Monde added: Those two major international events actually aggravated previous structural difficulties.[6]

The Global food crisis is not the result of deficient food production. Actually the global food production has increased more rapidly than the worlds population for over half a century. In 2021, the cereal crop reached a record high level.

But it has to be emphasized that an increasing part of the food produced is not intended for human consumption.

Governments of the North have supported the production of agrifuel, misleadingly called Green Fuel or biofuel to trigger a positive response among the public. In an article of April 2022, Jean-Franois Collin, a senior civil servant and former adviser to the French Ministry of Agriculture, highlights the considerable increase in the industrial uses of world cereal production (...), in particular the production of ethanol: 30% of the increase in world production over the last fifty years has been devoted to the development of industrial uses for cereals. This mainly concerns corn but also wheat. () Approximately 200 million tons of American corn are processed each year into ethanol for use in automotive fuel. 10% of the cereals produced in the world are now used as fuel Governments of the North have supported the production of agrifuel, misleadingly called Green Fuel or biofuel to trigger a positive response among the public. In an article of April 2022, Jean-Franois Collin, a senior civil servant and former adviser to the French Ministry of Agriculture, highlights the considerable increase in the industrial uses of world cereal production (...), in particular the production of ethanol: 30% of the increase in world production over the last fifty years has been devoted to the development of industrial uses for cereals. This mainly concerns corn but also wheat. () Approximately 200 million tons of American corn are processed each year into ethanol for use in automotive fuel. 10% of the cereals produced in the world are now used as fuel. We could add the areas devoted to other plants that are not cereals, such as rapeseed, soya or palm oil, which are used to produce diester, also used as fuel. These are all areas that are not devoted to the production of wheat or rice that could directly feed humans.

10% of the cereals produced in the world are now used as fuel, 35% as animal fodder

More than one third of the global production of cereals (35%), is destined to be fodder for farm animals.

A handful of transnational corporations control the cereal market, thus forming an oligo-pole, and constantly increase their profits and their assets to the detriment of the interests of the people. On a global level four corporations, three of which are US companies and the other is French, control 70% of the international cereal market. They have a fundamental influence in pricing and supply. They are Archer Daniels Midland, De Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus, often referred to as ABCD. On a global level four corporations, three of which are US companies and the other is French, control 70% of the international cereal market.

Let us take the case of Cargill. A recent report by Oxfam international stated: Cargill is a global food giant and one of the worlds largest private companies. In 2017 it was reported as one of four companies controlling over 70% of the global market for agricultural commoditiesCommoditiesThe goods exchanged on the commodities market, traditionally raw materials such as metals and fuels, and cereals., and is 87% owned by the 11th richest family in the world.70 The combined wealth of family members listed on the Forbes billionaire list is $42.9bn and their wealth has increased by $14.4bn (65%) since 2020, growing by almost $20m per day during the pandemic. This has been driven by rising food prices, especially for grains. Four more members of the extended Cargill family have recently joined the list of the richest 500 people in the world. In 2021, the company had net income of $5bn and made the biggest profitProfitThe positive gain yielded from a companys activity. Net profit is profit after tax. Distributable profit is the part of the net profit which can be distributed to the shareholders. in its history; the year before it paid out dividends of $1.13bn, most of which went to members of the family. The company is expected to make record profits again in 2022, adding to the familys already eye-watering wealth. The wealth of the Cargill family increased by 65% from 2020 to 2022, growing by almost $20m per day during the pandemic

Oxfams report adds, Cargill is not alone in seeing big profits off the back of food shortages and market volatility, according to Bloomberg. One of the companys competitors, the agricultural tradingMarket activitiestradingBuying and selling of financial instruments such as shares, futures, derivatives, options, and warrants conducted in the hope of making a short-term profit. house Louis Dreyfus Co., said in March that its profit surged by 82% last year, largely due to grain price fluctuations and strong margins in oilseeds. (Source: Oxfam Media Briefing Profiting from Pain. The urgency of taxing the rich amid a surge in billionaire wealth and a global cost-of-living crisis, published on 23 May 2022)

Such control over food distribution has allowed those agribusiness corporations, but also large commercial chains such as Wallmart or Carrefour, to impose around 30% price increases in 2021.[7]

Neoliberal free-trade policies, which we discuss further on, are other deep-lying causes of the food crisis. Indeed they have made countries of the Global South more and more dependent oncereal imports (see below our critical comments on various policies implemented by countries of the South under pressure of institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF but also of their own ruling classes). In case of an external shock leading to a price increase on the world market and/or a supply difficulty, the countries of the Global South, which do not produce enough cereals, are directly affected.

Among recent factors that have aggravated the food crisis, we have to mention the huge speculation on cereal markets as soon as Ukraine was invaded by Russia. The prices of wheat and corn increased by almost 50% within two weeks while at the time there had not yet been any destruction of production or supply problem. It was sheer speculation on the part of private corporations stocking up cereals (including future crops) on stock markets (the main one being located in Chicago). The price of rice also increased, though less steeply.

After the invasion of Ukraine prices of wheat and corn increased by almost 50% within two weeks while at the time there had not yet been any destruction of production or supply problem

Supermarket corporations immediately increased food prices without any reason.

At the moment these lines are written, end of August 2022, over the past three months the price of wheat has decreased by 32% and the price of corn by 22% on the Chicago stock market, but this had no effect on retail prices.

From end of May to end of August 2022 the price of wheat went down by 32% and the price of corn by 22% but this had no effect on retail prices.

Retail prices for consumers have sharply increased and it is unlikely that they should go down as governments do not enforce a policy of price control or price setting. Large private companies are free to set prices as they see fit.

Actually on a global scale the situation had been deteriorating since 2014. While there had been a serious food crisis in 2007-2008 (see our explanation 3865) resulting in over 800 million people experiencing hunger, the situation had improved from 2009 to 2013 then again deteriorated since 2014 (see tables 1 and 2).

Table 1: Number of people experiencing food insecurity at a severe level (in millions)

Source: FAOThe State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022, table 4, p. 26

Globally, between 2014 and 2021, the number of severely food insecure people increased by more than 350 million, from 565 million to 924 million

Table 2: Number of people experiencing food insecurity at a moderate level (in millions)

Source: FAOThe State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022, table 4, p. 26

From 2014 to 2021 on a global scale the number of people experiencing severe food insecurity increased from 565 to 924 million

Eradicating hunger is perfectly possible. Solutions to achieve this vital objective demand a project of food sovereignty radically different from the intensive agribusiness model. Food sovereignty refers to the right of each country to maintain and develop its own capacity to produce its staple food. It assumes the protection of natural resources, notably land, water and seeds. Food producers, distributors and consumers are to be put at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and transnational corporations, feeding the people by local producers, while reducing imports and exports. Food sovereignty can only be achieved if agro-ecology underpins governments decisions. Agro-ecology is an alternative to the productivist neoliberal model. It guaranteesGuaranteesActs that provide a creditor with security in complement to the debtors commitment. A distinction is made between real guarantees (lien, pledge, mortgage, prior charge) and personal guarantees (surety, aval, letter of intent, independent guarantee). the collective rights of peasants, protects biodiversity, strengthens local food systems, and values the literally vital work done by the women.

It would supply quality food: without GMOs, without pesticides or herbicides, without chemical fertilizers. Yet to reach this objective, over three billion peasants must gain access to enough land and farm for themselves rather than enrich large landowners, agribusiness transnationals, traders and lenders. They must also have access to public subsidies to farm the land, and without exhausting it.

Land reform is needed, it is still sorely wanting whether in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Asia or in some African countries. Such a reform must organize the redistribution of land, prohibit large private estates, and supply public support to farmers. It must counter the land policies enforced by the World Bank, trusts such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and multinationals that favour large-scale operations of land-grabbing.

It must preserve existing forests and encourage reforestation, stop the privatization and commodification of water resources, avoid single crops that exhaust the soil It has to be emphasized that the IMF and the World Bank have a huge responsibility in the food crisis since these institutions insisted that countries become more and more dependent on international markets, canceled help to small farmers and offered most favoured advantages to agribusiness transnationals. The IMF and the WB advised governments in the South to eliminate grain silos that were used to supply the domestic market in the event of a supply shortage and/or price explosion. The World Bank and the IMF have pushed Southern governments to abolish public credit agencies for farmers and have pushed these into the clutches of private lenders (often large traders) or private banks that charge usurious rates. This has led to massive debts among small farmers, whether in India, Mexico, Egypt or several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to official surveys over-indebtedness among Indian peasants is the main cause of suicide of nearly 400,000 farmers in India over the past 25 years. India is precisely one of the countries where the World Bank convinced public authorities to suppress public lending to farmers. Over the past 50 years the WB and the IMF also pressed tropical and other countries of the South into replacing their production of wheat, rice or corn with export crops such as cocoa, coffee, tea, bananas, peanuts, flowers, cotton or cane sugar. To complete their labour in favour of agribusiness corporations and countries exporting cereals (starting with the US, Canada and Europe), they pushed governments to open their markets to food imports that, in the North, are largely subsidized leading many producers in the South into bankruptcy and causing a steep reduction of local food production.

To sum up, we have to implement food sovereignty, promote agro-ecology and introduce land reforms. We must stop producing industrial agro-fuel and ban public subsidies to those who produce it. We must recreate public food reserves (particularly cereals: rice, wheat, corn), (re)create public credit agencies for farmers and regulate food prices. We must make sure that low income populations can have access to quality food at low prices. We must cancel VAT on staple foods. The State must guarantee small farmers sufficiently good prices to allow them to significantly improve their living conditions. The State must also develop public services in rural areas such as health care, education, communications, culture, or seed banks. Public bodies are perfectly able to guarantee both subsidized prices for food consumers and sufficiently high selling prices for farmers to bring in a sufficient income.

Indeed we cannot seriously claim that we are fighting hunger without getting to its root causes. Debt is one of them and the various announcements on this issue, which have been frequent in recent years, such as during the G7 or G20G20The Group of Twenty (G20 or G-20) is a group made up of nineteen countries and the European Union whose ministers, central-bank directors and heads of state meet regularly. It was created in 1999 after the series of financial crises in the 1990s. Its aim is to encourage international consultation on the principle of broadening dialogue in keeping with the growing economic importance of a certain number of countries. Its members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, USA, UK and the European Union (represented by the presidents of the Council and of the European Central Bank). summits, do not hide the fact that hunger remains an unresolved problem. The current global crisis makes the debt situation of developing countries even worse and new debt crises are in the offing. The events in Sri Lanka or Argentina in 2022 are glaring examples. This debt has led peoples of the South, who could otherwise rely on significant human and natural resources, into massive poverty. The debt system is organized plunder which must be stopped.

Indeed the infernal mechanism of illegitimate public debt is a principal obstacle to the satisfaction of basic human needs, including access to decent food. Without a doubt, the satisfaction of basic human needs must take precedence over any other consideration, whether geopolitical or financial. From a moral perspective, the rights of creditors, landlords or speculators are a mere trifle in contrast to the fundamental rights of eight billion citizens, trampled on by the implacable mechanism of debt.

It is immoral to demand that people in countries impoverished by a crisis they are not responsible for devote a large part of their resources to repay well-to-do creditors (whether in the North and in the South) rather than to meet their basic needs. The immorality of the debt is often a consequence of its having been contracted by non-democratic regimes that have not used the loans in the interestInterestAn amount paid in remuneration of an investment or received by a lender. Interest is calculated on the amount of the capital invested or borrowed, the duration of the operation and the rate that has been set. of their populations and organized large-scale embezzlement with the tacit or explicit approval of countries in the North, private creditors, the World Bank and the IMF. Creditors of industrialized countries have often knowingly lent to regimes that are corrupt. They have no right to demand that the people pay back these immoral and illegitimate debts. To put it in a nutshell, debt is one of the main mechanisms through which a new kind of colonization operates. It comes on top of the historical violations already committed by rich countries: slavery, extermination of indigenous populations, colonial yoke, plundering of raw materials, of biodiversity, of farmers know-how (through the patenting of agricultural products from the South, such as Indian basmati rice, for the benefit of agribusiness transnationals from the North) and of cultural goods, brain drain, etc. It is high time, in a concern for justice, to replace the logic of domination by a logic of redistribution of wealth.

The G7, the IMF, the World Bank and the Paris ClubParis ClubThis group of lender States was founded in 1956 and specializes in dealing with non-payment by developing countries.

impose their own versions of truth and justice, of which they are both judge and party. Since the crisis of 2007-2009, the G20 has taken over from the G7 and has contributed to putting the discredited and delegitimized IMF back at the center of the political and economic game, particularly with regard to the Global South. We must put an end to this injustice which benefits the oppressors, whether they are from the North or the South.

The CADTM wholeheartedly supports the proposals and demands formulated by the international peasant movement La Via Campesina to face the current food crisis and move toward food sovereignty.

Faced with this dramatic context, La Via Campesina voices strong demands and proposals to address the crises, both in the short and the longer terms.

We demand immediate action to:

We demand radical changes in international, regional and national policies to re-build food sovereignty through:

A radical shift towards agroecology to produce healthy food in quantity and quality for the whole population. We must bear in mind that the climate and environmental crisis will be our great challenge in this current context. We must face the challenge of producing enough quali-ty food while reviving biodiversity and drastically reducing GHG emissions.

With thanks to Pablo Laixhay and Brigitte Ponet for their careful reading.

We recommend to read this CADTM press release -> 2022: Ending the food crisis

See the article here:

International food crisis and proposals to overcome it - CADTM.org