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G-8 PLEDGES TO INVEST 20BILLION DOLLARS TO INCREASE

FOOD PRODUCTION AND FIGHTHUNGER

Om Prakash Yadav

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 justconcluded 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 thisyear. 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 pledgeand said that such pledges have been made by world leaders in

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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 pledgein 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.

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