Empowering CSO Networks in an Unequal Multi-Polar World | G20 Position Paper - September 2014
WHO WE ARE We are an international coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from seven countries: 1. Brazilian Network for the Integration of Peoples (REBRIP - Brazil), 2. Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) Russia, 3. Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA at People’s Budget Incitiative - India), 4. International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID – Indonesia), 5. Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) China, 6. South Africa Network on Inequality (SANI at Economic Justice Network) 7. El Barzón (Mexico) Through the project “Empowering Civil Society Organizations Networks in an Unequal Multi-Polar World” (ECSN-BRICSAM), we have created an international platform to gather the civil society voices from emerging nations and facilitate their inclusion in global governance and policy-making forums such as the G20. Our nations face common challenges of reducing poverty and inequality, and this platform exists to strengthen the collective capacity of national CSOs to voice their concerns and recommendations related to these issues. Our work focuses on three main thematic areas, each related to inequality: 1. Economic Development Model 2. Access to public services and 3. Food security and systems, with analysis of Gender inequality as an overarching approach.
OUR PERSPECTIVE We are networks of Civil Society Organizations from seven emerging nations, representing many citizens, often from poor and marginalized sectors of society, who have the right to have a voice in decision-making processes such as the G20. We firmly believe that the G20 needs to address issues related to agriculture, food security and climate change, in order to help build improved food security and nutrition as a driver of economic growth and to reduce inequality. Agriculture is strategically important for development, since it is a crucial driver for economic growth in most developing countries and one of the main areas in which growth has the most poverty-reducing impacts, given that in our countries, poverty rates are considerably higher in rural areas, particularly amongst women. It can also place countries on a trajectory toward economic diversification which delivers rural and urban employment opportunities across all sectors. Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. The overall impacts of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, threatening global food security and exacerbating rural poverty. G20 countries contain approximately half the world’s chronically hungry people. The potential for a significantly negative relationship to develop between food insecurity and global growth and stability was demonstrated in 200708 when food price spikes sparked riots in over 30 countries and led to panic-buying and the imposition of export restrictions. We live in nations where large proportions of the population still go hungry, yet at the same time, and somewhat paradoxically, increasing numbers of people are obese. We believe that the current efforts to reinvest in agriculture should take into account the need to improve the resilience of food systems so as to reduce their vulnerability to extreme weather events and to the increasingly volatile prices. We also believe that investment in agriculture should be considered a central pillar of poverty and inequality reduction strategies. Moreover, investment in agriculture, often by multinational companies, needs to be properly regulated and taxed in order to ensure that benefits of such development are enjoyed by all citizens in our countries, not just a few. In this context, and on behalf of our networks, we present proposals to the G20 leaders in order to build more equitable and sustainable food systems:
POLICY ASKS In order to achieve the objectives of promoting promote stronger economic growth and employment outcomes making global economy more resilient to deal with future shocks we demand that G20 leaders: 1) Promote inclusive development by: Reducing inequality – particularly economic inequality in rural areas, inequality in access to services between rural and urban areas, gender inequality, for instance in terms of access to land, credit and financing for women farmers, and also inequality in access to nutritious food. Encouraging pluralistic food systems to ensure that pro-poor food systems are in place to guarantee adequate nutrition, realizing G20’s commitment to ensure adequate nutrition, especially for children. Placing priority on economic policies for small‐scale entrepreneurs, primarily women and the younger generation involved in the informal sector (micro, small and medium‐scale enterprises). Supporting rural development by smallholder farmers and empower them economically by allowing them to have a greater control over their food needs, protecting and encouraging their access to markets and guaranteeing access to inputs (such as seeds) and to natural resources (such as land and water). Project financed by the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the CSO networks mentioned here and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
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2) To address climate change, which is having strong impacts on economy and is increasingly contributing to food price volatility and food emergencies. Setting a position in favor of alternative agriculture’s models such as agro-ecology and small scale farming which present great mitigation potential through soil and plant sequestration and have the flexibility and diversity required to allow adaptation to changing conditions. Providing financial and technical assistance to developing country in order to ensure resilience of vulnerable farming communities, particularly through a commitment to agro-ecology and small-scale farming. 3) To ensure full transparency on world markets: Continuing to support and strengthen the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). Ensuring AMIS is fully effective in preventing hoarding or other market manipulation, information on private sector food stocks needs to be included. Promoting measures to improve public and market-based distribution systems and increase food affordability for the poorest sections of the community, especially at regional, national and subnational level. 4) To strengthen the regulation of agricultural commodity derivatives: Strengthening and encouraging national policies on food stocks to ensure price stability and food security and nutrition, with the commitment of purchasing food from smallholder producers and ensuring transparency of public and private inventories. Calling for the introduction and strengthening of limits on positions taken by players entering commodity markets for speculative reasons. Ensuring that these markets are effective for food producers and consumers rather than to provide increased scope for higher volumes of financial speculation. Removing biofuels subsidies and mandates. Limiting the diversion of human foods to livestock for agriculture. 5) To promote Multinational Corporations’ (MNCs) regulation and proper taxation. MNCs play a critical role in determining the level of food security for populations around the world. Because of their impact on food systems, MNCs are crucially important in the struggle against hunger. All companies must pay their fair share of taxes, , without escaping their obligations to the societies in which they operate and where they generate profits. Supporting the urgent implementation of the OECD’s ‘Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting’ (BEPS), released in 2013. Avoiding commercial interests to pursue their agenda at the cost of the public interest and human right. Including and fully engaging non-G20/non-OECD countries in BEPS decision making negotiations Setting the bases for a multilateral institutional framework to oversee the global governance of international tax matters. Finally, we want to emphasize that agreements under the G20 related to food systems and security should be based on the recommendations and conclusions of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), avoiding the creation of parallel structures that undermine this multilateral forum.
For more information about this global network of civil society networks please visit our website at www.csnbricsam.org Project financed by the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the CSO networks mentioned here and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
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