STWR - Share The World's Resources

Agricultural policies prescribed by industrialised countries have led to a food system dominated by private interests. But in the context of achieving global food security, maximization of international trade and corporate profits should not be the dominating forces, writes Daryll E. Ray.

The common principle of food sovereignty movements worldwide is the right to democratic participation in the food system. But a prerequisite for realising this right is a ‘moral universalism’ that may sit uncomfortably with its advocates, writes Raj Patel.

Implementing global food reserves should be part of a genuine multilateral response to the food crisis. A new Global Convention on Food Security could offer an institutional framework for the governance of food and agriculture, argues a presentation by Robin Willoughby.

The current intellectual property regime – dominated by Northern biotechnology firms – is threatening the livelihoods of poor farmers and pushing up food prices in developing countries, says a report from the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter.

Recurrent famine in Ethiopia illustrates the failure of international food aid policies for the past 25 years. Rather than prioritising emergency response; governments should encourage production in developing countries, invest in local infrastructure, and empower small-scale farmers, says a report by Oxfam International.

Food reserves could play an important role in a longer-term strategy to achieve universal food security if implemented as part of a new international framework for trade and agriculture, finds a study released today by Share The World's Resources.

In the run-up to World Food Day 2009, a number of reports reveal a global food system in urgent need of reform and call for the ‘right to food’ to guide the future governance of international agriculture.