Press release

G8 Summit must tackle hunger

8 June 2013

Commenting on David Cameron's 'hunger summit' in London today (Saturday 8 June 2013), which will expand the G8's hunger initiative, the 'New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition', Friends of the Earth Food Campaigner Kirtana Chandrasekaran said:

"Urgent action is needed to tackle hunger in Africa, but this ill-conceived initiative threatens to make the situation worse by enabling international firms to increase their control of food and land, at the expense of local farmers.       

"The £395 million of UK taxpayers' money pledged to this plan would be better spent boosting African smallholder farming, instead of undermining it.         

"The world's wealthiest nations are guzzling the planet's precious food resources by demanding biofuels to power cars and diets heavily dependent on meat - it's these issues the G8 must address if it's serious about tackling hunger."       

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Friends of the Earth is supporting a demonstration in London on Saturday June 8th outside the venue of David Cameron's Hunger Summit. A community garden will be planted to show solidarity with African communities who are having their land, seeds and water grabbed by the G8's 'New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. More information here.  

2. The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition - a private sector initiative launched by the G8 in 2012 - proposes to give unprecedented power to multinational agricultural businesses, posing a significant threat to smallholder farming and efforts to combat hunger in Africa. See a list of critiques of the New Alliance here.

3. Information on the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is here and the Hunger Summit here.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust