1. The issue of access to food in Developing countries
2. Food is an absolute human right (UN), however 800 millions
people suffer from hunger each year (undernourished) (FAO 2014)
Food security is a priority goal for global governance (G20 + WB +
Davos Forum). Objective: to allow each human to access to quality
agricultural products Global governance on this issue is build with
the participation of many global and local actors: WB, FAO [Food
and Agriculture Organization of the UN], Governments, NGOs, local
civil associations and the growing presence of MNFs
3. Hunger in DCs and LDCs: more vulnerable countries are from
Sub-Saharan Africa (basically: % of people who are undernourished)
India: 17,8% China: 5,4%
4. Orange countries suffer more from hunger
5. Agricultural characteristics since the 2nd War World Strong
increase in productivity at the global level thanks to : Subsidies
in ICs (currently subsidies for this sector are representing more
than 40% of the European budget) Green revolution in many DCs as
China and India to face the population growth Actually, world is
producing enough food: To sustain world population To avoid any
famine To tackle the nutritional problem
6. Productivity is growing almost eveytwhere
7. Brief presentation of the USA (Farmland Forecast 2015) that
ranks 1st for food security (FAO 2013) Households in the US
dedicate 6% of their income for food UK 9% France 14% Brazil 25%
India 35% Kenya 45% World share of the US agriculture: 26% of the
world soybean production 41% corn 20.5% cotton 13% wheat
8. US agricultural industry: 25% of global market (they have
important MNFs as Mars, PepsiCo, Kellogg's, Coca Cola,
Johnson&Johnson, Kraft; they count on a huge national market;
they reach an intensive and very productive agriculture thanks to
subsidies) => Feeding more and more people in the world 1.4% of
the population is employed in agriculture Vs 61.4% in China; 48,8%
in India; 11,2% in Brazil; 8,3% in Russia; 4% in EU; for
Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia: agriculture is the main
activity for 80% of the population
9. Agriculture is very important for DCs: (1) to guarantee
human beings necesities and (2) because many people are still
living in the countryside
10. We are producing more and more agricultural products
however there is an important problem of access to food, food
prices are rising exponentially and there is a worrying
deterioration of the Food security in many DCs
11. Evolution of food prices
12. Food prices increase more than other goods
13. Case of India
14. Food security global index (105 countries were evaluated;
FAO 2013); USA are in the 1st place and Japan in the 2nd; Congo:
105 Takes into account: Quality Accessibility Food
availability
15. Activity: Form groups of 3 Answer the questions (20
minutes): 1. What are the main reasons to explain the food crisis?
(rising prices + lack of access to food) 2. How to resolve this
issue? Make your presentation
16. Main reasons to explain the current food crisis
17. Geopolitical instability in Africa (conflicts and failed
states) very often caused by the struggles between ICs countries to
access to natural resources Environmental change (sub-Saharan
region) due to global warming Globalization and MNFs: global
networks tend to concentrate the distribution in ICs (Purchasing
power) => There is an easy access in ICs and more and more
difficulties to access to food in DCs Current situation: growing
concentration of the production/distribution of food products among
few MNFs oligopolistic situation
18. Due to the global distribution chains there is a rising
number of intermediaries => tends to increase the price (each
one takes a profit) In emerging countries we have seen a steady (1)
rise in the Demand for agricultural products and (2) change of diet
World population Purchasing power is increasing in BRICS
Diversification of the daily diet ( milk and meat) It means a
higher demand for water too: 1kg
19. More and more global actors are looking for profitability:
For over a century, food prices have dropped but since the 2000s
they started to increase (Neveu 2013) Many actors started to think
in terms of profitability => they invest in big exploitations in
Africa or Latin America (Banks, Insurance companies, Big fortunes,
Governments...) Consequence: Many actors speculate over
agricultural products and natural resources => high volatility
of the prices Agro-industry sector and big farmers know that prices
will be higher in the future => these actors are storing the
food products to be able to sell later Current supply the current
price (Cascante)
20. Many actors are buying fertile lands in many DCs:
Governments of countries with important problem of food security
and huge financial capacities (Saudi Arabia buys land in Ethiopia;
China in many African countries) Speculators (Banks and MNF):
Buying and selling Consequences: Concentration of the food towards
countries with financial capacities Many fertile lands are not
dedicated to the
21. The purchase or lease of lands Buyer countries (FAO 2010):
1. Saudi Arabia (2 million of hectares) 2. India (1.6Mha) 3. South
Korea (1.4Mha) 4. Japan(1mha) 5. Egypt(0.89Mha) 6. USA(0.7Mha) 7.
China (0.3Mha) Land sold:
22. Green: purchasing countries and Orange: seller/renter
countries
23. Chinas land acquisition: Ukraine, Philippines, Laos,
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Russia, Tanzania, Zambia, Democratic republic
of Congo.
24. China purchased las year (in 2014) 3 million hectares of
Ukrainian land for agriculture use (Source: Duartz) Represents 5%
territory and 9% agricultural lands in Ukraine China consumes 20%
agricultural global products but produces only 10 % of the products
at the global level That area is roughly the size of
25. Biofuels (ICs are committed to produce green energy and
they also want to recover their energy sovereignty/security: it is
the case for China): ICs and DCs use grains for energy production:
Sugar cane, soy, corn, beetroot Many are imported from DCs =>
consequence: prices and reduce the area of farming lands dedicated
to feed local population 75% produced in Brazil and USA However
only 1% of the arable lands
26. Tariffs on exports (not forbidden by WTO; Argentina, China,
India, Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine) Ex: In Argentina Kirchner adopted
high tariffs on export of agricultural products ( to slow down
exports) More products remain in the national economy It allows to
maintain low prices (other consequence for the rest of the world:
less agricultural products => increase price) Subsidized
agriculture from ICs destroys local agricultural fabric in DCs (it
is almost impossible to compete): they are largely responsible for
the disappearance of local suppliers (access to food, migration,
violence) Contamination of land and water in agricultural
27. Conclusions Globalization and financialisation have
eliminated small producers to build big exploitation with a
production oriented towards consumers with purchasing power (export
of agricultural products is easier due to the greater capacity to
transport food)
28. Consequences: Less agriculture jobs (economies of scale)
Lack of supply for local populations (due to the concentration of
food supply there is a deterioration of the local access) (1) need
to import through big global distributors (vulnerable to
international prices and monetary fluctuation) or (2) depend on
humanitarian programs Alignment of prices to those in ICs => In
2008: 30 countries suffered hunger war caused by an increase in the
prices for basic products (Wheat and corn prices were multiplied by
2) Poverty and Migration Change of diet health problems Monoculture
loss of biodiversity and reduced soil
29. The problem is not a matter of quantity produced but
management (i.e. distribution and access) (Peggy Pascal from Action
against Hunger NGO) For most of the DCs there is an important loss
of food security they depend on (1) the international prices and
(2) the political/social/economical/climatic dynamics of ICs to get
access to food The problem is the same when we talk about access to
(clean) water: It is not a problem of quantity but it is a problem
of management and concentration Water is more and more managed by
MNFs with private interests Agriculture, which needs huge quantity
of water, tends to export the blue gold from DCs to ICs (Foucras
2014)
30. All the attention is now turning to family farmers (FAO, WB
or NGOs) because they play an important role in food security ( FAO
2014): Provide more than 80% of the global food
production/consumption Stimulate local economies Strengthen
autonomy => they avoid import of food which leads to a worrying
instable situation They have the capacity to adapt price/production
to local market They produce according to the characteristics of
the local environment They participate to the sustainable
development model since they consider environment and they allow to
build a model much more inclusive and stable (they enable to low
poverty, migration and