Small Farmers. Big Change.

One billion people around the world face hunger and food insecurity. Every time I hear that statistic (and it keeps growing), it never ceases to astound me. I’m struck both by the fact that in today’s world we have allowed this situation to occur AND that we have seen so little put forth by the current administration to do absolutely anything about it. Where’s the outrage?

Those of us who have been working with small-scale farmers in the Global South know that being part of the Fair Trade system has often been the only assurance many farmers have keeping them from joining the ranks of migrants forced to leave their communities – and countries -in search of better economic conditions. U.S. economic and “free trade” policies have caused job losses here and abroad and have contributed to rising food costs in Mexico and Central America. In this country, agricultural policies which favor agribusiness over family farmers have also forced many small and medium-scale farmers to abandon their farms in search of other ways to make a living.

In the meantime, everyone suffers. (Well, maybe not everyone… Monsanto and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)  had record profits this year. ) The price of food has escalated dramatically, food riots across the globe have occurred with increasing intensity, and one billion people world-wide face hunger and food insecurity. If food shortages and rising prices, together with climate change and its impact, have not highlighted the seriousness of the current situation, perhaps the financial meltdown we’re experiencing (and its causes) will force us to demand change.

So while we may not be hearing anything about small farmers, sustainable agriculture, and our food system from our elected – and soon to be elected – officials, a group of food, farm, labor, and justice organizations from across the US have joined together and decided that it’s time to call on our leaders to
address the roots of the problem. This ad-hoc group of non-governmental organizations, the U.S.Working Group on the Food Crisis, has put forth a Call to Action. The following is from their website:

The US Working Group on the Food Crisis is an ad hoc group of organizations from around the US, representing various sectors of the food system, including anti-hunger, family farm, community food security, environmental, international aid, labor, food justice, consumer, and other groups. We do not view the food crisis as an unexpected, sudden emergency of the last year, but as the inevitable consequence of the development of a long list of misguided agricultural and food policies over the last 30 years.

We believe that we will not resolve the problems exposed by this food crisis by applying more of the same policies and thinking that caused the crisis in the first place. Nothing less than a wholesale change in the worldwide food system will allow us to address these problems sustainably and equitably.

Please join us. Sign the Call to Action to demand that the new US administration take rapid steps to address the food crisis through fundamental changes to the federal government’s food, agricultural, labor and international aid policies. And don’t stop there. Read our backgrounder document, talking points, and suggestions on how to take action in your own community.

Equal Exchange supports the efforts of this Working Group and has signed on to the Call for Action. We encourage you all to do the same, as well as to take additional actions. It really is high time.