CFS 44, 9 October 2017: – CSM Statement on Policy responses to Food Crises, Famines and their Root Causes, and the Role of CFS As the SOFI Report 2017 states the situation of chronic food crises in many countries and regions has severely worsened this year, with four countries on the brink of famine. This is unacceptable and calls for the collective responsibility of all governments, organizations and peoples. Famines do not happen instantaneously, they take years to develop and early political and humanitarian action is extremely critical for prevention and mitigation. We cannot tackle food crises, and eradicate hunger, without addressing the root causes. Food insecurity derives typically from structural factors and policies that marginalize local food systems and small-scale food producers, and foster increased concentration of corporate power. During conflict, food insecurity is exacerbated. According to the SOFI 2017, around 60 % the world’s hungry live in areas where there is conflict. The current food crises in conflict are largely due to multiple and often systemic human rights violations committed by state and non-state actors. They are rooted in aggression against civilians and food producers, resource dispossession and destruction, systemic disruption of agricultural activities, restriction of movement of peoples, traders and humanitarian assistance, as well as ethnic cleansing, occupation and sanctions. Starvation is used as a weapon of collective punishment and for most cases perpetuators enjoy impunity. Continued depletion of natural resources makes communities extremely vulnerable to natural disasters which are more severe than ever due to human-induced climate change. For those communities that are in dire need of food assistance, the late response to early warning systems, including humanitarian assistance and political and diplomatic pressure, results in worsening of food insecurity, spread of diseases, and human loss. The Humanitarian architecture has proven to be insufficient as assistance is very often politicized and nowhere near enough to meet the needs in the “four famine” countries and elsewhere. CFS was reformed in response to the food crises in 2007/8. It must be able to effectively respond to the food crises of today, and tackle their causes sustainably. CFS should fully take on its role as the most inclusive international body for policy coherence, cooperation and coordination on FSN. In particular: https://youtu.be/hxGWmB6ViFQ First–CFS should become the central global platform for convening periodic and ad-hoc reviews of famines and severe food crises, focusing on the assessment of policy responses and
