international Agricultural workshop
Food Reserves:
Stabilizing Markets, Investing in Farmers, and
Achieving Food Security
June1st& 2nd, 2010
Auditorium International
International Trade Union House
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, No. 5 / 2
B-1210 Bruxelles
Workshop organized by the Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires (CSA), the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and Oxfam-Solidarity
Contact: Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires (CSA)
Tél.: +32 (0)2412 06 60 ;
Introduction
The food price crisis has led to a renewed interest among policy officials and multilateral institutions vis-à-vis agriculture and the importance of food reserves. While officials acknowledge that strategic food reserves have a role to play at varying levels, few concrete policy proposals are being developed. This seminar brings together farm groups, NGOs, academics government and inter-governmental officials for a detailed dialogue to discuss the necessary components for promoting food reserves at all levels.
Food reserves are one of the oldest policy instruments for agriculture known to civilization. In recent history, governments have generally replaced reserves programs in support of an international food market. Yet, the promise of free trade has been met with mixed results for farmers and consumers in both the North and the South. Turbulence in agricultural markets, often de- linked from actual supply and demand, reveal the limits of market liberalization to achieve food security and well run markets.
With the renewed and welcomed global attention to food and agriculture, reserves must be revisited as an important agricultural policy tool that can help to eradicate hunger, revitalize rural communities, regulate markets and reinforce the market power of producers. Governments can be working with farmers and experts to review different policy options. To date, many governments have already expressed their support to move in this direction. The European Union has a key role to play in promoting local and national food reserves and by working toward the establishment of an international regulatory framework that could improve food supply and stabilize markets.
Program – June 1st, 2010
08h30-09h00 / Arrival of participants: inscription, badges, coffee09h00-09h30 / Introduction by the organizers and brief presentation of the participants
Session 1 / Addressing the potential of reservesas one of the instruments to eradicate hunger and stabilize markets.
09h30-09h50
09h50-10h10
10h10-10h20 / Daryl Ray, University of Tennessee Director of Agricultural Policy Analysis Center (APAC)- USA
Nicolas Bricas, CIRAD – France
Philippe Mikos, DG Dev and or/Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
10h20-11h00 / Discussion
11h00-11h30 / Coffee break
Session 2 (a) / Realizing the need for national and regional reserves: a review of varying programs around the world.
-What role is there for national stocks to address both food security needs and price stabilization?
-How do they link to local and international reserves?
-What measures are required to support an effective reserve at the national level?
11h30-12h00 / Jean Zoundi (Club du Sahel OECD) and/or Dramane Coulibaly (CILSS/ECOWAS), Regional Solidarity reserve in the Sahel and in West Africa and the Network of National Food Reserve in the Region
12h00-12h30 / An example from Eastern or Southern Africa[20 minutes talking+10 minutes answering specific national/regional) questions]
12h30-13h30 / Lunch
Session 2 (b) / Realizing the need for national and regional reserves: a review of varying programs around the world.
13h30-14h00 / Riza Bernabe, Asian Farmers' Association for sustainable rural development – AFA, Philippine, Regional Rice Reserve Scheme
14h00-14h30 / Latin America –Victor Suarez, ANEC (MX)
14h30-15h00 / Discussion
15h00-15h20 / Coffee break
Session 3 / Support to local stocks for small-scale producers, household food security, and stable markets at the local level.
Perspectives from farmer’s organizations. What is the needed agricultural policy environment? What role for the different stakeholders?
15h20-15h50 / NFU, US, Storage at the farm level
15h50-16h20 / Marcos Roshinski, FETRAF, Brazil, local food reserve
16h20-17h00 / ROPPA : local initiatives
17h00-17h30 / Asiadhrra – local stock piling (LSFM)
Program – June 2nd, 2010
08h30-09h00 / Arrival of participants: coffee09h00-09h10 / Introduction
Session 1 / Promoting global reserves: what possible models are there and are they feasible? What is needed to promote a global reserves system?How would such a system link to local and national reserves? What role for the different stakeholder?
09h10-09h30 / Sophia Murphy, IATP
09h30-09h50 / Ian McCreary– Canadian Food Grains Bank, Food Aid Convention (FAC)
09h50-10h15 / Joachim VonBraun (Center For Development Research) // Marion Guillou (INRA) Need and role for Global Reserves
10h15-11h00 / Discussion
11h00-11h20 / Coffee break
Session 2 / Dialogue with political actors regarding their plans to operationalize reserves programs at all levels.
11h20-13h00 / List of potential names:
EU reps – DGCD-Belgium, AFD- France, GTZ- Germany
European Commission
United Nation: HLTF, WFP, IFAD, FAO, UNCTAD
13h00-14h30 / Lunch
Session 3 / NGO’s meeting: next steps
14h30-17h00 / Meeting