The crunch

Credibility crunch: food, poverty, and climate change: an agenda for rich-country leaders

Authors: Lawson,M.
Produced by: Oxfam (2008)

The year 2008 is halfway to the deadline for reaching the Millennium Development Goals. Despite some progress, this article argues that they will not be achieved if current trends continue. It is argues that, starting with the G8 meeting in Japan, rich countries must use a series of high-profile summits in 2008 to make sure the MDGs are met, and to tackle both climate change and the current food crisis.

Oxfam proposes an agenda into the G8 this year that includes action on the following areas:

• Stop burning food and start supporting poor farmers
• Mend broken aid promises
• Support health, education, water and sanitation for all
• Climate change - stop harming and start helping
• Put women and girls first
• Prioiritise security for sustainable development

On the food crisis, the report urges G8 leaders to commit financial assistance and ensure that all the money - including the US$6 billion pledged at the Rome summit - comes on top of existing aid commitments.

The report points to a similar situation for climate change, where it argues that a lot of the money pledged to help poor communities cope with the effects of changing weather patterns is simply being taken from existing aid budgets or instead being made in loans.

(Thanks Muna)

Available online at: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/?doc=37944em=300708&sub=pov