Agricultural News
Will Congress Do Right by Women Farmers?
Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:24:14 CDT
This afternoon, the House and Senate will hold the first public meeting for the 2013 Farm Bill conference committee, where food aid will be an important issue. Following is a statement from Elise Young, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at Women Thrive Worldwide, about Congress' obligation to reform how the U.S. provides food aid globally.
"If women farmers had equal access to agricultural resources as men do, as many as 150 million fewer people would go hungry. With the Farm Bill, Congress has its biggest chance yet to empower local women farmers farmers who produce a majority of food in developing countries, but are stymied by limited access to markets.
"Our current food aid system is not making the best use out of our precious, limited resources boosting Big Ag at the expense of local food production in developing countries around the world.
"As it stands now, U.S. food aid effectively shuts many hard-working women farmers out of their local markets. That's no way to feed the world, but it certainly feeds the cycle of poverty in developing countries.
"But that's not all. U.S. dollars are providing less actual food assistance than they could or should due to wasteful practices such as monetization and shipping U.S. crops abroad, rather than building sustainable local food economies.
"As a result, our assistance often arrives weeks too late to prevent the severe malnutrition and even loss of life that can be associated with food crises.
"To make a real dent in hunger and put aid dollars to the best use, Congress should pass the food aid reforms contained in the Senate version of the Farm Bill, which would help decrease the harmful practice of monetization and expand local purchasing.
"Women Thrive joins our coalition partners in encouraging members of Congress to craft a bill that works for today's reality, and puts resources behind all farmers, including women, to help them meet the food challenges of tomorrow."
Statistics to know:
-- Women produce 60-80 percent of food and constitute nearly half of the food producers in developing countries.
-- Yet in many countries, women often eat last and eat least when food crises strike. Of the nearly 840 million people considered "food insecure," roughly 60 percent are women.
-- Up to 150 million fewer people would go hungry if women simply had the same access to agricultural resources as men, according to the World Bank.
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