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 الاتحاد النسائي الفدرالي الهندي يصدر بيانا حول ازمه الغذاء
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Press statement
An Asia-Pacific Conference on Food Security was organised by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) and held in New Delhi, India, on 17th and 18th July 2009. Delegates from 22 states of India and from 11 countries of South and South-East Asia attended.
The conference unanimously agreed that the unequal relations and economic arrangements between rich and poor countries only serve imperialist designs to allow powerful industrial nations and their multi-national corporations to control and plunder the world's resources in favour of the elite sections of the population, but at the expense of the world's toiling people.
Women who constitute an important part of the producers of the world's food bear the heaviest burden of the food insecurity that result. Generally viewed as subordinate in the patriarchal framework of society, they find themselves with less and less food to eat everyday. Denied recognition of their productive contribution towards growing and processing food, their access to and control over the lands they till, diminishes steadily. The increases in prices of basic food and commodities amid massive unemployment and stagnant wages, has exacerbated the poverty, hunger and deprivation of the people, especially women and children. Health problems such as malnutrition which are attendant upon the lack of food and accessibility to clean water, have increasingly affected women and children.
The NFIW welcomes the UPA Government's attention on the issue of ensuring food security in the country.
However, at the same time we believe that Food Security is not just a matter of entitlements but of making available nutritious, environmentally safe, culturally appropriate and locally produced food to every citizen of the country. It also means ensuring the rights of the consumers as well as the producers (Kissans).
In view of this NFIW demand that any Food Security Act which the Central Govt. intents to bring should include the following :-
*Ensuring food security, availability of food and access to food, should be entirely the responsibility of the State.
* The Universalisation of the PDS. When 78% of Indians subsist on less than Rs 20/- a day, the targeted PDS leaves out vast sections of people who are in dire need of food.
* For the same reason, all existing Government schemes such as hot-cooked, nutritious Mid-day meal schemes, should be not just continued, but strengthened, and must cover all children, whether in or out of school.
Agriculture must be given priority in our national development programme.
Land rights of all farmers, men and women, must be secured. No alienation of land must be allowed for producing commercial crops, bio-fuels or for non-agricultural purposes, such as SEZs etc.
Food producers, for their safety and survival, need subsidised inputs for food production, assured irrigation, environmentally fertilisers, access to seeds (not genetically modified) and finally, cheaper credit.
* A complete halt to Indian and foreign corporate intervention in the food sector. Firm steps must be taken to prevent hoarding, speculation and forward trading in food grains. The patanting of food and seeds must be stopped at once.
* Women must be involved at every stage of framing and implementing the any food policy of the Government.
* The proposed Food Security Act must include a provision for social audit of all schemes related to food security run by the Government, so as to ensure the utmost possible transparency and accountability.
* All Agreements with regard to food and agriculture must be placed and discussed in Parliament, and should be placed in the public domain before finalisation.
We consider the issue of Food Security a critical issue facing the country, and call upon all NFIW units across the country to observe 8th March, 2010 as Food Security Day. We have decided to take up country-wide campaigns in the months leading up to 8th March, demanding the protection of food security and the food sovereignty of India.
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