EcoFair Trade Dialogue
International conference and strategic meeting
Several driving forces are nowadays transforming agro-food systems worldwide, sometimes pulling in very different directions and at very different paces. Long disregarded, small-scale farmers, particularly women, have been recognized by the international community central to food security strategies. Agro-ecological farming is also recognized key in mitigation and adaptation to climate change as it preserves natural resources. Equally made important is the necessity to stabilize agricultural commodity markets and to support regional market integration and strategies. Furthermore, more democratic governance over agro-food systems is underway with the newly reformed committee on food security. In Europe, consumers tend to change their patterns of consumption towards higher quality, bio, and locally produced food.
Yet, several policy decisions (being national, regional or global) contradict or undermine these positive transformations. In addition to trade agreements, foreign investments, rather than agricultural and food security policies, are increasingly and rapidly defining how food is produced in developing countries, by who for who´s benefit. The need for investments against land leasing, or foreign exchange reserves from export crops often outweigh human rights, livelihoods and nature in the balance of interests of developing countries ‘governments. Similarly, although committed to improving its policy coherence for development, the European Union and its member states, through its trade, energy or common agriculture policy, do impact, in a negative way, the life of poor communities in developing countries.
Hence the questions on how to give more strength and weight to right-based, alternative forces empowering the poor to be more in control over food production and markets and protecting the natural base from which we live? How to make policies, particularly EU´s Common Agriculture Policy soon to be reformed, more coherent with these and fair for European farmers?
International Conference
Date: Wednesday 6th - Thursday 7th October 2010
Venue : Michnuv Palace, Ujezd 450, 110 00 Prague 1
Strategy meeting
Date: Friday 8th October 2010
Venue: Klub Lávka, Novotného lávka 201/1, 11000 Prague 1
Registration: Please register by filling in the electronic registration form at praskova@glopolis.org
Conference Languages : Interpretation will be organized in Czech, English and French
Information: You would have any question, do not hesitate to contact Dagmar Milerova Praskova by email praskova@glopolis.org or by telephone, +420 272 66 11 32
