Activities of Beata KEMPA related to 2021/2208(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Addressing food security in developing countries (debate)
Addressing food security in developing countries (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on addressing food security in developing countries
Amendments (56)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is alarmed by the fact that we are not on track and that it is highly unlikely to achieve the nutrition targets by 2025 or to eradicate hunger by 2030; which is the ambition by SDG2 "Zero Hunger"; recalls that hunger and food insecurity are again increasing across the world; notes with concern that around 660 million people might continue to face hunger by 2030, also due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; reminds that bold actions are needed, especially regarding inequalities in accessing food, to accelerate progress towards the objective of Zero Hunger; recalls that the end of malnutrition in all its forms and SDG 2 should be considered as priorities in all policies, with particular attention to people in the most vulnerable situations;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Underlines that the COVID-19 pandemic with the ensuing economic crisis and closure of borders and the current conflict in Ukraine exposed the vulnerabilities of the global food system; stresses and reminds the European Commission and Member States of the importance of creating stronger links between short, medium and long-term policies to ensure the inclusivity of the COVID-19 recovery plans while also paying special attention to the mostvulnerable groups, such as children, youth, women, elderly, and indigenous peoples; urges the EU to safeguard the right to food of developing countries and self-sufficiency, as a means of achieving nutritional security, poverty reduction and inclusive, sustainable and fair global supply chains and more sustainable food systems; as well as supporting local and regional markets, devoting particular attention to women and family farming, with the aim of securing the supply of affordable and accessible food and stronger social safety nets to ensure that the most vulnerable continue to have access to food even in emergency or crisis situations;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Recalls that Ukraine and Russia are important players on the global food export market; consequently, for a number of countries with high levels of hunger Ukraine and Russia have an outsized impact, as they import a significant share of their wheat from Ukraine or Russia; Underlines that governments should avoid in this context export bans and identify measures to support the restructuring of agricultural markets and their regulation by increasing their transparency and establishing new rules to prevent excessive financial speculation from fuelling food price volatility, which especially in a context of war, can artificially inflate wholesale prices and lead to market volatility and particularly affect developing countries and the most vulnerable populations; Strongly deplores financial speculation on agricultural and food commodities, and calls on the Commission to urgently put forward proposals to end this speculation especially in the context of war, to ensure market and agricultural production stability; recalls in this regard that the structural instability of the international agricultural markets poses a threat to global food security and political stability in many developing countries; Calls on the Commission and the Member states to support international rules aiming to stop financial speculation of agricultural and food commodities; and speculative practices;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is concerned about the sharp increase in food insecurity in the last few years and calls for increased and more efficient food assistance; Recalls that the right to food is a human right; calls for comprehensive and strong EU actions to accompany the full and progressive realization of this right as a means of achieving food security for all; is very concerned about the sharp increase in food insecurity in the last few years; highlights that the energy crisis and adverse climatic events prior to the war in Ukraine have led to a surge of agricultural commodities prices in the global market and calls in this context for increased and more efficient food assistance in an effort to better link urgent relief and longer-term solutions, in particular, calls on the European Commission and EU Member States to increase their contributions to the World Food Programme and for actions aimed at the transformation of our food systems through the support for diversity and quality of agricultural production and processing in partner countries and measures to tackle structural poverty and persisting inequalities as underlying causes of food insecurity;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes with concern that the Russian invasion of Ukraine will have massive impacts in the broader sense that will further exacerbate the existing food insecurity and the impacts of the COVID- 19 pandemic; notes with even greater concern that Ukraine is a key producer of basic foodstuffs such as wheat, maize and vegetable oils; calls on the Commission to develop far-reaching measures for food security and to implement these in the short, medium and long term; recalls that the EU must ensure that the right to food for all is nota market commodity; recalls that famines are some of the potential consequences that need to be seriously considered as outcomes of the war if global leaders do not take countermeasures; underlines that the Ukraine war shows how much low- income countries depend on the world market for their basic food supplies, basing their food security on a handful of grain exporting countries which makes these countries extra vulnerable to market disruptions and price increases; recalls that to feed their people, 14 low or lower- middle income countries import more than 50 percent of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, some of whom are already facing famine-like conditions; calls on the EU and its Member states to immediately cover the funding gap in the 2022 UN Humanitarian appeals for East Africa and the Middle East, because support for these two regions is currently 99 percent underfunded; recalls that the WFP has already had to reduce rations for refugees and other vulnerable populations across East Africa and the Middle East because of a lack of funding, an increase in prices and a reduced offer of commodities on the markets, also due to the war in Ukraine; underlines that in order to absorb conflict-induced shocks and remain resilient, countries that depend on food imports from Ukraine and the Russian Federation should diversify the sources of their food supplies by relying on other exporting countries, on existing food stocks or by enhancing the diversity of their domestic production bases;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the need for policies to be country-driven, needs-based and context-appropriate as food systems are very diverse; recalls that priority should be given to local food production; through the funding of smallholder farmers, protection of human rights, the reinforcement of family agriculture systems, cooperatives, and regional supply chains; Points out that smallholder farmers are the main food producers in developing countries, playing a key role in the food security and nutrition of these countries; calls on the EU to specifically support and empower small-scale farming, family farming and cooperatives in its development assistance while also focusing on decent work; stresses that enhancing smallholder agricultural production translates into more food in the global market, leading to lower food prices and better diets; Recalls that local farming traditions complemented by modern technology can enhance the production of healthy and nutritious food; considers that developing countries should be able to protect their public agricultural policies; Stresses that local food production and local consumption that support small- scale farming, guarantee fair prices for producers and consumers, reduce countries' dependence on imports and their vulnerability to international price fluctuations; Highlights that strategic investments in sustainable agriculture practices can play a key role in ensuring more resilient and sustainable agri-food systems; insists that EU investments are inline with Agenda 2030, the Paris Climate Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity; welcomes and encourages EU investments in partnership with developing countries in agro-ecology, agroforestry and crop diversification and reiterates that EU- supported investment in agriculture, forestry or fishery or in undertakings that impact soil, grassland, forest, water or sea, needs to be in line inter alia with the FAO/CFS Voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security (VGGTs)and the FAO/CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Welcomes all initiatives to implement or strengthen agricultural policies at national or regional level, which aim to ensure greater food self- sufficiency and encourages the transition of developing countries towards more self- sufficiency, giving farmers responsibility, ownership and independence in the creation of sustainable agri-food systems and more self-sufficient production systems; calls for a focus on efforts in the area of agriculture to safeguard developing countries’ right to food security in complement to the right of food sovereignty1a as well as enhancing their capacity to meet the nutritional requirements of their populations; stresses the importance of the protection and promotion of the right of local communities to access and control natural resources such as land and water; deplores the fact that land grabbing is rife in many developing countries; points out that it is a brutal practice that undermines food security and food sovereignty - and endangers rural communities; _________________ 1a Food sovereignty defined by Via Campesina as “the right of Peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” Food security defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security exists “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.“
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the need to consistently work with countries to support the creation of context-specific, feasible and robust national nutrition targets, international and regional organizations private sector, farmers and smallholders as well as the local civil society and local communities to support the design, implementation and monitoring of context-specific, feasible and robust national nutrition targets; recognises the key role of civil society especially in reaching smallholder farmers by linking them to training, resources, markets and value chains; Is of the opinion that prioritizing maternal and infant nutrition needs is crucial to guarantee solid and resilient food security and calls on the Commission and Member States to support national authorities in developing countries in integrating nutrition services into health systems in order to address malnutrition in all its forms; and ensure the continuity of nutrition services, particularly the early detection and community-based management of acute malnutrition and infant and young child feeding, as well as related maternal nutrition programmes; in this regard welcomes the achievements and work of the SUN movement;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the EU to protect small- scale producers’ access to and control of land and other resources including farmers’ seeds, access to water as well as access to infrastructure to link rural communities to territorial markets, including urban areas; calls on the EU to ensure appropriate financing and co-creation of knowledge and technical innovations through farmer-led research, including support for small-scale producers’ organisations and women’s associations and their collective processing and marketing activities; calls on the Commission to establish close links with partner countries for the purpose of exchanging knowledge on agriculture; highlights the expertise of the European agricultural sector and stresses the need to prioritise partnerships in research and innovation in agriculture, including through Horizon Europe, and to boost responsible and ethical innovations to promote sustainable agricultural practices in order to increase yields and farm outputs; calls, in this regard, for a stronger reliance on the contributions of traditional local knowledge in the just transition, especially regarding agricultural practices, fisheries and forest protection, thereby empowering the local people and communities;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the EU and its Member States to mobilise long-term financial investments in food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture and to encourage partner countries to invest more in these sectors through their national budgets; Urges the EU to prioritize food security, biodiversity protection, and sustainable agriculture in its international development programming with partner countries, considering their specific local needs while ensuring access to funding for local communities and organisations supporting them; Calls on the EU and its Member States to assess and monitor, with the participation of civil society, its investments to ensure that they concretely fight poverty and food insecurity;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Emphasises the EU’s role as an enabler in the transformation of global food systems so that they can become more resilient, sustainable and fair; Underlines that the farm to fork strategy is an ambitious EU policy framework that promotes a more sustainable and resilient EU agri-food system and supports a global and just transition to sustainable agri-food systems which benefit people, nature and economic growth and which preserve natural resources in accordance with the biodiversity strategy’s objectives; recalls the Farm to Fork strategy’s intention to reduce farmers’ dependency on external outputs;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Urges the Commission to accelerate efforts to support partner countries to reduce the number of stunted children aged under five by 7 million by 2025 as committed to in the EU Action Plan on Nutrition; Calls on the European Union to continue supporting partner countries in restoring the availability of a diverse and nutritious food for school-aged children through school meals programmes while promoting locally and sustainably produced food and paying special attention to the most vulnerable children; highlights, furthermore, the utility of public procurement programmes in fostering public support for purchasing from smallholders and local producers when sourcing nutritious food for distribution; Welcomes the European Commission and several Member States' support to the School Meals Coalition in the follow-up of the Food Systems Summit; notes the importance of making sure that nutrition- sensitive approaches are linked to nutrition interventions and other health interventions in developing countries;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recalls that resilience-building needs to address the increasing frequency and intensity of conflict, climate and economic shocks, which often have manifold compounding impacts on the most vulnerable and natural disasters, notably droughts, cyclones and floods, as well as health crises, loss of biodiversity, structural inequalities and economic shocks, which often have manifold compounding impacts on the most vulnerable; highlights that strategic investments in sustainable agriculture practices can play a key role in ensuring more resilient and sustainable agri-food systems; urges the EU to promote predictable, specific and targeted funding for anticipatory and early action with the objective of addressing and preventing food insecurity;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Stresses that biofuel production has an impact on food security, since it diverts agricultural commodities such as grains, soybeans, rapeseed oil, corn and sugarcane from food production; believes that ensuring more flexible and better coordinated biofuel policies at international level is crucial when it comes to optimising food uses, while benefiting from the stabilising potential of this alternative opportunity; calls on the EU to prioritise food production over crop-based biofuel production, while respecting the waste hierarchy and taking into account the cascading principle in order to secure additional food supplies and stabilise global food commodity markets;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Notes the importance of the strategic linkages between Africa and Europe, building on the progress made in the African Union (AU)-EU rural transformation action agenda; Recalls the European Parliament's resolution of 16 September 2020 on EU-African security cooperation in the Sahel region, West Africa and the Horn of Africa that recalled that food insecurity is often a root cause of terrorism and armed conflict; calls therefore for full integration of the humanitarian-development- peace nexus approach in security strategies in third countries which requires supporting the provision of basic services, including food security, with the involvement of local communities;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that women’s empowerment is crucial for nutrition, food security and resilience-building; Notes that gender inequalities limit agricultural productivity and efficiency and, therefore, undermine development; recalls that women and girls’ empowerment is crucial for nutrition, preserving health, food security and resilience-building; points out that strengthening the role of women and girls remains a challenge for agriculture and for food and nutrition security; calls on the European Commission and Member States to support women's entrepreneurship, employment and political representation, ensure the inclusion of gender perspective in the management of food security and ensure the participation of women in the decision-making process related to this field, including those women belonging to discriminated minorities and urges the EU and its Member States to strive, notably through development aid, to help addressing the discriminations they face, notably regarding access of women farmers to land, productive resources and financial services; recalls that in Africa, for example, almost half of agricultural work is done by women, while women farmers are mostly small or subsistence farmers who do not have the necessary access to information, credit, land, resources or technology; encourages the advancement of inheritance rights for women and girls and calls on the EU to support partner countries, particularly regarding their recognition of women’s full entitlement to land rights; urges the European Commission and Member States to promote gender-transformative approaches to agriculture, fishing and food systems through capacity building for rural women, specific policy reforms to have fairer land tenure laws as well as specific initiatives focused on economic empowerment and access to finance, as stated in the Gender Action Plan III;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for environmentally sound food production and the conservation and rehabilitation of natural environments in order to reduce climate risks and thus strengthen thRecalls that climate change and biodiversity loss, amongst other factors, threatens our ability to ensure global food security and puts additional pressure on already fragile food systems; calls for environmentally sound food production, such as agro-ecology and climate-resilient adaptation as well as the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems in order to reduce climate risks, face the climate crisis, halt biodiversity loss, thus strengthen the resilience of sustainable agri-food systems; in this regard, asks the Commission and Member States to support partner countries in adopting sustainable agricultural practices and innovative solutions, including the use of revenues raised by ETS auctions and CBAM certificates to enhance their climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation capacities with the aim of having more sustainable food systems; asks the Commission and Member states to ensure that financing under the new NDICI instrument includes a human rights-based approach that makes local communities and indigenous peoples central to climate, environmental and development efforts; considers important to pay special attention to smallholder farmers that generally have a lower capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change; welcomes in this regard the upcoming UN action plan to achieve universal coverage of early warning services against extreme weather and climate change in the coming five years that will be presilience of food systems; ented by the World Meteorological Organization during the UN Climate Conference (COP 27) in Egypt; recalls that the Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit underlined the intersection between climate and food as profound;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Considers that it is important to help developing countries put in place public policies on agriculture and food that can meet the needs of their rapidly growing populations; stresses that a policy on food security must have as its primary goal to provide sufficient, nutritious, safe and affordable food throughout the year for its citizens in a sustainable manner while guaranteeing a fair income and standard of living for farmers; notes that throughout the history of the common agricultural policy lifting export subsidies and decoupling direct payments has significantly reduced the risk of dumping in third-country markets; calls on the Commission and Member States to provide more support to agricultural development capable of ensuring food security in developing countries and to decisively increase its investment in territorial rural development;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for the EU to tailor its programming under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe to actively support a global transformation to sustainable food systems that can provide affordable healthy dietsand nutritious diets which are fair, resilient, rights-based, environmentally sustainable, put particular attention on women’s needs and reduce the pressure of food production on land and water use;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that EU investments and interventions should be based on rigorous pre-assessments, full transparency, and inclusion of those stakeholders affected by the investments and interventions, including civil society organisations, in order to devise equitable action and strengthen capacities at a national and local level, including non- state authoritctors; insists in recognizing the need for context-specific measures to achieve more sustainable agriculture and food systems in partner countries;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the EU action plan on nutrition to be revised to address all forms of malnutrition in humanitarian and development contexts respectively and include new ambitious political and financial commitments;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Notes that 45 million children under the age of five suffer from wasting, defined as low weight-for-height, as a result of acute malnutrition in early life; recalls that overweight and obesity among adults, adolescents and children are rising to record levels affecting 2 billion people globally of which 70% live in low- and middle-income countries; recalls that overweight and obesity are associated with a risk of diet-related diseases including non-communicable diseases because malnutrition is a challenge for all nations regardless of their development stage; consequently, many countries are now experiencing a ‘double burden’ of at least two types of malnutrition where undernutrition and overweight and obesity coexist; calls on the European Commission to revise the 2010 policy framework for food security and the 2013 policy framework for nutrition, as called for by the EU Member States in the Council’s 2018 conclusions on strengthening global food and nutrition security;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Underlines that humanitarian aid is needed to tackle immediate life- threatening situations, while solutions funded by other types of aid to address the long-term drivers of food insecurity need to be pursued simultaneouslCalls on the EU Member States governments to diplomatically prevent conflicts, eradicate all forms of malnutrition and to invest more in conflict prevention with a specific focus on women and girls while thoroughly applying the UN Security Council Resolution 1325; Recalls that humanitarian aid shall be exempted from international sanctions; Underlines the need to find sustainable medium- and long-term solutions in development cooperation to addressing the root causes of food insecurity;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Supports the ongoing realisation of the humanitarian, development and peace- building nexus; highlights that this principle should continue to be include programming for nutritiond in humanitarian assistance as well as the programming for food security and nutrition backed up by clear guidelines on evidence based best practice;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the work of the EU and of the UN Rome-based agencies, namely FAO, WFP and IFAD, to pursue anticipatory action to prevent crises before they hit and protect the most vulnerable groups from climate and human induced disasters; calls for coordination mechanisms with local actors on the ground to be strengthened and to find greater interlinkages between short term anticipatory actions and longer-term government programmes; recalls that inclusive anticipatory action should be context-specific and locally led and ensure that the most vulnerable have also a voice at the decision-making level to address their specific needs;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes the challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss and the need to provide the necessary resources for adaptation and mitigation; at food and agricultural biodiversity boosts resilience to shocks and facilitates adaptation, maintains stability and supports recovery; recalls that agroecology’s capacity to reconcile the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability has been widely recognised in landmark reports, notably from IPCC and IPBES and the World Bank and FAO-led global agricultural assessment (IAASTD); stresses the importance of promoting agroecology, agroforestry, local production and sustainable food systems which focus on the development of short supply chains in both national policies and international forums, in order to ensure food and nutritional security for all as well as increasing the sustainable productivity of the agricultural sector and its resilience to climate change; urges the Commission to support partner countries in developing sustainable agriculture practices, including agroecology, with the aim of enhancing soil fertility, maximizing biodiversity and improving water use efficiency as key elements for better food security;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Recalls that unsustainable agricultural intensification practises are major causes of biodiversity degradation worldwide, including genetic erosion of crop and livestock varieties; recalls that the “Farm to Fork” strategy aims to gradually reduce by 2030 the overall use and risk of chemical and hazardous pesticides from agriculture and promote alternative practises; stresses that poor countries are the recipients of an important part of hazardous substances; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s intention to present a proposal to end this practice in the framework of the EU strategy on chemicals for sustainability; urges the Commission, however, to promote the search for sustainable and affordable alternatives to the use of these pesticides in order to avoid serious disruptions to food security in developing countries, which would aggravate hunger among the most vulnerable populations; calls for specific support for education and training in sustainable plant protection approaches and alternatives to pesticides as well as for the minimisation of exposure to hazardous substances;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for the EU to actively fulfil the commitments of the Nutrition Year of Action 2021, notably those arising from the UN Food Systems Summit and Nutrition for Growth Summit; and play a central role in cooperation with indigenous communities in these efforts, inline with its own farm to fork strategy; welcomes the European Commission's decision to be a major partner in eight coalitions from the UN Food Systems Summit; Asks the Commission and Member States to engage with the African Union to secure greater commitment and investments to address the ongoing nutrition challenges in the region and to support the African Union Year of Nutrition: “Strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent: Strengthening agro food systems, health and social protection systems for the acceleration of human, social and economic capital development”;
Amendment 32 #
26. Calls for continued efforts to ensure the consistency of the EU’s policies in line with the principle of policy coherence for sustainable development; urges to ensure that European exports do not harm the development of local production and local markets; stresses that EU free trade agreements should not disrupt local agriculture, damage small producers or exacerbate dependency on food imports; urges support for local production and consumption which can ensure local employment creation, assure fair prices, guarantee the protection of workers’ health and safety, and lessen countries’ dependency on imports and their vulnerability to international price fluctuations; Calls for reinforced action at international level to ensure that policy decision-making has food security at its core, in order to avoid scarcity and ensure nutritional security in the most vulnerable countries;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the severity and magnitude of food crises has risen since 2020, with 161 million people severely food insecure in 2021 and in need of urgent food assistance12 and five countries were considered to be at risk of famine, including South Sudan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria (16 states and Federal Capital Territory) and Yemen; _________________ 12 Global Report on Food Crises 2021, September update.
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Supports the development of trade opportunities between the EU and developing countries, which have the potential to boost local agriculture; recalls that family farmers and smallholders have demonstrated their ability to provide diversified products and to increase food production sustainably; Points out the need for clear guidelines on how to achieve policy coherence for development at EU level while also addressing potentially conflicting policy objectives; urges the EU to guarantee the coherence of European agricultural and trade policies to support food security and food sovereignty and to protect local and regional markets; Stresses the need to recognise the leading role of farmers, producer organisations and their representatives in any strategy to enhance food security and highlights that the setting up of cooperatives and producer groups in developing countries must be supported in order to strengthen their collective capacity to organise themselves more effectively, to benefit from a better position in the food chains as well as sharing of added value on export products; Considers that the Union and the Member States should encourage the various “fair trade” initiatives and integrate environmental and social objectives in a comprehensive and holistic manner across the provisions of all trade agreements;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23
Citation 23
— having regard to its resoluthe Commission communications of 2510 March 2021 on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development7 , of 23 June 2021 on the role of the EU’s development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in addressing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic8 , of 6 October 2021 on the role of development policy in the response to biodiversity loss in developing countries, in the context of the achievement of the 2030 Agenda9 and of 15 December 2021 on new orientations for the EU’s humanitarian action10 , _________________ 7 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0108. 8 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0308. 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0404. “the EU humanitarian action, new challenges and same principles”, which envisages inter alia key actions to strengthen the humanitarian-development-peace nexus to better link urgent relief and longer- term solutions (COM(2012)110) and the European Parliament resolution of 15 December 2021 on new orientations for the EU’s humanitarian action10 , _________________ 10 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0505.
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the illegal, unprovoked and unjustifiable Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has further destabilised already fragile agricultural markets and exacerbated the already severe situation caused by COVID-19 and put additional pressure on ongoing food crises and global food security, pushing international food and feed prices well above their already elevated levels; whereas this is likely to increase food insecurity, poverty, social unrest and instability in many developing countries that are highly dependent on Ukrainian and Russian wheat imports as forty percent of wheat and corn exports from Ukraine go to the Middle East and Africa; whereas, according to FAO, nearly 50 countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for at least 30 percent of their wheat import needs and of these, 26 countries source over 50 percent on their wheat imports from both countries; whereas the World Food Programme was buying nearly half of its global wheat supplies from Ukraine and has pointed out that current food crises in countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria and Yemen will be the most affected; whereas both Ukraine and Russia are net exporters of agricultural products, and they both play leading supply roles in global markets of foodstuffs and fertilisers, where exportable supplies are often concentrated in a handful of countries; whereas this concentration could expose these markets to increased vulnerability and volatility; whereas Russia is a leading exporter of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and its components, and Belarus is a significant exporter of potash-based fertilisers; whereas nitrogen fertiliser prices are heavily dependent on natural gas prices, a product for which Russia holds major market positions; whereas many of the developing countries, already prior to the conflict, had been grappling with the negative effects of high international food and fertilizer prices; whereas the FAO Food Price Index which tracks the international prices of food and feed items has risen to a new all-time high and additional price hikes and food inflation are likely well above their already elevated levels;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas many small scale farmers in developing countries cannot access healthy, nutritious and sustainable diets given remote locations, low income, and a lack of access to sources of diverse foods; whereas evidence shows that investments in the smallholder sector and regional structures yield the best returns in terms of poverty reduction and growth, consequently highlighting the need to focus the efforts on enhancing incomes of smallholder farmers, and especially women smallholders, and to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas malnutrition is an abnormal physiological condition caused by undernutrition as well as overweight and obesity; whereas the health of women and girls is closely linked to the physical and mental health as well as the nutritional status of their future children; whereas undernutrition among pregnant women and mothers increases the risk of complication during pregnancy, maternal mortality and child undernutrition and mortality; whereas an unacceptably large number of peoplechildren are still affected by malnutrition: of all children under five, 22 % are stunted due to chronic malnutrition, 6.7 % are affected by wasting – a form of acute malnutrition – and 5.7 % are overweight14 and the actual stunting and wasting figures are expected to be higher due to the effects of the pandemic; _________________ 14 UNICEF, World Health Organization and World Bank joint child malnutrition estimates, Levels and trends in child malnutrition, 2021.
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas ensuring safe and secure access to water is closely linked to improving food security and nutrition; whereas water scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of the global population with more than 2 billion people not having direct and secure access to safe drinking water worldwide according to the latest United Nations World Report on the Development of Water Resources (2021);
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas health systems that are not very resilient and strong are being challenged by the regular emergence of epidemics, particularly in their ability to ensure continuity of the most basic care; whereas over the past two years, health system resources have been diverted from a range of nutritionally important functions and essential health services related to undernutrition — including antenatal care, micronutrient supplementation, and prevention and treatment of childhood diarrhoea, infections and acute malnutrition — toward combating COVID-19 and whereas treatment and preventive services for undernutrition remain insufficiently integrated into the essential care packages of national health systems, and equitable access to care services remains insufficient;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas according to the Sixth IPCC Report of 2022, climate change, including increases in frequency and intensity of extremes, reduces food and water security, decreases crop yields, modifies pastures and transhumance paths, and decreases the nutritional value of food, thereby hindering efforts to meet the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals; whereas climate change further exposes women to risks and vulnerabilities; whereas climate change exacerbates existing challenges, like a sudden loss of food production and access to food, and underlying vulnerabilities, including worsening poverty and food insecurity, forcing communities to face compounding crises; whereas a decreased diet diversity has increased malnutrition in many communities as a consequence, especially for indigenous peoples, small-scale farmers and low-income households, with children, elderly people and pregnant women particularly concerned;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the number of people in need of urgent food, nutrition and livelihood assistance is on the rise15 ; whereas the major drivers of this are conflict, climate variability and climate extremes, environmental degradation, economic shockfood and nutrition insecurity and malnutrition, which are deteriorating, are conflict, climate change and weather extremes, environmental degradation, rising energy prices, limited access to water, economic shocks, chronic poverty and high and persistent levels of inequality, including gender inequality, lack of access to basic social and health services, global population growth, and failed governance, which consequently can lead to the need to migrate; _________________ 15 Global Report on Food Crises 2021.
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas conflicts disrupt the access to food and to basic social services, which affect stable health, including nutrition services, water, sanitation and hygiene and damage natural resources, infrastructure, production means and livestock; whereas food insecurity can be a source of conflict among affected communities, hence exacerbating existing challenges and tensions linked to scarcity of resources;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in global food systems, exacerbating inequalities and threatening the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerabhas led to the disruption of value chains from production and transportation, to storage and the sale of food, and restrictions on movement have reduced access to markets for farmers and consumers, further inhibiting equitable access to adequate food and nutrition for all and exposing the non-resilience of import-based food systems and the importance of sustainable agri-food systems; whereas COVID-19 has led to an increase in poverty in the absence of universal social protection floors; whereas restrictions have impacted daily economic activities that many households depend on, leading to difficulties in accessing healthy and nutritious food, or covering health needs; whereas access to quality health care is in many developing countries extremely limited especially for the most vulnerable and marginalised people;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas nutrition is an important investment as good nutrition during the first thousand days of a child’s life is critical to achieving full physical, intellectual and human potential; whereas good nutrition is therefore the cornerstone of prosperity for societiehunger and malnutrition negatively affect children's abilities to learn and influence them to drop out of school, represent a lifelong burden for individuals and societies and have an adverse impact on human and national economic development; whereas good nutrition is therefore the cornerstone of prosperity for societies; whereas at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures left 370 million children without access to a secured school meal, often their only warm dish a day, whereas school meals programmes are an important element to combat child hunger and multiple forms of malnutrition; whereas, on the other side, food security disrupts societal functioning, including the ability for families to send their children to school and by adding stress on families, it can be a driver of domestic and gender-based violence; whereas for every dollar invested in nutrition interventions, 16 dollars can be generated in returns;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas as in other areas of humanitarian and development aid, growing needs are not matched by adequate resources, leading to a rapidly increasing funding gap, which requires smarter and more systemic approaches, a systemic transformation in the direction of socially just food systems as our current food systems exacerbate socio- economic and gender inequalities that are preventing access to a healthy, fair and sustainable nutrition;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas women play key roles in feeding the world as farmers, caregivers and producers, but have unequal access to food, resources, services and asset – they produce 60 - 80% of food in developing countries - but have unequal access to food and to the resources, services and assets that increase their yields and incomes; whereas women assume 75% of unpaid care and domestic work, and women in rural communities and low-income countries spend up to 14 hours a day on care work; whereas it is necessary to protect women’s and girls’ rights at all levels, ensure the protection of their rights on all levels and provide space for them in decision-making processes; whereas women and girls are most impacted by climate change and disasters, leading to increased vulnerability due to compounding risks;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
J a. whereas there are 608 million family farms around the world, occupying between 70 and 80 percent of the world's farmland, representing over 90 per cent of all farms globally, and producing around 80 percent of the world's food in value terms;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas many countries that are highly dependent on imported foodstuffs and fertilizers, including several that fall into the Least Developed Country (LDC) and Low-Income Food-Deficit Country(LIFDC) groups, rely on Ukrainian and Russian food supplies to meet their consumption needs; whereas many of these countries, already prior to the conflict, had been grappling with the negative effects of high international food and fertilizer prices;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
J b. whereas one third of the food produced globally is either lost or wasted; whereas increased efforts to reduce food loss and waste by implementing the circular economy in agricultural production systems to increase the sustainability and resource-efficiency of agricultural production are key to addressing food insecurity, malnutrition and protecting biodiversity worldwide;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the severity and magnitude of food crises has risen since 2020, with 161 as a result of conflict, economic shocks and severe weather extremes, or a combination of these drivers, with close to 193 million people severacutely food insecure in 2021 and in need of urgent food assistance, the highest number of acutely food insecure people worldwide recorded in the Global Report on Food Crises’ six-year existence; whereas between 720 and 811 million people are facing hunger and five countries were considered to be at risk of famine, including South Sudan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria (16 states and Federal Capital Territory) and Yemen12 ; _________________ 12 Global Report on Food Crises 2021, September update.
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas ensuring safe and secure access to water is part of improving food security and nutrition; whereas water scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of the global population;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas as in other areas of humanitarian and development aid, growing needs are not matched by adequate resources leading to a rapidly increasing funding gap, which requires smarter and more systemic approaches;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas women play key roles in feeding the world as farmers, caregivers and producers, – they produce 60 - 80% of food in developing countries- but have unequal access to food, and to the resources, services and assets that increase their yields and incomes or caregiving skills;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. whereas food loss and food waste are part of worldwide food insecurity and malnutrition, and increased efforts to reduce food loss and waste are a way to contribute to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition;