13 Amendments of Kader ARIF related to 2008/2153(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that Europe’s and the world's food security is increasingly threatened by the high volatility in food prices, after 30 years of decreasing prices in real termswhich was recently reflected in a major price increase after 30 years of decreasing prices in real terms; stresses that it is the poorest population groups in both developing and developed countries that are the hardest hit;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Estimates that the recent sudden soar in prices – in addition to speculation and bad crops -can be primarily explained by the structural growth in world demand for agricultural products, stemming from population growth, chan be primarily explained by the growing demand for food by developing countries on world markets and the additional demand triggered by biofuelsging eating habits and the growth in agri-fuel production, as well as unfavourable developments such as poor harvests and speculation on world markets; stresses that this is therefore not a passing crisis and that a global, long-term response is required;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that efforts to meet people's basic needs, in particular as regards food and water, can often be a source of conflict; notes that the growth in the world's population, which is expected to rise by 3 billion by 2050, will exacerbate such tensions in all regions of the world; calls, accordingly, for this geo-strategic factor to be taken into account in the future formulation of agricultural policy;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that food production is not able to keep pace with increasing demand, since, globally, agricultural productivity growth, production reactivity and capacity, anthe current food challenges call for food production to be stepped up to keep pace with increasing demand, while improving quality, lowering costs and ensuring greater sustainability; considers that, in order to achieve this, public policies need stocks are insufficient and cannot easily be adapted in the short-term; be overhauled with a view to improving production and stock management methods, as well as world market regulation;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and trade liberalisationfurther, unregulated liberalisation of agricultural trade would lead to a further increase in food prices and even higher price volatility,; since a large cut in agricultural supports in thetresses that the worst affected would be the most vulnerable, food-importing developeding countries; stresses, furthermore, that wourld cause a dramatic fall in their production; strade rules must under no circumstances go against the right of countriesses that the worst affected would be the most vulnerable, food-importing developing countries or regions to support their farming sectors with a view to ensuring food security for their population;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Insists that the EU must remain a maplay a part in matching food suppliery to demand worldwide and that all forms of agriculture must be involved in order to achieve this; considers, furthermore, that the EU must guarantee its food security by maintaining the fundamental principles and objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): stable prices, increased productivity by technological progress and better crops, and flexible buffer stocks to react to crises akin to those being faced today;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Considers that, were its excesses and imperfections to be removed, the CAP could become an example of a successful regulation policy providing an effective, equitable and responsible response to food challenges and simultaneously addressing economic, social and environmental issues; stresses that it should, in particular, make a contribution towards the formulation of agricultural policies in developing countries, through the transfer of European technology, research, knowledge and experience;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the EU and the major food- producing countries to take parallel action to foster the development of their partners by discontinuing export subsidies and modifying forms of assistance that cause distortion on world markets to the detriment of farmers in the South, in accordance with the commitments made in 2005 at the Hong Kong conference;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6c (new)
Paragraph 6c (new)
6c. Notes the general discontinuation of policies for investment in farming and regrets, in particular, the fact that the EU allocates no more than 4% of its development aid thereto; highlights the fact that the proposal to make € 1 billion available in response to food price increases is an emergency measure; considers that this should not divert attention from the need for a coherent, long-term world strategy to boost production, based on local and subsistence farming and geared to the needs of the local population and the natural potential of each area;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Opposes those new measures resulting fromRegrets that the new measures proposed by the Commission as part of the Health Check of the CAP that do not take sufficient account of the lessons learnt from the current food crisis;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Invites the European Commission to push for increased sustainable biofuel productionsteer agri-fuel production towards the use of second-generation technology, to avoid a reduction in food supply and to revise and adapt bioagri-fuel production targets. on the basis of clearly identified economic, social and environmental criteria;