International spotlight on climate change and food security
The international community has shown increased interest in the agricultural industry this year as climate change continues to pose threats to farming around the world. Several events and meetings have been held that specifically address the role of climate change on food production and farmer livelihood.
In May this year, the G20 Ministers of Agriculture met in Istanbul to discuss the challenges of climate change, sustainability, and food security for the growing population, which is expected to reach nine billion by the year 2050. In their final communiqué following the meeting, the ministers stated, “We stress that intensifying pressures on natural resources and biodiversity and the impacts of climate change mean that we should raise productivity while moving towards food systems that are more sustainable in all their dimensions – economic and social as well as environmental – and in particular minimize food loss and waste.”
Also taking the international stage are the Milan EXPO, themed ‘Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life’, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s recent trip to the Arctic, and the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris later this year, all of which address the necessity of strategic policy changes and implementation to ensure a steady food supply in the coming years. In November, the ICAO general meeting will be held in Antalya prior to the General Assembly of the Alliance. At this meeting, tentatively entitled ‘G20: Food Security and Climate Change’, the ICAO Executive Committee will be discussing strategies for equipping the agricultural co-operative sector to handle these changes.
ICAO Executive Committee meeting in Seoul
On 12 May, the ICAO Executive Committee meeting was held in Seoul, Korea. It was followed by an international seminar on the enhancement of added value in agriculture.
The European members in attendance reported on their meeting with Vice-president Tømte and others from the ICAO Europe region, held after the Cooperatives Europe General Assembly in Paris in April. They introduced their initiatives to engage with other organizations, designed to broaden the scope of ICAO’s activities. President Choi welcomed the European members’ proposals, saying they would enhance ICAO’s profile at both the regional and global levels.
Following the meeting, the Executive Committee members visited several member co-operatives and subsidiaries of NACF, ICAO’s host organisation. Among these co-operatives was the Ochang Agricultural Cooperative. Ochang is renowned for a co-operative business model that utilises a partnership with one of Korea’s largest firms, SK, for the marketing of organic agricultural products. The cooperation between these two organisations began in 2005, brought about by a strong desire to locate a stable market for organic products for Ochang and a policy of employee welfare enhancement via the provision of organic products for SK. Ochang is responsible for production and distribution, while SK provides professional production and marketing management systems and identifies potential consumers. This co-operative is a good example of the agricultural co-operative business model at work in Korea, and NACF was pleased to share Ochang’s story with the executive committee members as they toured the facilities and experienced the work undertaken by the NACF network on behalf of its member farmers.
International Year of Soils
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) named 2015 the International Year of Soils. The event was kicked off last December on the inaugural World Soil Day with celebrations in New York, Santiago, and Bangkok. The FAO’s primary goals in instituting the Year of Soils are first, to raise awareness about the importance of healthy soils, and second, to advocate for sustainable soil management in order to protect this precious natural resource.
This announcement of the Year of Soils is particularly relevant to the agricultural co-operative sector, especially certain members of ICAO who specifically deal in soil and fertiliser issues. The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Ltd. (IFFCO) is one such co-operative. IFFCO’s campaign Mridda Jirnodhar kaayakram (resuscitating life in soil) is responsible for the rejuvenation of soil in small villages so that the crops may regain fertility and the lives of farmers may be improved. Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) is another such co-operative, whose members have projects to clean up underground sites contaminated with diesel or gasoline.
The International Year of Soils followed the International Year of Family Farming of 2014 and the synergies between the two are evident. Family farmers depend on healthy soils and the planet relies on both for a sustainable and food-secure future.
