EJ CHANGE Presentation

Economic Justice

CHANGE Presentation

Gina Cummings

Economic Justice Campaign Presentation- CHANGE Training 2010

Gina Cummings

Economic Justice CHANGE PresentationJuly 26, 2010

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Economic Justice Campaign

• Overall Campaign Objective: – Small-holder farmers, other poor

food producers and consumers, particularly women, realize their right to food and sustainable livelihoods.

– This contributes to reductions in hunger, in the context of new opportunities and threats created by international responses to food crisis and climate change


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• Overall Campaign Goal

• Campaign Objectives broken down– Ensuring food justice in the struggle over:

• Land• Water• Carbon Emissions


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Economic Justice Campaign Goals(Broken Down)

• Food justice in 21st century– When we say “food justice” what we aim for is

tackling the emergency of hunger today and making sure 9 billion people will be able to feed themselves in 2050

• We want a food system that is:– More equitable– More sustainable– More productive – More resilient

• We are choosing to focus on:– The issue of constrained resources, such as: land,

water and carbon.

• Our strategy will focus on:– Governments, companies and social mobilization


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Oxfam America Policy Priorities 2010-2011

1. Pass US climate legislation that includes financing for adaptation - focusing on smallholders and women

2. Successfully install a climate fund by Cancun in December 2010 that has the US supporting developing countries’ positions on governance and structure

3. Enact food security legislation by the US Congress that also includes climate language

4. Support national and global level work for financing and financing mechanisms


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Economic Justice Factoids

• Over 1 billion people do not have enough to eat, despite the fact that the world produces enough food for everyone

• 60% of the world’s food supply is produced on rain-fed plots by women and men smallholders and laborers

• It is typical for women and girls to forego food during food shortages, which puts their nutrition at risk


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Economic Justice Factoids Continued…• According to the UN’s World Food Program, the number of food emergencies has increased from

an average of 15 per year during the 1980s to more than 30 per year since 2000

• 70% of the water withdrawn globally is used for agriculture

• 1.2 billion people are already affected by water scarcity

• Agriculture accounts for 17-30% of all greenhouse gas emissions today– 75% of these emissions come from developing countries

• By 2020, up to 250 million people across Africa could face more severe water shortages—in some countries, yields from rain-fed crops could be halved during the same period


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Food Security

• “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”


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Adaptation

• Actions that people and/or institutions make in response to, or in anticipation of a changing climate – This can include changes

to the things one does, and/or the way one does them


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Making the connection between women, small holders, agriculture, climate and food

security

• Land

• Water

• Economic opportunities

• Training and education


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Why we need to invest in women• Drought, hunger, and other

consequences of climate change can magnify existing gender inequalities

• The number of women who lead households is increasing

• As the primary food providers and caretakers in many societies, women often have invaluable knowledge about adapting to climate change


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Global Food Security Act

• Purpose of the bill

• Importance of the bill

• Oxfam’s ask


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Global Food Security Act Cont.

• The bill was introduced in the Senate by Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Robert Casey (D-PA) in 2009 (S384)

• Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduced companion legislation in the House (HR 3077)

• The bill passed out of committee in the Senate but needs to be amended to mirror McCollum’s legislation as well as to incorporate changes made by the Administration


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Feed the Future Initiative• The Obama Administration’s global food security

initiative

• Through this program the US is partnering with governments to:– Invest in agriculture and rural development – Build social safety nets to protect vulnerable

populations and tackle malnutrition among women and young children

• This initiative is currently focused on 20 countries with high rates of hunger and malnutrition

• Website: http://www.feedthefuture.gov/


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• Micronesia

• Gambia

• Cambodia

• Kenya

Oxfam America Stories


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Key DatesEvent Name Event DateStand Up for Poverty September 17-19, 2010

Millennium Development Summit (MDG)

September 20-22, 2010

Seeds for Change October 10-14, 2010

World Food Prize Symposium

October 15, 2010

World Food Day October 16, 2010

Hunger Banquets November 18, 2010

COP 16 Cancun November 29 – December 10, 2010

International Women’s Day March 8, 2011

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Questions?

References• “Food Justice in a resource-constrained world. Proposed narrative for the EJ

campaign 2011-12. 1st draft.” Kate Raworth, June 30, 2010.• EJ Retreat PowerPoint – Jim French & Liz Carty• “The Big Picture on Food Security” Kate Raworth June 2010• “BRIEFING DOCUMENT: THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACT”• Oxfam America Website: www.oxfamamerica.org • Oxfam Research Report: “Climate Change Adaptation: Enabling people living in

poverty to adapt” : http://padare.oxfamamerica.org/attachment/639877900000/25688/climate-change-adaptation-apr2010.pdf

• Oxfam-EJ&CC Fact Sheet-V2.pdf• Open Congress: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s384/show • Feed the Future Initiative: http://www.feedthefuture.gov/ • Food Security Workspace on Padare: http://padare.oxfamamerica.org/content/8353

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EJ CHANGE Presentation