Abimbola Akosile
30 October 2007
Lagos — An independent United Nations (UN) human rights expert, Mr. Jean Ziegler, has called for a five-year moratorium on biofuels.
Zeigler, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, told reporters in New York that converting crops such as maize, wheat and sugar into fuels was driving up the prices of food, land and water, according to a UN statement. Noting that the price of wheat has doubled in one year, he warned that if the prices of food crops continued to rise, the poorest countries will not be able to import enough food for their people.
"It is a crime against humanity to convert agricultural productive soil into soil which produces food stuff that will be burned into biofuel."
Ziegler argued that biofuels will only lead to further hunger in a world where an estimated 854 million people (1 out of 6) already suffer from the scourge; 100,000 people die from hunger or its immediate consequences every day; and every five seconds, a child dies from hunger.
All of this takes place, he added, in a world that already produces enough food to feed every child, woman and man and could feed 12 billion people, double the current world population, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
"All causes of hunger are man-made, it's a problem of access, not overpopulation or underproduction, and can be changed by human decision," he stated.
The right to food is defined as "the right to have regular, permanent and unrestricted access, either directly or by means of financial purchases, to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate and sufficient food corresponding to the cultural traditions of the people to which the consumer belongs, and which ensures a physical and mental, individual and collective, fulfilling and dignified life free of fear," Ziegler explained. "This human right is gravely violated in many, many parts of the world".
In a related development, the United Nations System in Nigeria, in an effort to increase the quality of media coverage and raise public awareness on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and related issues in Nigeria organised a two-day media workshop from October 17 to 19.
The workshop, part of the implementation of the 2007 outreach activities of the UN Communications Group Nigeria, held at Gateway Hotels, Abeokuta, Ogun State and brought together no fewer than 30 journalists involved in generating, publishing and using development information in Nigeria.
With a theme, 'Achieving the MDGs in Nigeria: How far now?', the forum started with a welcome by the UN Resident Coordinator, represented by Mr. Tetsuo Ohno, Director, UNIC and Chair, UN communications group, Nigeria; followed by a presentation on UN assistance to Nigeria on the implementation of the MDGs in Nigeria by Dr. Ayodele Odusola, UNDP National Economist.
The first day of the workshop also witnessed presentations by Mr. Declan Okpalaeke who spoke on 'Exploiting basic reporting skills for achieving MDGs in Nigeria' and Mr. Adejuwon Soyinka who spoke on 'effective media strategies and best practices for the coverage of the MDGs and related issues in Nigeria.'
According to a communiqué issued by Mr. Nosa Osazuwa of UNIC, Lagos, after the two-day deliberation, the following conclusions were reached: That Nigeria stands a great risk of not meeting more than MDGs 2, 3 and 8 by 2015; and that this grim prospect is in spite of the fact that Nigeria has no less than 812 governments at different levels that ought to directly impact on the people.
Participants called for correct and comprehensive data on the peculiar situation of different parts of the country to make for effective planning at all levels of governance.
Participants were also enjoined to identify development issues, sources as well as means of mainstreaming development stories in their respective media organisations.
The UN system was advised to communicate MDG related issues in local languages. Participants also called on the UN system to target the youth in its communication efforts.
Participants were enjoined to always relate MDG issues to people and look beyond the figures in reporting MDG related issues.
Participants identified poverty, poor access to health care facilities and poor governance structures as main obstacles to the achievement of the MDGs in Nigeria.
Participants agreed to constantly monitor governments at all levels as well as other partners involved in the implementation of the MDGs in order to ensure effective service delivery.
Participants called on the UN system to encourage more media coverage of the MDGs by sponsoring radio, television and documentary programmes as well as publications focusing on the MDGs.
Participants also called for the establishment of a media-based advocacy group to constantly put the development partners on their toes.
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