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Africa: Food Price Hike - Oxfam Condemns the West
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This Day (Lagos)
29 April 2008
Posted to the web 29 April 2008
Constance Ikokwu
Washington, DC
Renowned Aid Agency, Oxfam International, has condemned biofuel production in advanced countries, including the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), which has caused increase in global food prices.
Oxfam said rich countries are involved in double speak, by calling for action on high food prices and at the same time insisting on meeting biofuel targets set by their governments, in addition to subsidising their farmers.
Oxfam Trade Spokesperson, Amy Barry, in a chat with THISDAY, said "we are extremely concerned that developed countries governments are pushing ahead with mandates for biofuels before it is clear what their impacts will be.
"Biofuels are not only contributing significantly to rising food prices, they are also linked to labour rights abuses and land grabs in developing countries.
"Also, there is increasing evidence that they may actually make climate change worse, rather than help prevent it."
He said the United Kingdom (UK) government, which recently pledged a financial package to help poor countries deal with the crisis should not only scrap its mandatory targets, but must also show leadership in the Europe to make sure no new targets are set in the continent.
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She said "criticisms by developed countries governments and multilateral institutions of poor countries' responses to the crisis (e.g. their use of export bans) is hypocritical, so far as it fails to acknowledge the historical responsibility that rich countries and IFIs bear for the current situation.
"Premature or too rapid trade liberalisation, has made poor countries more vulnerable to shocks and removed trade policy tools that they could have used to respond to current threats.
The dumping of subsidised agricultural produce from overseas removed incentives for production in developing countries and pushed small producers out of business," she said.
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