East African Business Week (Kampala)
Bosco Hitimana
5 May 2008
The European Commission (EC) last week unveiled plans to release further Euros117.25 million (US$187.248 million) food aid for the world's most affected people. This is in response to the controversial increasing global basic food prices.
"The rise in basic food prices is a worldwide humanitarian disaster in the making. Ongoing humanitarian food programmes are under enormous pressure with less food available for people already on the brink of starvation," EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Mr. Louis Michel said.
He noted, "Addressing food price issue is a global challenge requiring long-term solutions but the emergency is now. We have an obligation to act and act quickly."
The latest humanitarian funding consists of Euros 57.25 million ($91.3million) taken from the existing food aid budget run by the commission's humanitarian aid department and a requested Euros 60 million ($95.7million) in new money.
The recent publication of International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) tips that despite increment in food production, the benefits of modern agriculture have come at an increasingly painful price, paid by small scale farmers, workers rural communities and the environment. In Sub-Saharan countries, there are high import tariffs on agricultural goods averaging 33.6%.
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