Obama to unveil plan for helping African farmers

[IDemo]

Source: csmonitor.com

Buffeted by the euro zone crisis and distracted by political problems at home, the leaders of the world's industrial powers are turning to the private sector to help fight hunger and malnutrition for up to a billion people beset by shortages, droughts and rising food prices.

President Barack Obama will announce a new public-private partnership program Friday morning, seeking to spur this weekend's summit of the wealthy Group of Eight to focus on market methods to boost production, particularly among hardscrabble small-scale farmers in Africa who may hold the key to improved world food supplies.

This year's meeting of the G8 - the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia - will focus on the economic headaches plaguing the world's richest countries, including worries over Greece, the future of the euro zone and proposals to tap emergency oil reserves to offset diminishing exports from sanctions-hit Iran.

But US officials say the Obama administration also wants the G8 to take fresh steps to improve global food security, building on its 2009 summit in L'Aquila, Italy, which sought to mobilize $20 billion over three years to boost agricultural investments in poor countries.



Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0518/Obama-to-unveil-plan-for-helping-African-farmers

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Other than the inclusion of Monsanto in this effort, this seems like a positive step.

[SDjack]

1. The US and Europe are always developing plans to "help" African farmers.

And, the plans are always a guise to introduce Monsanto's genetically modified seeds into Africa. The farmers in Africa don't want those seeds because they are too expensive and they have better market demand for non-genetically modified foods. But, we never give up shilling for Monsanto.

[jwirr]

6. And in the end they destroy more than they help. African farmers need to have help building up

the soil for small local farms. We just want them to export crops we will eat not feed themselves.

[Catherina]

11. +1 I take it there were no American farmers who needed help?

Or is it simply harder to exploit US farmers for fewer pennies than they're already getting?

[tabatha]

2. Do not pollute Africa with GMOs

[naaman fletcher]

3. The problem for African farmers is US and European farm subsidies.

They drive african farmers out of business.

[4th law of robotics]

4. More the direct food aid

hard to compete with free food.

[may3rd]

10. somebody has to pay for free food....US taxpayer,provide

[GeorgeGist]

5. In other words, the inclusion of Monsanto in this effort ...

is definitely a negative step.

[KakistocracyHater]

7. if there is no industrialization of Africa I call bullshit

also-with what money?

[may3rd]

9. africa is awash in oil and that makes the petrochemicals Monsanto covets

it's all becoming clear

[may3rd]

8. Monsanto to provide the GM crop

Is this another industrial scale experiment ?

Check the record of Monsanto and why are they,and others so eagerly on board ?