Oxfam Canada applauds the contribution announced today by International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda of an additional $50 million to the World Food Program. Canada is already one of the most generous donors to the WFP, and we are very pleased that Canada continues to show leadership to the world in responding to humanitarian crises as they arise.

Oxfam Canada also lauds the decision by the Harper government to remove restrictions on food aid. For many years, we have advocated an end to tied aid including food aid and so we welcome this move and salute Canada’s courageous leadership. (Up until yesterday, Canadian policy on food aid ensured that 50% of food aid would be purchased in Canada. As a result, our food aid was slower and more costly and could undermine local production in regions with food shortages.)

Canada can and must do more:

• CIDA should identify agriculture as a priority and ensure that subsistent farming is recognized as key to reducing hunger and poverty. In many poor countries, women produce 80 per cent or more of the food that feeds their families. They need land, credit, supports and markets – with access to basic services, free from violence and discrimination.
• Canada must finally reach the global goal of earmarking 0.7% of its national income to foreign aid, up from the current 0.28%. A long-term solution to the food crisis depends on support to long-term sustainable development.
• The current federal commitment of $2.2 billion to support biofuel development to reach a 5% target of ethanol content in our fuels must be re-examined. The demand for biofuels and the diversion of corn to ethanol accounts for 20% of the global increase in food prices. It makes no sense to feed cars when people are facing hunger. Moreover, the current approach to biofuels is the wrong solution to climate change. It takes as much energy to produce biofuels and they provide and biofuel production is threatening to accelerate climate change as rainforests and other areas that now serve as “carbon sinks” are cut down to make room for ever larger biofuel plantations. This program needs to be rethought.
• Canada must be a leader in supporting fairer trade rules that focus on local production for local consumption. We must act to ensure that subsidized food production in the world’s richest countries does not undermine small farmers in the world’s poorest countries and that trade rules help promote food production.