Groups call for reserves to address food security at summit

Civil society groups called for government officials meeting at the World Summit on Food Security to support the use of food reserves to help stabilize prices and supplies.

• Food reserves letter to government officials  PDF
• Call for Leadership on Food Reserves at the World Food Summit  Press release | Nov 16  | PDF
• More on food reserves  Web page

U.S. groups call for Obama leadership at world food summit

Over 20 U.S. groups, including IATP, are challenging the Obama Administration to support more sustainable approaches to the global food crisis at the World Summit on Food Security in Rome.

• U.S. Groups groups call for leadership from the Obama Administration administration at the World Summit on Food Security  Press release | Nov 13  | PDF
• Letter to the U.S. delegation  PDF

Big Biotech in the White House

President Obama has nominated two big biotech industry insiders to positions within the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. IATP and a broad range of partners are sending a petition to the President requesting that he withdraw these nominations to better represent the interests of people, rather than the biotech industry.

• Take action and sign the petition!  Web page | Oct 29

Food Reserves: Facing the Hunger Challenge

IATP and Action Aid hosted an important public briefing on October 15 in Washington, D.C. on food reserves and their potential to address global hunger. A new report by IATP's Sophia Murphy looks at how grain reserves could help stabilize global agriculture prices.

• Find our more, including blog reports, videos and powerpoints  Web page
• Strategic Grain Reserves in an Era of Volatility  Web page | Oct 14  | PDF
• New Report: Grain Reserves Hold Promise in Stabilizing Global Agriculture  Web page | Oct 14  | PDF

Free Trade in Agriculture: A Bad Idea

IATP's Sophia Murphy discusses the contrast between the promises, and actual outcomes, of free trade in agriculture while offering some alternatives in the July-August Issue of the Monthly Review.

• Free Trade in Agriculture: A Bad Idea Whose Time is Done  Commentary | Aug 1

Ideas on the Global Financial Crisis

The UN has organized a special commission to make recommendations on addressing the global financial crisis. IATP's Steve Suppan submitted comments on how better regulation of commodity speculation could effect food security.

• IATP's Comment to the Commission  PDF
• Compilation of Civil Society Comments  PDF
• UN Commission of Experts on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System 

G-20 Must Boost Social Investments

The G-20 should commit to robust social investment programs to stimulate the global economy and mitigate the impacts of the financial crisis, finds the new Social Watch report. IATP's Alexandra Spieldoch contributed to the U.S. chapter.

• Social Watch Report 2009 
• U.S. Report: Opportunity in Crisis? 
• G-20 must boost social investments to solve global economic crisis, says Social Watch  Press release | Sep 23  | PDF

Global Land Grab

In Foreign Policy in Focus, IATP's Alexandra Spieldoch describes the global land grab phenomenon and how to address it.

• Global Land Grab  Commentary | Jun 18
• Alexandra talks about land grabs and the food crisis with Dr. Helen Caldicott