June 22, 2011

The leader of the Episcopal Church in the United States has called for G20 agriculture ministers meeting in Paris today for strong action to combat high food prices.

The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal church in the US, has written to the US agriculture secretary Hon John Visak to press for a package of measures including:

• More support for small farmers, especially women who produce up to 80 per cent of food in the poorest countries.

• Action to stop speculation in food commodities.

• An increase in investment in agriculture so that the richest countries in the world keep the promise they made to the poorest in the L'Aquila agreement.

The G20 ministers meet against a background of mounting concern over the price spikes and food insecurity that have left 900 million people around the world hungry. The French President has put food on the agenda for the G20 meeting in November, and next week's agriculture ministers meeting will seek an agreement on the way forward.

Already letters have been to agriculture ministers in the G20 countries of Australia, Canada, Korea, India, South Africa and the UK by Anglican Archbishops in those countries.

They have welcomed the emerging consensus on the need for global action to reduce food price volatility and increase security, but also called for tougher action to meet the promises of the L'Aquila initiative and step the rising tide of hunger in the world.

Advocacy on the global food crisis is being co-ordinated by the Anglican Alliance for development relief and advocacy. The Alliance brings together the work of the Anglican family of churches worldwide. It grew from a decision taken by the Lambeth conference in 2008 and started its formal operations in January this year. The decision on food advocacy came at its inaugural consultation meeting in Nairobi in April.

Anglican Communion News Service, London