FSN-WIS thema discussie: Agricultural Policy and Small Farmers - how to align developments

In april 2009 werd een thema avond georganiseerd over "Landbouw en Platteland in Sub-Sahara Afrika en hier in Nederland - ontwikkelingsprocessen en consequenties voor beleid". Deze avond kreeg een vervolg met een thema-avond op 17 september: "New Trade Policies (EPAs), SSA' small farmers and food seurity - a discussion on how EPAs can contribute to sustainable rural development in SSA"
Locatie: Lawickse Alle 13, Wageningen
17 september 2009, aanvang 19.30 uur
Lees hier het discussiestuk en het verslag, met een voorzet voor een vervolg.

DISCUSSION: 'NEW EU TRADE POLICIES (EPA), SSA' SMALL FARMERS AND FOOD SECURITY

PROGRAM:
1 - Strength and weaknesses of small farmers in SSA

1. SSA States have three alternative strategies for providing food to urban regions: (1) stimulate domestic production by small farmers, such as by supporting self-organisation of farmers in market-chains, (2) rely partly on imported food to keep food prices low, (3) favour the development of large scale farms. EPA's will favour the last two and thus inequity will remain a constraint to economic development in SSA.
2. Open markets will reduce and destabilize farm-gate prices, and keep farmers poor while other stakeholders of the market-chain will accumulate benefits. The food production should be carefully managed to reward farmers decently for producing food, while at the same time ensuring food security.
3. The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) hampers economic growth in many agrarian regions elsewhere . However its present dismantling will not sufficiently redress the situation because beyond the EU protection is the deepening disparity between “North” and “South” in investment, infrastructure and know-how.
4. The SSA countries should copy the old policies of the young and smaller EU and protect their food production market.

Contact: Chris Geerling, carnbee.consult@hetnet.nl

Background
This is a discussion in the framework of the series 'Improving rural income in the Netherlands and in Sub-Sahara Africa: How to align developments', organised by the FSN Food Security Network  of NEDWORC Association. The series aims to formulate policy and strategy advice for the Netherlands and for the European Union with regard to the alignment of agricultural policy.
Download here the detailed report on the discussion so far.

Rond dit thema wordt een tweetal themabijeenkomsten georganiseerd. De eerste discussie avond vond plaats op dinsdag 7 april 2009, het vervolg op 17 september 2009.
Doelstelling is te komen tot beleidsadviezen voor landbouwpolitiek en ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsbeleid van NL en EU landen. Directe aanleiding is een recente discussie binnen de PvdA over het EU verkiezingsprogramma, met name over handel en subsidies.