Welthungerhilfe presents a position paper for the G8 summit in association with Africa experts
Deutsche Welthungerhilfe
Website: http://www.welthungerhilfe.de
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Berlin, 9.5.2007. It is the opinion of Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (German Agro Action) that the agenda for Africa at the forthcoming G8 summit in Heiligendamm falls short of tackling key areas. "It's important to create the basic conditions for economic development in Africa," says Ingeborg Schäuble, Welthungerhilfe's Chairperson, "but Africa's still a long way off from that and the hungry can't wait."
The key demands are: Doubling aid for Africa, as pledged at the G8 summit in Gleneagles two years ago. Furthermore, a greater proportion of these funds need to be invested in the development of rural areas in Africa, where 80% of those going hungry live. In addition, the G8 countries should cut their own agricultural subsidies and unilaterally open their markets for agricultural products from Africa.
Schäuble points out that rural development has been criminally neglected by the G8 countries: "206 million people in Africa are chronically undernourished. Almost one in two people has no access to clean water. A third of all children are undernourished. Almost five million children die in Africa before reaching the age of five."
The proportion of overall state development money allocated to rural development fell over the last decade from 12% to 3%. "A dramatic change is needed in this area. Almost 40 million Africans are dependent on food aid. Helping them towards self-help is the only long term solution." Development 'from above', that is, on a governmental level and within the scope of global Structural Adjustment Policies, has to be accompanied by development 'from below'.
Andreas Mehler, Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs in Hamburg, calls for greater participation of the wider African population in reform processes in Africa using opinion polls as well as educating and training a critical elite. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, political scientist and Director of the Center for Democratic Development in Accra/Ghana, calls on the G8 countries to tie state development assistance bindingly to good governance.
To read Ingeborg Schäuble's speech, download the paper or access sound bites (from 16:00) or other information see www.welthungerhilfe.de
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