Suchergebnisse

In introducing "International Aid in a Time of Global Crisis," Professor Marsha Echols (moderator) urged a positive approach in spite of the many global crises, including this year's COVID-19 crisis and the longer term global environmental, migration, food security, governance, and others. The Panelists, who represented multinational, national, and civil society perspectives, emphasized their experiences and the purposes of their institutions to confirm the appropriateness of thinking positively about the aid being provided to address global crises. Multilateralism and cross-institutional collaborations and partnerships were highlighted in concepts, laws, and practical experiences.

The Food Assistance Convention (Convention), signed by seven countries and the European Union in April 2012, went into effect on January 1, 2013. The Convention replaces and builds on the 1999 Food Aid Convention (FAC 1999). The use of ''assistance'' instead of ''aid'' in the title signals a change in approach from fixed commodity donations to offering a series of options for assisting communities address their particular food needs and goals. The objectives of the Convention are broad, to ''save lives, reduce hunger, improve food security, and improve the nutritional status'' of the most vulnerable populations. These objectives are in accord with international humanitarian law, which is referred to in the Preamble. The foundation of the Convention is the annual commitment of food, cash, vouchers, equipment, seeds and other assistance by each Party. The flexibility in developing the assistance for each population permits the donor to consider the specific local needs, capabilities and goals, e.g., to avoid interfering with or displacing local production. ''Vulnerable populations'' and the ''most vulnerable populations'' receive special attention throughout the Convention. The text refers to improved coordination of multilateral efforts, authorizes increased involvement of other organizations and stakeholders, and expressly gives priority to obligations under the World Trade Organization.

International bodies and nation-states attending international meetings on the subject have agreed that there is a "right to food." The first Millennium Development Goal, in which members of the United Nations General Assembly agreed to halve the number of persons without adequate food by the year 2015, complements this right to food. Many persons believe that the right to food--especially at the national level--is linked to national food self-sufficiency. Opponents of this view argue that self-sufficiency is economically irrational in many territories. Others believe that for many countries, particularly nations in sub-Saharan Africa, a government's obligation to ensure food security can be achieved only through markets open to basic food imports, combined with some local production and probably with biotechnology. While this belief in the need for markets that are open to food imports as well as local production is the prevailing view, the experience of Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement has created some concern for the viability of this system. The Mexican market has opened to U.S. feed corn imports, which would normally lower the price. However, prices for maize have escalated as maize becomes a feed stock of choice in the fight against climate change, driving up demand. This brief article considers a few of the legal and policy issues connected with trying to balance the right to food and the commitment to free trade.