Op-Ed: Canada's Financial Aid to Food Security Called 'Modest'

Poverty and aide groups are saying Canada is failing its commitment to give financial aide towards the issue of food security

Thursday at the G8 Summit, Canada pledged to increase its aid by $600 million over the next three years. While many G8 leaders favorably received it, poverty and aide groups saw the pledge as a weak commitment on behalf of Canada. Executive director of Oxfam Canada, Robert Fox agreed, that although Canada has increased its financial assistance by 10 % from 2008-09, its contribution is still

”Welcome, needed - but modest in light of the need globally”

. In total, the G8 has pledged $15 billion for the cause of food aide. International food groups say that this still is not enough for what is considered necessary to give towards food security. Dennis Howlett, from the group called Make Poverty History said that,

”These same leaders were quick to come up with over an estimated $20 trillion to bail out their banks and auto companies,” Howlett added that, “The poor are expected to survive on past promises.”

Non-government agencies have criticized the three-day meetings, as well as host nation Italy, for their lack of mention over African development where there is still great need for aide. Italy itself has cut their aide for Africa. Four years ago, the G8 made a commitment to fund development in Africa. Many nations have failed their responsibilities to provide assistance to Africa since the last summit meeting. The G8’s own figures show that it spent a total of $13 billion on food security in the last 18 months, while another $15 billion is promised over the next 36 months. This actually represents a decrease in support towards food security said Fox, director of Oxfam Canada. Fox is also unconvinced that the funds are even being received by farmers, who have had governments support cut by 75 % globally. The G8 has also included among its $13-billion budget for the past 18 months some $227 million spent on production of biofuels. Fox said. “Biofuels are actually accelerating the world food problem. It raises some questions.” Specific crops, which food resources also dependent on, develop these Biofuels. In a government release, Prime Minister Harper said that Canada is more than doubling its financial efforts towards food security.

"Both before and during the current global recession, we saw a deeply troubling pattern of scarcity and price instability causing significant hardship to vulnerable people, particularly those in the developing world," Harper said.

He added that there are, "many clear and compelling humanitarian, economic and security reasons" for addressing food security, and that the financial contribution come out of previously budgeted funds. This would mean, that it would not further exhaust any federal finances, Harper concluded.