Food and Finance: getting it right

Today is the start of two major conferences approaching two distinct and vital issues: food and finance. And it is here, in this blog, that you will be able to get some up the most up-to-date reviews and commentary from these cutting edge conferences this week - so keep coming back!

I shall cover the 'food conference' in greater depth tomorrow. Today is the start of a four day conference of the United Nations Sustainable Development in New York. Unlike previous sessions, this time three groups have managed to come together under six common principles to promote putting farmers at the center of food production. While this might seem self-evident, for those familiar with the debates around agri-business and food security, you know this has long been missing. I have the pleasure of speaking to one of principle creators of the principles behind the notion of supporting sustainable development through agriculture, and thus tackling this sector's version of the triple bottom line: seeking environmentally -sustainable, economically-feasible and socially responsible for the farmers involved throughout the developing world.

And then there is (one of the ) conferences leading up to the G-20 - no, not the one in Europe, but the one in London: the Emergency Session of the Rights and Humanity Congress. (www.rightsandhumanity.org) Gathering in the South Africa House in London's Tuflagar Square under the patronage of Mrs Blair and Archbishop Desmund Tutu, the gathering of business, United Nations, civil society, government, academic and even a few media professionals seeks to go 'from crisis to a just and sustainable global economy.'

Not only do I get the great pleasure of attending, but I'm supporting the process of drafting the recommendations from this group, traditionally concerned with human rights, to the G-20. Gordon Brown says he will pay attention; we shall see if we can give him something to pay attention to! Today we heard from a number of prominent organizations looking at extent to which the financial crisis shall hurt not only the poor in the first world but the vulnerable populations in the most vulnerable countries.

Throughout the day, speakers and participants found ways to connect the dots between the financial crisis and climate change. For many, the message was simple: poor people get hurt even though they didn't cause the crisis (whichever crisis you might be referring to at the time) and have little say in how to solve it. There is pressure to see this not only as a 'financial' issue of the technical nature best left to the banks but as a deeper moral issues, evidenced not only in the increased probability of massive suffering (child malnutrition, UNICEF estimates, increases by about 7.8% for every 1 point fall in GDP) but in a system inherently built on debt that encourages fast repayment, thus encouraging the use of fossil fuels (one of the cheapest forms of energy around with quite profitable rewards). Even though the long term financial success of renewables might be greater, there isless initial payback, and we live in a fast, easily bored society. Not too surprisingly, Tarek el Diwany from IslamicFinance.com was quite a hit, as was Tim Helweg-Largsen from Public Interest Research Centre and Nick Robins, head of the Climate Change Centre of Excellence at HSBC.
Finding common threads among many voices - all of whom had their own agenda to push (most of which I tended to support) is never easy. But one theme arose again and again: separation-thinking (including separating 'food' from 'finance') was useless; we need systemic thinking, and we need to work together.

As I learn more of what it means to work together internationally across hugely different issues, I shall be sure to share it with you!