Food and energy crisis could force failure of MDGs

The current food and energy crisis will make meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) even harder to reach – if not unattainable - according to civil society representatives at the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting (CFMM) in St Lucia, on 6 October 2008.

Speaking ahead of the CFMM opening ceremony, Commonwealth civil society groups said that while some countries were generally doing well towards progress, the rising food and energy crisis threatens to undo their work. Civil society experts are concerned that as the crisis worsens, it will make the achievement of the MDGs unrealistic and could lead to eight lost years of progress.

Nelcia Robinson, Co-ordinator of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action, cited the need for food security to ensure that vulnerable groups will be able to meet nutritional basics. “People with, or supporting those with HIV and AIDS are already hard pressed to meet their nutritional needs,” said Ms Robinson. “Increasing costs and potential increases through Value Added Tax will only exacerbate this.”

Sarwar Bari, the National Co-ordinator for Pattan Development Organisation, said education-specific MDGs were also likely to be affected: “We have done focus groups and we see that people are taking their children out of school because transport costs are now an issue. Girls tend to be the most affected and this is harming the MDGs related to gender parity in schools in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.”

Governments face the reality of spending less on social welfare and development sectors as they try to stem and support the current crisis. Civil society representatives are urging that national policies addressing the crisis should be in line with the plans for addressing the MDGs.

Commonwealth Foundation Governance and Democracy Programme Manager Seth Lartey said: “The high fuel and food prices pose different challenges for each Commonwealth country. There is a need for all member countries to develop policy responses to meet those challenges and address civil society’s collective concerns and contribute to a global debate.”

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