January 26-27, 2009: “Food Security for All” to be held in Madrid, Spain

    | January 19, 2009

    Download this story

    Governments, civil society groups, and private organizations will meet in Madrid, Spain, next week to examine progress on improvements in food security, define a road map for the future, and tackle hunger more effectively. This meeting is a follow-up to the High Level Conference on World Food Security which was held in Rome, Italy, last June.

    “High level” conferences such as this typically generate a lot of discussion around an issue and produce government commitments to action. But connecting them to what’s happening in your area can be a challenge. Here are some suggestions for news stories or other radio programs:

    -Find out who will represent your country at the conference, from the government and from civil society. (To find out what civil society organizations are involved, La Via Campesina is a good place to start.) Ask these representatives what information they plan to share and what they hope to accomplish at the conference.

    -Follow the discussions and outcomes from the conference. If you make contact with a civil society representative who will attend the conference, ask him or her to update you through e-mail.

    -After the conference, find out what your government has committed to do, and what plans it is making to act on its commitments. Contact civil society and individuals who may be affected (farmers, consumers, etc), to find out what they think of the government’s commitments and plans for implementation, and if they have any alternative suggestions.

    -If the government announces specific plans, find out how they will impact people in your broadcast area. If there is a program to support people, find out how locals can benefit.

    For more information about the conference, visit: http://www.ransa2009.org/en/index.htm.