Poor farmers are suffering the worst from the impact of climate change

• In some countries in Africa, yields from rain-fed agriculture could drop by as much as 50 percent by 2020 because of rising temperatures, increasing droughts and floods. _¹
• It will cost developing countries an estimated US$67 million a year to tackle these and other risks, but so far, G8 pledges to the two voluntary climate change funds amount to only US$158 million, less than a tenth of what Europeans usually spend on sunscreen. _²
• In the year 2004 alone, the G8 was responsible for 40.4 percent of world carbon dioxide emissions, yet represented only 13.3 percent of the world’s population. _³
• If world leaders fail to contain global warming now, by 2050 world cereal prices could rise 30-40 percent beyond current levels, and meat prices by 20-30 percent says IFPRI. _⁴

What must happen

• Rich countries should reduce their emissions by at least 40% (against 1990 levels) by 2020 and by at least 90% by 2050.
• In order for future climate change to be prevented rich countries must also support developing countries to take action to reduce their emissions.
• Given rich countries’ historical responsibilities as polluters they need to provide at US$200 billion a year by 2020 to tackle climate change in developing countries. This is over and above existing commitments on aid, such as the long-standing commitment for rich countries to give 0.7% of their Gross National Income as aid.[1]
• A proportion of this money should be targeted to smallholder farmers and women in the most vulnerable countries.
• Innovative sources of finance including the auctioning of pollution permits and international taxes on aviation, shipping and currencies could raise some of this amount. The remainder should be provided by rich countries according to their historical responsibility and capability.
• The money should be channeled through a new global institution or fund accountable to the UN.

Notes
1., 2., 3., 4. ActionAid Cereal Offenders policy report July 2008 http://www.actionaid.org/docs/cereal%20ofenderspdf5cjapan_g8.pdf