As the Triple ‘F’ Global Crises–Fuel, Food and Financial–have been affecting the global economy as well as posing a range of challenges for South Asian countries in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including the goal of halving the number of poor and hunger, a South Asian Civil Society Forum on Responding to Food Insecurity in South Asia was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on 23-24 October 2008 to formulate concrete suggestions and initiate effective collaborative actions for SAARC ( South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) governments for ensuring food security in the region.

The forum was organized by the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal; Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS)-International, India; and Oxfam (novib), The Netherlands. Experts and officials from the South Asia and Southeast Asia regions, global agencies and institutions such as the FAO, the World Bank, the UNICEF and UNAPCAEM attended the meeting.

Dr. Amitava Mukherjee, Senior Economic Affairs Officer and Head of APCAEM, participated in the forum and made his presentation on “Grain Insecurity: a Growing Threat in Asia” which has fed into the agenda of the Meeting of the SAARC Agriculture Ministers scheduled to meet in November 2008. The presentation stresses the importance of ensuring Asia grain security in meeting MDG 1 for Asia and the Pacific region and calls for setting up an Asia-Pacific Grain Security System Framework through collective actions. The proposed measures include the establishments of international social service structures, international agriculture trade rules, Asia Pacific International Grain Bank, sub-regional Grain Insecurity Early Warning Systems, a binding International Agreement to strengthen the “Green Box” support policies, and an agreement on Food Safety Protocol for GM Foods and its Reference Group. It also suggests banning production of Bio-Fuel until the availability of marked improvements in technology and reworking on Intellectual Property Rights with regards to seeds.

The forum was closed by issuing a statement and recommendations on different thematic areas, urging SAARC governments to integrate into their regional strategies, collaborative actions and projects and Agriculture Perspective 2020.