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world news Diabierna 24 September 2021

UN summit seeks to fix food’s many problems, but draws fire

(AP) — Nations, com- he said in a video speech to 190 countries participated —
panies and foundations the summit. It was held vir- mostly virtually — in a pre-
pledged billions of dollars tually because of the corona- paratory meeting in Rome in
to feed the world in con- virus pandemic, which itself July.
nection with an ambitious led to what the U.N. has
United Nations food sum- called a “dramatic worsen- But more than 500 academics
mit Thursday, while some ing” of hunger last year. and advocacy groups for food
grassroots anti-hunger sustainability, small farms,
groups and food experts Examining topics from Indigenous people and other
blasted the event as too school meals to food waste causes disavowed the sum-
corporate, tech-focused to financing to wages, the mit, issuing a declaration say-
and top-down. summit drew speeches from ing the event was too cozy
more than 85 presidents and with corporate interests, fo-
Held as part of the annual prime ministers and gar- cused too much on big mon-
U.N. General Assembly nered some big-ticket finan- ey and technology as poten-
meeting of world leaders, cial commitments. Among tial solutions and disregarded
the “food systems summit” them: The Bill and Melinda “the urgent need to address
aimed to tackle the life- Gates Foundation pledged the gross power imbalances rations,” he said. Uganda.
and-death puzzle of hunger, $900 million, and the United that corporations hold over
nutrition, environmental States announced it would food systems.” U.N. Deputy Secretary- “There ain’t no colonial cap-
sustainability and inequal- spend $10 billion, half do- General Amina Mohammed ture there,” Mohammed
ity. Worldwide, more than mestically and half overseas, The U.N. Human Rights said at a news briefing that said. She added that there
2 billion people don’t have over five years. Committee, a group of in- the world body strove to was good reason to include
enough to eat, while 2 bil- dependent experts, echoed include “as many constitu- business interests in the gath-
lion are overweight or obese, “We’re focused on ending those concerns and com- encies and experiences and ering: “They have to be part
and nearly a third of the food hunger and food insecurity at plained that the summit — representation as possible” in of the solution, given that
that gets produced ends up home and building back bet- planned since 2019 — didn’t the conference. There were they’ve been part of a large
discarded, according to the ter our food systems here and “substantively address” the discussions in the lead-up for part of the problem in many
U.N. abroad, so that they are more effects of the pandemic. Indigenous people, young countries.”
sustainable, that they are people, and advocacy groups,
Meanwhile, a changing cli- more resilient and more in- “The food systems sum- she noted. Ibrahim Mayaki, a former
mate is posing new problems clusive and more equitable,” mit has categorically failed,” prime minister of Niger and
for agriculture, even as pro- U.S. Agriculture Secretary committee member Michael “I’ve heard that this is a ‘colo- now heads of the African
ducing, processing, packag- Tom Vilsack said by video at Fakhri declared in a video nial capture,’” she acknowl- Union’s development agen-
ing and distributing food ac- a news briefing. he tweeted Wednesday. The edged. Then the former Ni- cy, said his continent needs
counts for one-third of the University of Oregon law gerian environment minister to double food production
manmade heat-trapping gas- The U.N. billed the summit professor is the U.N.’s spe- pointed to her background and get more financing and
es blamed for global warm- as a worldwide, exhaustive cial rapporteur, or outside ex- and that of the U.N.’s spe- insurance to small and me-
ing, U.N. Secretary-General endeavor to involve people pert, on the right to food. cial envoy to the summit, dium-sized food enterprises,
Antonio Guterres noted. in every part of society and Agnes Kalibata. A former ag- among other steps to take.
corner of the world, saying “The summit’s organizers riculture minister in Rwan-
“Food systems can and must that more than 2,500 ideas have ignored people’s daily da, Kalibata was born to a And, he said, “commitments
play a leading role in address- were submitted and more struggles. And who’s benefit- small-farm family there and that are made need to be met
ing all of these challenges,” than 20,000 people from ed from this agenda? Corpo- grew up in a refugee camp in by actions, not speeches.”

For many Haitian migrants, journey to Texas started online

(AP) — For the final leg migrants like himself cross- sands of Haitian migrants once-booming economies. known that this is not the
of his journey from Chile ing at the same remote spot. straddling the Mexico-Texas way to come to the United
to the United States, Hai- The 38-year-old, his wife and border are narrowing as the In extending protections States,” he said.
tian migrant Fabricio two young children earlier United States government for Haitians this spring, the
Jean followed detailed in- this month joined as many ramps up to an expected six Biden administration cited Thousands of Haitians have
structions sent to him via as 14,000 mostly Haitian mi- expulsion flights to Haiti and security concerns and social been stuck in Mexican bor-
WhatsApp from his broth- grants camped under a Del Mexico began busing some unrest in the Western Hemi- der towns since 2016, when
er in New Jersey who had Rio bridge. away from the border. (AP sphere’s poorest country. the Obama administration
recently taken the route to Photo/Julio Cortez) abruptly halted a policy that
the Texas border. A confluence of factors Migrants, many from Haiti, Homeland Security Secretary initially allowed them in on
caused the sudden sharp in- are seen at an encampment Alejandro Mayorkas said the humanitarian grounds.
His brother wired him mon- crease at the Texas town of along the Del Rio Interna- temporary protections were
ey for the trip, then meticu- about 35,000 residents. Inter- tional Bridge on Tuesday. (AP limited to those residing in Online messages touting the
lously mapped it out, warn- views with dozens of Haitian Photo/Julio Cortez) the U.S. before July 29 — Mexican town of Ciudad
ing him of areas heavy with migrants, immigration at- It also reflects the power of but that condition was of- Acuña, across from Del Rio,
Mexican immigration offi- torneys and advocates reveal Facebook, YouTube and plat- ten missing in posts, leading started after President Joe
cials. a phenomenon produced forms like WhatsApp, which Haitians outside the United Biden took office and began
partly by confusion over the migrants use to share infor- States to believe they, too, reversing some of the Trump
“You will need about 20,000 Biden administration’s poli- mation that can get distorted were eligible. administration’s immigration
pesos (about $1,000 U.S. cies after authorities recently as it speeds through immi- policies.
dollars) for the buses. You extended protections for the grant communities, direct- Mayorkas acknowledged that
need to take this bus to this more than 100,000 Haitians ing migration flows. That’s this week, saying “we are Ciudad Acuña has been
location and then take an- living in the United States. especially true for tight-knit very concerned that Haitians spared the drug and gang vio-
other bus,” recounted Jean, Migrants, many from Haiti, groups like the Creole-and- who are taking the irregular lence seen elsewhere along
who spoke to The Associated are seen at an encampment French-speaking Haitians, migration path are receiv- the border. Some of the social
Press after reaching the bor- along the Del Rio Interna- many of whom left their ing misinformation that the media posts recommending
der town of Del Rio. tional Bridge near the Rio homeland after its devastat- border is open,” or that they it appear to have come from
Grande, Tuesday, Sept. 21, ing 2010 earthquake and have qualify for protected status human smugglers seeking to
What Jean didn’t expect was 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. The been living in Latin America, despite the expired deadline. drum up business, according
to find thousands of Haitian options remaining for thou- drawn by Brazil and Chile’s “I want to make sure it is to immigrant advocates.