Oxfam reaction to US Department of Agriculture crop figures: time for the G20 to act

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its crop figures today. Last month France announced that the G20 would wait for this crop report before deciding whether to take joint action on the current state of food prices, which is why this is an important moment.

In response to the USDA crop report released today (12 September), Oxfam’s head of advocacy for the GROW campaign Colin Roche said:

“The picture painted by today’s USDA crop report confirms the dramatic impact the US drought has had on American production and global food supplies.

“It’s time for a meeting of the Rapid Response Forum to respond to high food prices resulting from the US drought, because millions of people still cannot afford to eat.

“G20 governments must end biofuels mandates which convert food into fuel and drive up the price of food, ensure no export restrictions are imposed by the major food exporting countries, and provide assistance to poor people at risk of hunger.

“At the Committee for Food Security meeting next month, governments must address the underlying causes of food price volatility by insisting on better regulation and more transparency in commodity markets, increasing investment in small holder agriculture and supporting poor countries to set up food reserves.”