FoodSPAN urges Gov't to create biofuel policy now


Members of the Food Security Policy Advocacy Network (FoodSPAN) have called on government to develop a comprehensive policy on Biofuel production in light of the World Jatropha Summit to be held in Accra from 28th to 29th May 2009.They said that large scale land acquisition by foreign companies for the production of biofuel threatens the livelihood of local farmers as well as the environment. "We have supplied developed countries with raw materials to the detriment of ourselves," said David Eli, Coordinator for FoodSPAN at a press conference in Accra.Representatives were adamant that their stance was neither anti-biofuel nor anti-investment, but insisted that both investment and Biofuel production must be executed responsibly and ethically."We've seen what mining has done to this country," said Yakubu Iddrisu, Assistant Coordinator, FoodSPAN. "Those companies came in before the government had a clear policy. We can't allow the same to happen with agriculture."They pointed to the fact that a majority of Ghanaians earn their livelihood from agriculture and warned that allowing large multinational companies unrestricted access could undo some of the country's gains in the fight against hunger and poverty, as lands which are currently being used for food production would be converted to use for fuel production.Biofuel companies and supporters argue that the employment created by Biofuel production would offer compensation to displaced farmers and their families, but FoodSPAN committee members remain unconvinced."What good is money when there is no food?" Iddrisu asked. He continued, "We are not self-sufficient in the food sector, and replacing food producing land with fuel producing land only makes the problem worse."FoodSPAN argued that creating a comprehensive national policy on Biofuel production is vital if Ghana is to maintain control of its resources in the face of economically dominant foreign interests.They also believe that relevant government agencies should work with traditional land owners on zoning and mapping lands in order to minimize competition between small scale local farmers and large multinational companies.In addition to the social issues associated with Biofuel production, FoodSPAN committee members also voiced their concerns about Biofuel's impact on the environment, and called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that before projects are approved, there is proper environmental impact assessment."We are not even completely sure of the effects the production would have on the soil," said Anna Antwi, Coordinator for FoodSPAN and Right-to-Food Policy Advisor for ActionAid Ghana.Members are also concerned that land clearing associated with Biofuel production puts at risk certain economically vital species of trees, such as shea nut and dawawa, as well as fuel wood, which are the main sources of income for rural dwellers, particularly women. The committee asked that all stakeholders in Biofuel production, particularly those attending the Jatropha Summit this week, consider the interests of local small scale farmers as well as environmental impacts in their decisions, and urges the government to create a policy which will allow companies to be held accountable if they fail to do so."This issue is just as important as any other development issue," said Ofosuhene Kwabena Okai of Obibimman Foundation. "By creating a policy now the government of Ghana will be better equipped to avoid problems later."

New ECOWAS Standby Force in the offing
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will soon have a standby force of a brigade size, consisting of specially trained and well-equipped units of national defence forces, ready to be deployed at short notice. All the fifteen ECOWAS countries have pledged one battalion each to the proposed force. The ECOWAS Protocol calls for the establishment of such a force based largely on the experiences of Economic Community of West African States Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. The move is part of the security mechanism that has been created by ECOWAS to manage the conflicts in the sub-region so that the sub-regional organization can achieve economic cooperation and integration which is its main objective. It is envisaged that with the establishment of the Protocol on security mechanism, ECOWAS has, indeed, shown that gone are the days when Africa could look on simply without caring. Today, West Africa has shown that Africa does care for the continent's survival.A Security Expert, Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (Rtd) disclosed this during a recent workshop on "The Media's Role in Conflict Transformation and Peace Building for fifteen West African journalists in Accra. The International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) of InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany organised the training course. Brig. Rtd. Agyemfra spoke on the topic, "The Role of ECOMOG in West African Security Strategies: How can public opinion and the media contribute to peace in the region?" He said the main tasks of the force will involve observation and monitoring, peacekeeping, humanitarian intervention, enforcement of sanctions and embargoes, preventive deployment, peace building operations, disarmament and demobilization and policing, including anti-smuggling and anti-criminal activities."The proposed sub-regional force is to embark on periodic training exercises to enhance the cohesion of its troops and compatibility of its equipment. ECOMOG'S soldiers will also undertake training exchange programmes in West African training institutions." He deduced that West Africa stands out as one of the most unstable sub-regions in the world citing conflicts in some countries in the last two decades that have resulted in mass murder, massive cross-border refugees and arms flow, internal displacement and other degrading forms of treatment to the population. Further, he said persistent internal conflicts have impacted negatively on both state and human security."The magnitude of human tragedy in conflict areas, and states plagued with persistent violent and the untold suffering of the population, has not only been a setback for the states concerned, but has undermined sub-regional peace, stability and socio-economic development."According to the security expert, West African leaders have for many years been faced with the challenge devising collective security arrangements to stop the conflicts and coup d'etats, which has thus resulted in ad hoc conflict management interventions.He recalled that the exploits of ECOMOG in these war zones prompted discussions among member states that centered on the need to develop an institutionalized mechanism for conflict management. "Those discussions culminated in the establishment of a security mechanism, namely, The Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-Keeping and Security. The Protocol is the world's first sub-regional security mechanism established to manage sub-regional conflicts." With regards to funding, Brig. Rtd. Agyemfra explained that under the Protocol, funds for the security mechanism are to be raised from ECOWAS annual budget and Community Levy, and is also expected to be provided by the African Union (AU), the United Nations, international organizations, and voluntary contributions and grants from bilateral and multilateral sources. "We should be monitoring events so we can act early but not wait for them to happen before we find ways to act. Until such a time that we can monitor movements in countries, we can't control crime." The aim of the IIJ programme is to strengthen freedom of expression and press freedom in the partner countries of the German Development Cooperation (GDD) and thus improve the conditions for democratization and economic and social development.


Women perform better than men in government
A research has revealed that women in government are more accessible to their constituents than their male counterparts. The research thus recommended the involvement more women in the governance process. A Gender Consultant, Mrs. Dede Bedu-Addo, said it is imperative that Ghana has more women in office since they are seen as responsible, committed, and often perform better than men. Speaking at a media sensitization workshop in Accra, she said that women have patience and are more concerned about people from all walks of life.Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) established to promote effective use of media for the advancement of women organised the training programme for selected journalists from Accra, Volta, Eastern, Central and Western Regions. Mrs Bedu-Addo spoke on "Gender and Governance Issues in Ghana." She noted that Ghanaian women's participation in decision-making lags behind that of men, even though they have made considerable advancements over the past decade.She stated lack of experience, fear of competing, campaigning, and marketing themselves as some of the reasons why many women are still reluctant to stand for office.She regretted that Ghanaian women's presence in Parliament has not increased appreciably over the decade, citing the 2000 parliamentary elections which resulted in 18 women being elected in the 200-seat parliament. "The 2004 elections had 25 women being elected out of 230 parliamentarians. Between 1997 and 2004, there were two women in a cabinet of 19 members. Out of the 10 regional ministers only 2 were women from 1997 to 2000. Between 2000 and 2004, there was no woman regional minister." Mrs. Bedu-Addo further said although the 2008 general elections witnessed a large number of women aspirants who stood for elective positions, they could not get to their final destinations due to the scheming, intrigues and financial constraints that characterise the political terrain."Even where women indicate willingness and self-confidence to stand for public office, their efforts have been thwarted by male-dominated political and administrative structure. Generally, African politics places much emphasis on individual connections and affiliations at the expense of ability and qualification."She emphasized that the media should therefore take up its responsibility as "the fourth arm of government", be at the front line and push for both legislative and constitutional reforms that will give credence to women's participation in politics, without the usual cronyism and nepotism that keeps women out. She argued that just as the media have assisted male politicians to gain popularity, they should do the same for women. "The media should strive to promote gender-equitable governance and elections that will be globally adjudged as free and fair. They must recognize the enormity of their assignment and handle it with dexterity and seriousness of purpose," she added.