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Is the Right to Food an Illusion?

Saturday 31 January 2009, 15.30 – 17.00

Over 860 million people are starving in the world – and high food prices are fuelling the nutritional crisis even more. One of the reasons for rising prices lies in the global demand for grain: the world population increases, fast-developing nations consume more and production of biofuels soar. At the same time, harvest yields are decreasing as a result of climate change.
  1. To what extent is the production of biofuels responsible for global hunger?
  2. What influence does speculation have on world food prices?
  3. Should hunger be alleviated by genetic engineering? What are the consequences for health and biodiversity?
  4. What is the role of international agricultural policy in the global nutritional crisis?

Guests:
Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Human Rights Council of the United Nations, Belgium
Philipp Aerni, co-founder of the African Technology Development Forum and Senior Researcher at the University of Bern and ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
Peter H. Staude, CEO Tongaat Hulett Limited, South Africa
Rudolf Rechsteiner, National Councillor and President, Swissaid, Switzerland

Moderation:
Reto Brennwald, Swiss Television