Farmers’ leaders from the member countries of the G8 group of largest economies have signed a joint declaration calling for the world's politicians to make agriculture a strategic sector that can respond to the twin challenges of food security and climate change. The Common Declaration signed by all eight organisations of G8 countries (UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan) points out that both short and long-term policies are needed, especially those that stimulate investment in agriculture. Improving productivity and competitiveness will also need to be central to development policies and investigation is needed into how best to balance power in the supply chain.
In addition to drawing attention to the challenge of climate change, the declaration also calls on governments to promote renewable energy use on farms as part of a desire to create a sustainable global economy. The declaration will be presented by the Italian Government to the G8 summit being held in July at La Maddelena, Italy.
