Argentina
Dear Colleagues,
It is necessary to analize, within the framework of this commission, such issues as agriculture, rural
development, drought problem, desertification along the Land Resource This means setting in the heart of the
debate the relationships between production and environment, as well as the dispute between food security
and the negative impacts of climate change.
Overcoming the world food crisis in the context of sustainable development seemed to be the only clever path
for human being to survive on the planet with the rest of the elements and living beings in nature.
1-Timebeing
The task of the CDS, that emerged from Rio 92, and the Agenda 21 framework have known many
significant milestones, but the overall results have not been materialized. Yet we had advanced, it
hasn't been enough in a world that sees its population growing, consumes its natural resources and
concentrates wealth while poverty, exclusion and number of environmental refugees increase.
2- Global conventions and realities
This is a final countdown. Considering the needs of those who have less, our action is urging and we
should postpone further statements and other documents. Those declarations could look sufficient
yesterday, but they need to be materialized in concrete policies right now. We must begin to point
out how, who, when, where and whose beneficiaries should be. It is indispensable to goes beyond
elemental steps, which are nothing more than only proposals usually called implementation
measures.
3- Those we stand for
Those we represent, citizens and inhabitants of the planet, small and medium producers, farmers,
natives from all regions, will surely demand concrete measures to move forward our target, no
matter how severe they can to judge us if they consider our outfits insufficient.
4. Scenario
Discussions of Agricultural production and its related global trade cannot be absent. Not even the
direct and indirect game rules which let us make an comprehensive analysis in this direction.
We must go ahead quickly approaching trade issues in a realistic way, aiming at the reaching of
verifiable results.
The problem of cereals trade distortion, generated by agricultural subsidies affects global exchange
relations, affecting our capacity of consolidate national incomes and also our passing through the
?underdevelopment wall? for the improvement of our citizens.
We believe that it is important to approach this issue and I hope this 17 th CDS can reach positive
and tangible outcomes for those who are far away in each one of our nations.
5. Clear markets
Finally, distortive markets push our farmers to generate a stronger pressure on over our natural
resources. This situation, added to the negative impacts of climate change (ex. dries) bring about an
important phenomena like desertification in many world regions.
Desertification is a global problem and demands global agreed solutions. Speaking about land
degradation means speaking about a loss of productivity as well as increasing efforts for a given
result and its related consequent: increasing poverty.
6. Cultural changes imply values changes
The way up to Copenhagen presents very long term targets in contrast to the urgency of the
problem. Consumption of developed countries continue, so there are huge spends of oil, gas, water,
etc. The loss of this resources is not punished in terms of economic policies.
The world must change quickly its values, choosing the simplest, environmentally friendly although it
implies a loss of comfort and restrictions of the everyday habits.
7.Globalization crisis is a result of financial speculation.
If we compare this issue with medicine we would see that an effective and fast effect medicine is
being apply to Banks and financial institutions letting out those real affected for the crisis and
financial speculation.
8. Human being ??
Who thinks about the man who just can produce in an environmental friendly way and not about
corporations with a lack of environmental conscience is being consider in this meeting. Going back
to the medicine analogy we are giving a limited, delayed medicine waiting for a virtual self
recovering.
9. Paradoxes.
Every program and declaration is driven to improve the environmental reality and poverty
decreasing, but the firs one is not improving
And the second one is not decreasing. ¿What is going wrong?
10. Environmental global debts
There are clear environmental debts from the developed world that impact over our developing
countries. It seems that is the environment where debts are not canceled, although responsibilities
are clearly differentiated.
Greenhouse effect has been caused near in an 80 % by the 20% of global countries. This situations
lead us to other reality that we have to declare: poor people suffers from pollution or ecological
effects for productivity, while the rich people enjoy form nature and its best resources (fertile land ,
water, etc)
11. Assistance: a tool become an end
Debates about assistance, about climate change, mitigations, adaptation, technological and financial
aid became an end in themselves, letting out its real sense and ignoring necessary qualities
(simple, fast, enough, adaptable etc..)
We have to underline that consultancy services, demand much more resources than it lets as
successful concluded projects.
We have more capacity building activities and documents than concrete results and we are not doing
our generational compromise of redirect the way the planet is taking.
12. Productive developments/ good environmental practices and productive sustainability.
13 - Settlement in countrysides based on territorial frameworks must be promoted to avoid
urban population growth
Rural population policies are economical and social strategical investments
14- Limits and technological packages projections
No matter progress, technological consequences and profitability in time must be analized. Benefits
should be worth intergenerationally due to solidarity matters.
15- 21st Century Paradigm
Productive growth with environmental criteria, employment, proper salaries and social inclusion,
especially in unprotected countryside.
REGIONAL STRATEGIES AND NETWORKS ARE INSTITUTIONAL KEYS.
16- Presumed Equity among inequities
16.1. Differences between developed and underdeveloped
16.2. Artificial equity revealed with subsidies that can only be given by unequals among supossed
equals.
17- Contradictions
Freedom in the outside markets, tariff protection and subsidies, increasing the gap of inequality.
18- To mitigate and to adapt
There is a clear difference among interests considered under the ENVIRONMENTAL DEBT concept:
?Mitigation is demanded by debtors and Adaptation is proposed by creditors?
Underdeveloped countries need to reach effectiveness and efficiency no matter they incorporate
mitigation factors. Not only it is to reduce emissions.
The cultural and economic efforts of the adaptation are enormous, but is necessary to improve more
than to change.
19- Scientific contributions to the public sector and the relationship between private and
public dimensions
There are key variables to focus local strategies regarding food security and wealth also facing
Climate Change Challenges.
20. A perspective change for environmental issues.
Environmental budgets are the national budgets. They represent an opportunity for sustainable
development.
21. Indirect restrictions
Lack of local institutional capacity is the cause of many problems, but civil society institutions cannot
replace state, as they don?t represent people.
Any commercial restrictions as a tool of pressure on climate change negotiations would condemn
our countries, which are seeking for agro-industrial profiles in a bid to give their GDP an added
value.
22. A confused multifunctional agriculture
Which is subsidized as productive, cultural, touristic ? or whatever- activity. In a manner to maintain
the same model with different approaches but similar results.
Therefore and as a conclusion: to address the problem of climate change, an Annex 1 country like
ours, with a large potential for improving the efficiency of activities and where one of the supports of
the model is rural development through productive and integrated chains with added value, must
strive from the international funding. This means international tuned and quick synergies. At local
level, its refers to public and private synergies, with incorporation of the environmental variable at all
stages.
The stark reality is a train in motion, it would be tragic to lose it as we would not get anywhere.
Therefore we are convinced that COP 9 to take place in September in Argentina and Global Forum
on Forests in October, also in Argentina, are the last chance to close temporary positions about
defense of natural ecosystems, fight against poverty and set up strategies on sustainable
management of land prior to the climate change negotiations in Copenaghen.
It is necessary to analize, within the framework of this commission, such issues as agriculture, rural
development, drought problem, desertification along the Land Resource This means setting in the heart of the
debate the relationships between production and environment, as well as the dispute between food security
and the negative impacts of climate change.
Overcoming the world food crisis in the context of sustainable development seemed to be the only clever path
for human being to survive on the planet with the rest of the elements and living beings in nature.
1-Timebeing
The task of the CDS, that emerged from Rio 92, and the Agenda 21 framework have known many
significant milestones, but the overall results have not been materialized. Yet we had advanced, it
hasn't been enough in a world that sees its population growing, consumes its natural resources and
concentrates wealth while poverty, exclusion and number of environmental refugees increase.
2- Global conventions and realities
This is a final countdown. Considering the needs of those who have less, our action is urging and we
should postpone further statements and other documents. Those declarations could look sufficient
yesterday, but they need to be materialized in concrete policies right now. We must begin to point
out how, who, when, where and whose beneficiaries should be. It is indispensable to goes beyond
elemental steps, which are nothing more than only proposals usually called implementation
measures.
3- Those we stand for
Those we represent, citizens and inhabitants of the planet, small and medium producers, farmers,
natives from all regions, will surely demand concrete measures to move forward our target, no
matter how severe they can to judge us if they consider our outfits insufficient.
4. Scenario
Discussions of Agricultural production and its related global trade cannot be absent. Not even the
direct and indirect game rules which let us make an comprehensive analysis in this direction.
We must go ahead quickly approaching trade issues in a realistic way, aiming at the reaching of
verifiable results.
The problem of cereals trade distortion, generated by agricultural subsidies affects global exchange
relations, affecting our capacity of consolidate national incomes and also our passing through the
?underdevelopment wall? for the improvement of our citizens.
We believe that it is important to approach this issue and I hope this 17 th CDS can reach positive
and tangible outcomes for those who are far away in each one of our nations.
5. Clear markets
Finally, distortive markets push our farmers to generate a stronger pressure on over our natural
resources. This situation, added to the negative impacts of climate change (ex. dries) bring about an
important phenomena like desertification in many world regions.
Desertification is a global problem and demands global agreed solutions. Speaking about land
degradation means speaking about a loss of productivity as well as increasing efforts for a given
result and its related consequent: increasing poverty.
6. Cultural changes imply values changes
The way up to Copenhagen presents very long term targets in contrast to the urgency of the
problem. Consumption of developed countries continue, so there are huge spends of oil, gas, water,
etc. The loss of this resources is not punished in terms of economic policies.
The world must change quickly its values, choosing the simplest, environmentally friendly although it
implies a loss of comfort and restrictions of the everyday habits.
7.Globalization crisis is a result of financial speculation.
If we compare this issue with medicine we would see that an effective and fast effect medicine is
being apply to Banks and financial institutions letting out those real affected for the crisis and
financial speculation.
8. Human being ??
Who thinks about the man who just can produce in an environmental friendly way and not about
corporations with a lack of environmental conscience is being consider in this meeting. Going back
to the medicine analogy we are giving a limited, delayed medicine waiting for a virtual self
recovering.
9. Paradoxes.
Every program and declaration is driven to improve the environmental reality and poverty
decreasing, but the firs one is not improving
And the second one is not decreasing. ¿What is going wrong?
10. Environmental global debts
There are clear environmental debts from the developed world that impact over our developing
countries. It seems that is the environment where debts are not canceled, although responsibilities
are clearly differentiated.
Greenhouse effect has been caused near in an 80 % by the 20% of global countries. This situations
lead us to other reality that we have to declare: poor people suffers from pollution or ecological
effects for productivity, while the rich people enjoy form nature and its best resources (fertile land ,
water, etc)
11. Assistance: a tool become an end
Debates about assistance, about climate change, mitigations, adaptation, technological and financial
aid became an end in themselves, letting out its real sense and ignoring necessary qualities
(simple, fast, enough, adaptable etc..)
We have to underline that consultancy services, demand much more resources than it lets as
successful concluded projects.
We have more capacity building activities and documents than concrete results and we are not doing
our generational compromise of redirect the way the planet is taking.
12. Productive developments/ good environmental practices and productive sustainability.
13 - Settlement in countrysides based on territorial frameworks must be promoted to avoid
urban population growth
Rural population policies are economical and social strategical investments
14- Limits and technological packages projections
No matter progress, technological consequences and profitability in time must be analized. Benefits
should be worth intergenerationally due to solidarity matters.
15- 21st Century Paradigm
Productive growth with environmental criteria, employment, proper salaries and social inclusion,
especially in unprotected countryside.
REGIONAL STRATEGIES AND NETWORKS ARE INSTITUTIONAL KEYS.
16- Presumed Equity among inequities
16.1. Differences between developed and underdeveloped
16.2. Artificial equity revealed with subsidies that can only be given by unequals among supossed
equals.
17- Contradictions
Freedom in the outside markets, tariff protection and subsidies, increasing the gap of inequality.
18- To mitigate and to adapt
There is a clear difference among interests considered under the ENVIRONMENTAL DEBT concept:
?Mitigation is demanded by debtors and Adaptation is proposed by creditors?
Underdeveloped countries need to reach effectiveness and efficiency no matter they incorporate
mitigation factors. Not only it is to reduce emissions.
The cultural and economic efforts of the adaptation are enormous, but is necessary to improve more
than to change.
19- Scientific contributions to the public sector and the relationship between private and
public dimensions
There are key variables to focus local strategies regarding food security and wealth also facing
Climate Change Challenges.
20. A perspective change for environmental issues.
Environmental budgets are the national budgets. They represent an opportunity for sustainable
development.
21. Indirect restrictions
Lack of local institutional capacity is the cause of many problems, but civil society institutions cannot
replace state, as they don?t represent people.
Any commercial restrictions as a tool of pressure on climate change negotiations would condemn
our countries, which are seeking for agro-industrial profiles in a bid to give their GDP an added
value.
22. A confused multifunctional agriculture
Which is subsidized as productive, cultural, touristic ? or whatever- activity. In a manner to maintain
the same model with different approaches but similar results.
Therefore and as a conclusion: to address the problem of climate change, an Annex 1 country like
ours, with a large potential for improving the efficiency of activities and where one of the supports of
the model is rural development through productive and integrated chains with added value, must
strive from the international funding. This means international tuned and quick synergies. At local
level, its refers to public and private synergies, with incorporation of the environmental variable at all
stages.
The stark reality is a train in motion, it would be tragic to lose it as we would not get anywhere.
Therefore we are convinced that COP 9 to take place in September in Argentina and Global Forum
on Forests in October, also in Argentina, are the last chance to close temporary positions about
defense of natural ecosystems, fight against poverty and set up strategies on sustainable
management of land prior to the climate change negotiations in Copenaghen.
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