• Listen to this segment

GUESTS: Iffat Susskind, Communications Director of Madre, Frances Moore Lappe, author of 16 books, including the bestseller, Diet for a Small Planet, and most recently, Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone Mad

Leaders representing the so-called Group of Eight countries will conclude their three day talk today in Sapporo, Japan. The G8, which includes the US, Canada, Japan, Russia, France, Britain, Italy and Germany, meets annually to discuss and formulate global policy. This year a wide array of topics was scheduled for discussion, ranging from climate change to African development. Leaders of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful nations proved their concern with various global crises as they discussed solutions to food shortage over an eight course meal featuring corn-stuffed caviar and champagne. Others had different ideas on how progress should be achieved. Thousands of activists from various countries have been protesting outside the gathering, with thousands more riot police surrounding them. Meanwhile, MADRE, an international women’s rights organization sent a letter to the leaders of G8 entitled “A Women’s Declaration to the G8: Support Real Solutions to the Global Food Crisis.” The Declaration claims that the current food crisis was caused by industrial agriculture. Relief can only come from small scale farmers, most of who are women facing gender discrimination, says MADRE. The organization has called on the G8 to aid developing countries achieve food self-sufficiency and to recognize gender discrimination as a threat to global food security.

For more information, visit www.madre.org, and www.smallplanet.org.