[R-P] HAMBRUNA CREADA POR EL HOMBRE (EDITORIAL DEL N Y TIMES- 6/7/08 ) - TRADUCCION de los principales argumentos.

[Ezequiel Beer]

Editorial - Man-Made Hunger

HAMBRUNA CREADA POR EL HOMBRE


Published: July 6, 2008 / NY Times

To a large degree, this crisis is man-made - the result of misguided energy 
and farm policies.
Por un largo proceso de degradacion esta crisis fue creada por el accionar 
humano: el resultado de politicas energeticas y agropecuarias sin 
direccionamiento.

When President Bush and other heads of state of the Group of 8 
leadingindustrial nations meet in Japan this week, they must accept their 
full share of responsibility and lay out clearly what they will do to 
address this crisis.
El Presidente Bush y el resto de los presidentes del G8 ( Naciones 
Industrializadas ) cuando se encuentren este semana en Japon DEBEN ACEPTAR 
SU PLENA RESPONSABILIDAD COMPARTIDA Y DEJAR EN CLARO QUE ACCIONES LLEVARAN 
ADELANTE PARA DIRECCIONAR O SUPERAR ESTA CRISIS.

To start, they must live up to their 2005 commitment to vastly increase aid 
to the poorest countries. And they must push other wealthy countries, like 
those in the Middle East, to help too. That will not be enough.
Para empezar, deben dar revitalizar sus compromisos del año 2005 para 
incrementar notoriamente su ayuda a los paises mas pobres.

They must also commit to reduce, or even better, do away with their most 
egregious agricultural and energy subsidies, which contribute to the spread 
of hunger throughout the world.
Deben tambien comprometerse a reducir o mejor dicho dejar de lado su ENORMES 
SUBSIDIOS AGRICOLAS Y ENERGETICOS QUE CONTRIBUYEN A LA EXTENSION DE LA 
HAMBRUNA EN EL MUNDO.

In the last year, the price of corn has risen 70 percent; wheat 55 percent; 
rice 160 percent. The World Bank estimates that for a group of 41 poor 
countries the combined shock of rising prices of food, oil and other raw 
materials over the past 18 months will cost them between 3 and 10 percent of 
their annual economic output.

Some of the causes are out of governments' control, including the rising 
cost of energy and fertilizer, and drought in food exporters like Australia. 
Higher consumption of animal protein in China and India has also driven 
demand for feed grains. Wrongheaded policies among rich and poor nations are 
also playing a big role.
Algunas de estas causas estan fuera del control de los Estados, incluido el 
aumento del costo de la Energia y los Fertilizantes, y la sequia paises 
exportadores como Australia. Altos niveles de consumo de proteinas animales 
en China y la India han conducido tambien la Demanda de Granos.


Of those, perhaps the most wrongheaded are the tangle of subsidies, mandates 
and tariffs to encourage the production of biofuels from crops in the United 
States and the European Union. According to the World Bank, almost all of 
the growth in global corn production from 2004 to 2007 was devoted to 
American ethanol production - pushing up corn and animal feed prices and 
prompting farmers to switch from other crops to corn.
Sobre estas causas, posiblemente la de mayor perversa obstinacion es la 
compleja situacion de los subsidios, tarifas y compromisos/obligaciones 
estimular la produccion de Biodiesel a partir de los cultivos en los EEUU y 
en la Union Europea. Segun el Banco Mundial, la mayor parte del incremento 
en la produccion global de maiz entre los años 2004 y 2007 fue dedicado a la 
produccion del Etanol en los EEUU - presionando hacia el aumento de los 
precios del maiz y de la produccion agropecuaria alimenticia incitando a los 
agricultores a cambiar otros cultivos por el maiz

Long-standing farm subsidies in the rich world have also contributed to the 
crisis, ruining farmers in poor countries and depressing agricultural 
investment.
El ya largo sostenimiento de las politicas de subsidios agricolas en los 
paises ricos tambien ha contribuido a esta crisis poniendo en ruina a los 
productores agricolas en los paises pobres y disminuyendo la inversion en la 
actividad agricola

Rich countries are not the only culprits. At least 30 developing countries 
have imposed restrictions or bans on the export of foodstuffs. Importing 
countries are now stockpiling supplies, which takes more food from global 
markets. Export barriers also reduce farmers' profits and discourage them 
from investing in more production.
Los paises ricos no son los unicos culpables. Por lo menos 30 paises en 
desarrollo han impuesto restricciones o limitaciones a la exportacion de 
insumos para la produccion de alimentos. Los paises importadores estan ahora 
acumulando pedidos que toman mayor cantidad de alimentos del mercado 
mundial. Las barreras a la Exportacion tambien reducen la rentabilidad de 
los agricultores y los desalientan de la inversion en el incremento de su 
produccion.

So far there is no sign that the leaders of the developed countries are 
ready to do what is needed.
Hasta ahora, no existen señales de que los lideres del mundo desarrollado 
este preparados para hacer lo que se necesita

The United States and Europe have refused to curtail their bio-fuel 
subsidies or their lavish farm subsidies. They are also falling far short of 
their aid commitments.
Los EEU y Europa han rechazado cortar sus subsidios al BioDiesel o sus 
abundantes subsidios agricolas. Tampoco estan cumpliendo con sus compromisos 
de ayuda.

At the 2005 G8 summit meeting, leaders said that by 2010 wealthier nations 
would increase annual development aid to poor countries by $50 billion. Yet 
aid has increased by only $11 billion. And there is suspicion that the G8 
nations, who were to provide the lion's share of the increase, want to 
wiggle out of their commitment.
We welcome President Bush's pledge to provide $5 billion this year and next 
to "fight global hunger," but much more must be done. The United States 
remains the stingiest of rich nations when it come to foreign aid.

In a letter to heads of state of the G8, Robert Zoellick, the World Bank 
president, estimated that the bank needs $3.5 billion to provide immediate 
food aid and seed and fertilizer in poor countries. The International 
Monetary Fund and the World Food Program estimate they need $6.5 billion 
more in the short term to help feed vulnerable populations. This does not 
even count the need for essential longer-term investments to increase farm 
productivity in poor nations in Africa and elsewhere.

As Mr. Zoellick wrote, the food crisis is a test of the world's willingness 
to help the most vulnerable. The leaders gathered in Japan must rise to the 
challenge.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/opinion/06sun1.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Ezequiel Beer / Geografo