In 2017, the people of Zagora, Morocco took to the streets in what they called “theThirst Revolution‘. They demand safe drinking water and demand that large agricultural companies stop over-watering.In an already arid region with frequent droughts and heat waves due to climate change, most of the available water is used for cultivation watermelon For export to Europe.residents left a Insufficient, unreliable and undrinkable supply. Twenty-three protesters arrested.

In Morocco, agricultural irrigation consumes almost 90% of annual fresh water available. This intense mining dates back to colonial times, when French authorities replaced Hertala – A traditional irrigation system developed and managed by local communities – with a water-intensive structure, enabling production to meet the needs of the European market.

Agriculture now constitutes almost 15% of Morocco’s GDP. The industry is strongly supported by public development banks such as African Development Bank and World Bank. Both banks support 2008 Green Morocco Program, which aims to “fully tap the country’s agricultural potential”. The scheme is biased towards export-oriented crops with high water demands, such as watermelons, tomatoes and citrus fruits.

Morocco’s water crisis is not an isolated case.Around the world, water scarcity and food crises are caused by man-made disaster Climate change, colonialism and extractive economic models – driven by governments, private companies and development finance institutions – increase productivity at all costs and ignore the rights of local communities.

Due to the pandemic and subsequent global economic crisis, water and food shortages have reached unprecedented levels dozens of countries, with small-scale producers – especially women – Disproportionately affected. The situation is particularly worrying in conflict-affected countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Syria.

David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, in November 2021, warn “Conflict, climate change and COVID-19 [are] It has pushed up the number of people suffering from extreme hunger, and the latest figures show that more than 45 million people are now on the brink of starvation.”

Urgent action is required. Yet governments and Public Development Banks (PDBs) continue to allow large multinational corporations to set the same failed agenda.

public development bank

PDBs are key players in the food system.according to International Fund for Agricultural Development, they invest about $1.4 trillion annually in agriculture and food.

For example, the Inter-American Development Bank is currently considering a $43 million loan to Marfrig Global Foods, international Second largest beef company. Marfrig and its suppliers have illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, corruption and human rights violations.

If the project is approved, public funding will be used to further expand industrial livestock production – a sector that could dramatically increase methane emissions, deforestation and other forms of air and water pollution.according to Spin-off factory farming movement, animal husbandry and industrial agriculture accounted for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions.Supporting the industrial meat industry undermines the Paris climate agreement and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals All about climate action and responsible production.

Many public development banks also advise and create state laws. In 2020, India Approval three Controversial Farm Bill Follow the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. India’s parliament unexpectedly voted to repeal the laws in November 2021, after more than a year of mass protests that saw hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers rallied by tractors, blocked highways and camped in the capital Delhi.according to local farmers organization, these policies will end protective regulated markets and force local farmers to negotiate prices with large agribusinesses, such as Adani Group.