Grain World and CWB Accountability Meetings

[charliep]

Just a note to make sure everyone is aware of a couple of meetings.

First is Grain World. It is the major spring market outlook put on the CWB, government and industry. Other topics this year include the direction China is taking as well as a discussion around food needs in some of the major developing nations of the world. Lots of opportunity to meet with major players in the grain and livestock industries. More information can be found at:

http://www.cwb.ca/en/topics/grainworld/index.jsp

The CWB accountability meetings also start next week. I would encourage all to attend.

More information can be found at:

http://www.cwb.ca/en/topics/cam2004/index.jsp

[charliep]

Location - Winnipeg.

Dates - March 22 to 24

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

I just phone the CWB "Help" 800ASK4CWB line, and was told 2002-03 financial statements will not be avaliable till the end of Feb.

How can any organisation hold an accountability meeting without a financial statement?

WHAT A WASTE.

[Incognito]

Sorry Tom. It's 1:11 AM and you just made me bust a gut laughing....

[rook]

I looked over the Grainworld program at the CWB website and it looks pretty good. However, who is Steven Lewis and why is he talking about AIDS at a CWB convention?

[Incognito]

Maybe the sales team has been to Africa...lol

[charliep]

Attached is Steven Lewis biography.

On June 01, 2001, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Stephen Lewis as his Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Mr. Lewis’ work with the UN has shaped the past two decades of his career. From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Lewis was Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the organization’s global headquarters in New York. He was first appointed as Special Representative for UNICEF in 1990. In that capacity, he spoke and travelled regularly, acting as a spokesperson for UNICEF's passionate advocacy of the rights and needs of children, especially children of the developing world.

In 1997, in addition to his work at UNICEF, Mr. Lewis was appointed by the Organization of African Unity to a Panel of Eminent Personalities to Investigate the Genocide in Rwanda. The ‘Rwanda Report’ was issued in June of 2000.

In 1993, he became coordinator for the international study -- known as the Graca Machel study -- on the "Consequences of Armed Conflict on Children". The report was tabled in the United Nations in 1995.

From 1984 through 1988, Stephen Lewis was Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations. In this capacity, he chaired the Committee that drafted the Five-Year UN Programme on African Economic Recovery. He also chaired the first International Conference on Climate Change, which drew up the first comprehensive policy on global warming.
Prior to his nomination as Ambassador, Mr. Lewis was a noted radio and television commentator, and during this time he also became a prominent labor relations arbitrator.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Stephen Lewis was an elected representative to the Ontario Legislature, becoming leader of the New Democratic Party and leader of the Official Opposition.
Mr. Lewis holds 18 honorary degrees from Canadian universities. In May 2003, in recognition of outstanding contributions to public health, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health honoured Mr. Lewis with the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award. And in 2003, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest honour for lifetime achievement. The same year, Maclean’s magazine honoured Mr. Lewis as their inaugural “Canadian of the Year.”
Stephen Lewis is married to Michele Landsberg, former columnist with the Toronto Star; they have three grown children; Ilana, Avi and Jenny.
Recently, Mr. Lewis created the Stephen Lewis Foundation (www.stephenlewisfoundation.org) to help ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Steven Lewis was also nominated as Macleans Canadian of the Year. This story can be found at.

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/canada/article.jsp?content=20031229_72599_72599

[charliep]

I missed the why. I am on the organizing committee and one of our topics this year is to look at food needs coming out of Africa. A concern (mine included) is that we are running world food inventories down to precariously low levels. In looking ahead, the most vulnerable in the world are most at risk.

Grain World organizing group has a long relationship with the Canadian Food Grains Bank (I hope I have the name right). My farmers donate grain in support of this cause.

[poorboy]

Charlie,

If I understand the Canadian Food Grains donation system correctly, a farmer will donate some grain, say 10 tonnes of #1cwrs 15.0 protein wheat, at an elevator, and then the grain company will convert it to cash at the lowest possible grade, and then pass that money on to the food grains bank. So my high protein #1 will be paid out as canada feed on 10 tonnes. Then the food grain bank will take the money and purchase food, not necessarily even CANADIAN food. We all know how many guys have their hand in the cookie jar when you start wavying around cash. So the farmers donation of say a $1000 is turning into $100 by the time it reaches Africa. This is my understanding of the program and I sure hope that I am missinformed, because it is a joke if I am correct.

Why does Canada not purchase grain from out farmers to send as aid instead of sending Cash to all these countries that need help. Or perhaps purhase beef!

[parsley]

I'm afraid I'm not on the same page here.

Is sending a whole lot of food to a Third World Country (TWC)on a regular basis, one of the things that perpetuates their TWC status?

When the shipment arrives, their corrupt Governments are so busy selling the shipment and filling their own pockets, it defeats the purpose of assistance.

Food Aid like Canada often sends, en masse, perpetuated,isn't about helping a country with a bad earthquake. it's about sending cheap/free food to a regime with guns, ending up in resale and re-distribution. It ends up decimating their local agriculture.

Just an observation

Parsley

[charliep]

I thought I would just post the Canada Food Grains Bank website.

http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

You wrote;

"Location - Winnipeg.

Dates - March 22 to 24"

I thought Grainworld was in Feb, not March!

http://www.cwb.ca/en/news/releases/2004/021604.jsp

"This is your last week to register for the 13th annual GrainWorld conference, being held from February 22 to 24, 2004 at the Fairmont Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Canada. As in previous years, GrainWorld attendees will have the opportunity to hear market outlooks for grains, oilseeds, special crops and red meats."

[TOM4CWB]

I understand at Larry Hill's Lethbridge meeting, they handed out 2001-02 Fin. statements. Tuff questions asked will be answered at next year's meeting.

[charliep]

Perhaps it is hoping for spring to come early. It is February (not March).