Good morning.
I am Joy Dupont. I'm a member of the Winnipeg group of the Grandmothers Advocacy Network. GRAN is a national grassroots organization that advocates for the human rights of older women across the global south, with a special concern for the grandmothers of sub-Saharan Africa.
The world is in the midst of a global hunger crisis, with many millions of people experiencing acute food insecurity and hunger. Canada must renew its promise to increase official development assistance year over year to 2030, starting now. We must invest in building sustainable food systems.
Government also needs to improve the quality of its funding in recognition of the expressed needs of affected communities with flexible and longer-term funding, support for small-scale farmers and sustainable farming practices, nature-based approaches, putting a priority on Africa, removing barriers to women's leadership, and supporting locally identified priorities.
Thank you.