What role for agricultural policies? Working towards the Global Compact on Migration

What role for agricultural policies? Working towards the Global Compact on Migration

Brussels—4 July 2019

As humanity moves towards more complex levels of interdependence, the need to explore the intricate connections between policies in different parts of the world becomes clearer. To this end, the Baha’i International Community and the EU Policy Lab of the Joint Research Center hosted a discussion with experts from the European Commission and civil society to consider the linkages between European agricultural policies and the drivers of migration and displacement in Africa.

It followed a similar discussion that took place last year which explored how the European Commission can mobilize non-migration policies to support the implementation of the objectives outlined in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration—an inter-governmentally negotiated agreement that describes itself as covering all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner.

Objective 2 of the Global Compact seeks to minimize the adverse drivers and structural factors that compel people to leave their country of origin. To date, policy responses have largely taken the form of humanitarian or development aid and migration management. However, the drivers of migration and displacement extend far beyond the purview of migration or development policy per se. 

“The fact that policies have implications beyond their intended thematic and geographical scope is particularly notable in the agricultural sector,” said Rachel Bayani, Representative of the Baha’i International Community’s Brussels office in her opening remarks.

“There is no doubt that tracing the consequences, positive or negative, of the EU’s agricultural policies on local economies elsewhere—and hence on the drivers of migration—is a complex endeavor. As overwhelming as the task may seem, there is a need to work towards the gradual identification of those questions that allow for increased coherence and for agricultural policies to contribute to Objective 2 of the Global Compact.”

Given the global interconnectedness of economic systems, new forms of global governance are needed that consider multiple interests and powers and cater to new complexities, said one participant. 

“How we designed policies ten to fifteen years ago will not work ten to fifteen years from now. We have to have this conversation at a global level because everyone is involved,” one participant said.

Addressing such complex issues must inevitably lead to closer collaboration between different parts of the world. “What can a European-African partnership look like?” was a question that emerged in this context. So far, significant attention has been given to knowledge-sharing based on Europe’s own experience to help increase agricultural productivity across Africa. How can policy development take into account the knowledge and experience of African partners? 

Addressing this question, Ms. Keri Schewel from the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Amsterdam commented that one of the essential questions is about “requirements to ensure that migration is a choice for rural populations—that there is a real opportunity to stay and pursue agricultural or other livelihoods for those who wish to do so. To answer this, we have to go beyond the European experience. There is a real need to shift from knowledge-sharing from Europe to Africa to knowledge-generation about new visions of rural development and agricultural transformation”. 

Echoing the thoughts, another participant noted the need to focus on strategies that help local communities determine their own trajectories of innovation and development and let “home grown models of development” emerge.

The EU Policy Lab blog post regarding this event can be viewed here.