Social protection was crucial to achieve an end to hunger, the
representative of Guyana told the Second Committee (Economic and
Financial) today as it met to discuss agriculture development, food
security and nutrition.
Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he
noted that while agriculture was a source of livelihood and
entrepreneurial opportunities, natural disasters prevented many island
States from realizing that potential. Therefore, social protection and
agricultural development must go hand in hand. Emphasizing the
importance of 'pro-poor investment', he called on the international
community to ensure the availability of food for current and future
generations.
The representative of Brazil echoed similar words by crediting
his country's graduation out of the world hunger map in 2014 to
increased spending on food security and social protection programmes.
He also highlighted the 'triple win' of Brazil's school food programme
which created a demand for local produce while ensuring nutrition for
schoolchildren and revitalizing local economies.
At the same time, he regretted agricultural subsidies in rich
countries which had led to distortions in world food markets, a view
that resonated strongly in the meeting today.
The representative of Australia, who spoke on behalf of the
Cairns Group, expressed disappointment with the current status of the
agriculture negotiations of the Doha Round and questioned the political
will of some World Trade Organization (WTO) Member States to make the
necessary reforms.
The representative of the United States spoke about supporting
international food voucher programmes and participating in initiatives
benefitting smallholder farmers. She stressed the need for 'climate
smart agriculture' that reduced the ecological impact of farming.
Though his continent was endowed with abundant land and water
resources, the representative of Sierra Leone, speaking on behalf of the
African Group, said those resources were under-utilized. Emphasizing
the importance of using technologies to increase agricultural
productivity in farms and along the agro-food value chain, he called for
capacity-building.
Delegates also shared lessons from their countries' experiences
in achieving food security. Singapore ranked second, that country's
delegate pointed out, on the 2015 Global Food Security Index. But, as a
small city-state with no hinterland, it imported over 90 per cent of
its food, and was extremely vulnerable to fluctuations in food supply
and prices. Regretting the under-investment in agriculture, she
stressed that food security must be on the agenda of key regional and
multilateral forums that had not traditionally focused on the issue.
For Sri Lanka's delegate, it was unacceptable that more than 90
million children under age five were still undernourished and
underweight. The Government was addressing the impact of soaring food
prices through a national campaign for establishing home gardens. By
minimizing dependency on markets, Sri Lanka had achieved
self-sufficiency in its staple food of rice.
The meeting was opened by Marion Barthelemy of the Sustainable
Development Division at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
who introduced the Secretary-General's report on agriculture
development, food security and nutrition.
Also making statements were representatives of South Africa
(speaking on behalf of the 'Group of 77' developing countries and
China), Bangladesh (speaking on behalf of the Group of Least Developed
Countries), Myanmar (speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations), Israel, Nicaragua, Belarus, Russian Federation, Qatar,
Sudan, Jamaica, Gabon, Mozambique, China, Vanuatu, Thailand, Japan,
Kuwait, Namibia, Benin, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Iran, Mali, Zimbabwe,
India, Mongolia, Paraguay, Albania, Niger, Kenya, Ethiopia, Indonesia,
Ghana, Guatemala, Côte d'Ivoire, Nepal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo,
Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
Representatives from the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy
See and the State of Palestine also spoke today, and a representative of
the International Fund for Agricultural Development made a statement on
behalf of the Rome-based agencies.
The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, 3
November, to discuss the implementation of the outcome of the United
Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening
of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
Statements.
MARION BARTHELEMY, presenting the Secretary-General's report on
agriculture development, food security and nutrition (document
A/70/333),
said 216 million people had been lifted out of hunger since 1990.
Furthermore, out of the 129 developing countries monitored by the Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than half had reached their
Millennium Development Goals' hunger target.
However, one out of every
nine people worldwide was chronically hungry. Undernourishment
persisted in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with Western Asia
actually seeing a rise in the share of hungry.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development brought together the
economic, social and environmental aspects of food security and
nutrition, she said. It included more structural dimensions such as
agricultural productivity and sustainable food production systems, and
targets on ending hunger and malnutrition. There were a growing number
of partnerships and coalitions working to address global hunger.
The
Secretary-General's Zero Hunger Challenge, which had engaged 137
countries, was committed to working towards ending hunger and supporting
the 2030 Agenda. The Committee on World Food Security was an example
of the kind of international inclusive platform that could bring all
actors together to drive the implementation of the Agenda. There was a
need to strengthen collaboration among countries, including through
South-South cooperation.
Ms. MOLEKO (
South Africa), speaking on behalf of the
'Group of 77' developing countries and China, said that her Group was
encouraged by the positive news in the report, including the fact that
undernourishment in the developing world had fallen from 23.3 to 12.9
per cent. Further, 72 of the 129 developing countries monitored by FAO
had reached the Millennium Development Goals target of halving the
prevalence of undernourishment between 1990 and 2015. Such developments
showed that sustaining rapid progress in reducing hunger was
achievable.
However, she added, it was worrying that hundreds of millions of
people still did not have the means to access food to meet their
individual dietary needs. Overall, progress in reducing hunger had been
uneven, with 795 million people remaining chronically hungry. While
economic growth was an important factor for success in the fight against
hunger, it was often insufficient by itself to guarantee access to
food. Growth needed to be accompanied by strong political will and
special interventions to ensure that it benefited the poor. Hunger and
undernourishment could also place a high burden on health systems and
other social services and have a negative impact on education.
Therefore, it was necessary to strengthen the agriculture sector in
developing countries.
SHEKU MESALI (
Sierra Leone), speaking on behalf of the
African Group and associating himself with the Group of 77, said the
agriculture sector in Africa today was dominated by smallholder farmers
who cultivated 80 per cent of farms. Africa was endowed with abundant
land and water resources suitable for agriculture. It had 60 per cent
of the world's uncultivated arable land but due to various constraints,
those resources were not fully utilized. The Group therefore strongly
believed that available technologies would help increase agricultural
productivity both on farms and along the agro-food value chain.
Technology transfer and strengthening capacity were central to
improving sustainable agriculture on the continent, particularly in
support of women and youth smallholder farmers, he said.
Drought and
desertification continued to be another serious challenge to
agricultural activities, he added, welcoming initiatives that would
address those challenges. Another concern was child undernutrition,
which was a persisting challenge on the continent. That had placed
extremely high social and economic burdens on families in Africa. To
deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda, sustainable food production,
which did not only feed and nourish people, but also delivered increased
income and sustainable rural livelihoods, must be seen as highly
critical.
ANDALIB ELIAS (
Bangladesh), speaking on behalf of the
Group of Least Developed Countries, said that over 1 billion people
around the world were classified as extremely poor, with a significant
percentage of them living in least developed countries. The Istanbul
Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade
2011-2020 had elaborated a number of actions to assist those States in
strengthening their agricultural sectors for rural development and food
nutrition security. It was critical to have enhanced financial and
technical support for those sectors, he said, adding that it was
important that those States received the official development assistance
(ODA) that had been pledged by their development partners.
Food and nutrition security were intertwined with the issue of
agricultural security, he continued. In order to ensure that
populations were not malnourished, it was vital to have appropriate and
sufficient agricultural production along with research facilities,
another area where least developed countries needed support. It was
also necessary that all developed countries fulfil their commitment of
importing all products from least developed countries duty-free and
quota-free. The United Nations and other international organizations
must provide support to the least developed countries through food
assistance where required. It was also important that the United
Nations system helped those States to strengthen their capacity in the
area of agriculture, rural development, and food and nutrition security.
GEORGE TALBOT (
Guyana), speaking on behalf of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and associating himself with the Group of
77, said that agriculture remained the key provider of employment for
the poor and a major source of livelihood and entrepreneurial
opportunities, especially for women and youth in low- and middle-income
countries.
However, persistent challenges such as climate change,
natural disasters and the difficulties of exploiting economies of scale,
hindered the full potential that his region could realize from that
sector. Social protection and agricultural development must go hand in
hand to end hunger. Therefore, CARICOM was coordinating its efforts
through a multidimensional and multisectoral approach that incorporated
production and distribution, trade, health and nutrition, social welfare
and education.
The countries of his region, he added, faced particular
restraints to agriculture development as a result of their high
vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change.
They needed
greater support to ensure sustainable livelihoods and development
through access to concessionary financing, investment, transferring of
innovative tools and technological know-how. Emphasizing the importance
of South-South cooperation, he added that 'pro-poor investment' and a
combination of production support and social protection were crucial for
promoting food security. 'Our efforts must transcend national,
regional and international boundaries to ensure the availability of food
not only for the current generation, but for generations to come,' he
said.
KYAW TIN (
Myanmar) spoke on behalf of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aligned himself with the Group of
77. ASEAN was a food-surplus region, but it faced seasonal food
scarcity in certain parts of the region due to climatic conditions.
With a combined population of over 600 million, there was a need to pay
special attention to food security for everyone in the region. The
updated ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework for 2015-2020 was
comprised of five components: food security and emergency/shortage
relief, sustainable food trade development, integrated food security
information systems, agricultural innovation and nutrition-enhancing
agricultural development.
Welcoming the fact that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development in its second Goal committed to ending hunger, achieving
food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable
agriculture, he noted that ASEAN believed achieving those lofty
objectives would require policies that were coordinated through the
inputs and collaboration of multiple sectors and Government departments.
ASEAN had established the world's first functioning regional rice
reserve mechanism to ensure food security in case of emergency. He
reiterated the strong commitment of ASEAN to the collective efforts of
the international community towards hunger reduction, sustainable
agriculture and global food security for all.
BARRY O'SULLIVAN (
Australia), speaking on behalf of the
Cairns Group, reiterated the importance of agriculture for development,
especially in developing countries where a significant population was
largely dependent on agriculture as a source of income.
The Group
wished to address the global imbalances and distortions in world
agricultural trade, whether in areas of market access, domestic support
or export competition. It was important to address distortions not only
in terms of creating further market efficiencies and more effective
price signals for farmers and investors in agriculture alike, but also
as a means of contributing to greater food security. Against that
backdrop, the Cairns Group was very disappointed with the point reached
in the agriculture negotiations of the Doha Round.
There were serious questions about the level of political will
on the part of some World Trade Organizations (WTO) members to pursue
reforms to agricultural trade, particularly with respect to substantial
reductions to trade distorting domestic support and substantial
improvements in market access, he said. The Group remained committed to
engaging in discussions aimed at delivering an outcome on export
competition in December at the WTO tenth Ministerial Conference.
Achieving an ambitious outcome on export competition would be a critical
step forward, he said, remaining mindful that it would only be one step
of many needed in the reform of global agricultural trade.
EYAL SELA (
Israel) said it was important to improve the
productivity levels and the adaptability and resilience of smallholder
farmers because they were responsible for most global agricultural
production. Israel had transformed its food system from a small-scale,
subsistence agricultural system characterized by food insecurity into a
'global powerhouse' of agricultural technology and innovation.
His
country had experience and expertise in farming, water management and
desalination, climate change mitigation and more. He noted that during
his time as a diplomat in Ecuador, he had seen with his own eyes the
benefits knowledge-sharing programmes could yield. For example,
Ecuadorean farmers were now growing a new variety of banana developed in
Israel. Enhanced coordination and effective cooperation between all
stakeholders was necessary.
PATRICIA BAJAÑA (
Nicaragua), associating herself with the
Group of 77, said that improving food security, tackling land
degradation and increasing food production in developing countries were
crucial elements of sustainable development. Stressing that everyone
must have 'healthy, sufficient and nutritious' food, she added that it
was a fundamental right of all people not to suffer from hunger.
Reaffirming the importance of integrating the agricultural production of
developing countries into international markets in a just and
transparent manner, she added that job creation and technological
progress were essential for guaranteeing food security.
IGOR MISHKORUDNY (
Belarus), emphasizing the importance of
FAO and the High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis,
said the international community must continue to respond effectively to
the global crisis by implementing the Sustainable Development Goals,
especially Goal 2, which was related to nutrition and agriculture
development. His country was gradually building up agricultural
productivity and developing food export opportunities. As much as 15
per cent of the volume of its exports was made up of food and
agricultural products. Belarus and the Russian Federation were working
with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to
develop agriculture projects, and his country was interested in
cooperating with other specialized agencies of the United Nations
system.
CINDY EU (
Singapore), associating herself with the Group
of 77 and ASEAN, expressed concern that global agricultural productivity
had been in decline due to years of under-investment in agriculture,
while global food demand had been steadily increasing due to a growing
population. Recognizing the importance of regional and international
cooperation in ensuring global food security was a step in the right
direction, but countries now needed to work on putting plans into
action. She called for an open, rules-based multilateral trading system
under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the full implementation of
the Bali Package from the Ninth Ministerial Conference. Singapore's
ranking second, behind the United States, on the Global Food Security
Index in 2015 was a major achievement. As a small city-State that
imports over 90 per cent of its food security, Singapore was vulnerable
to fluctuations in food supply and prices.
PAVEL A. FONDUKOV (
Russian Federation) said that in order
to make progress in agricultural development, food security and
nutrition, it would be especially necessary to focus on avoiding loss
and waste at all stages of food production.
The Rome Declaration on
World Food Security and the Plan of Action on World Food Security
presented a cross cutting vision that integrated multiple aspects of
that problem and his delegation was pleased that it was well-reflected
in the 2030 Agenda. Without due attention to ensuring healthy food for
all, it was difficult to achieve various Sustainable Development Goals
relating to food security, maternal health and other important issues.
His Government emphasized the importance of food safety, and as a donor,
would continue to provide developing States with assistance in
resolving food security problems.
SÉRGIO RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS (
Brazil), associating himself
with the Group of 77, said that his country had graduated out of the
FAO world hunger map in 2014 as a direct result of increased spending on
food security and social protection programmes, which had led to a
reduction in the percentage of Brazilians living in extreme poverty.
Regretting that agricultural subsidies in rich countries had led to
distortions in world food markets, he noted that the General Assembly
had declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming to raise
awareness about the importance of small scale farmers, including the
contribution their activities could make to the achievement of adequate
nutrition and protection of the environment.
There was a growing
consensus that fostering smallholder agriculture created positive
externalities for the development of local economies. Brazil's school
food programme, which sourced food from local producers to provide meals
at public schools, was a triple 'win' as it created a demand for local
produce, generated economic activity in remote places and promoted
better nutrition among schoolchildren.
FAHAD MOHAMMED AL-KHAYARIN (
Qatar), associating himself
with the Group of 77, said that poverty and hunger must occupy a primary
place in the 2030 Agenda, which had decided to put an end to those
scourges. Qatar emphasized the fundamental right of all persons to live
sheltered from poverty and hunger and have a decent life.
That
included paying extra attention to the needs of the women, children, the
elderly and disabled. Desertification and soil degradation remained a
challenge in ensuring sustainable agriculture and global sustainable
development, he said, emphasizing the need for developed States to
cooperate in assisting developing countries. Political will was
critical to cooperation and meeting the challenges of drought, water and
land deterioration, he added, as he called for an increase of efforts
to improve health, education, nutrition and energy. Those areas were
interlinked with eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable
development.
NILUKA PRABHATH KADURUGAMUWA (
Sri Lanka), associating
himself with the Group of 77, said that it was disheartening that 795
million people across the globe remained chronically hungry, lacking
sufficient food for conducting an active and healthy life. Statistics
showed that more than 90 million children under age five were
undernourished and underweight, which was an unacceptable reality.
Agriculture was the foundation of Sri Lanka's economy as 70 per cent of
its population lived in rural areas. The Government had implemented a
national campaign to address the impact of soaring food prices and aimed
to establish home gardens all over the country. The prime objective of
that initiative was to strengthen people's economic status and to
minimize their dependency on the market for food and nutrition
requirement. As a result of those strategies and directives, Sri Lanka
had achieved self-sufficiency in rice, which was a major staple food.
OMER DAHAB FADL MOHAMED (
Sudan), associating himself with
the Group of 77, the African Group, and the Group of Least Developed
Countries, expressed concern that over a billion people still suffered
abject poverty. The elimination of poverty and malnutrition must be on
the forefront of any sustainable development agenda. African States
declared in 2013 that they would launch an agricultural development
programme and had since adopted a declaration to accelerate agriculture
for prosperity and improvement of livelihoods.
Despite regional and
international efforts, hunger would not be eliminated without
comprehensive national plans. Food security required cooperation
between various sectors of society, focusing on water, agriculture and
sanitation. Sudan was rich in resources with arable land, water,
biodiversity and fisheries, but just like many least developed countries
it faced challenges and a lack of infrastructure in rural areas coupled
with an increased demand for energy. It was also impacted by climate
change, drought and land degradation. The Government had drawn up a
plan to assist smallholders and increase direct foreign investment (FDI)
in various fields. In the same vein, unilateral sanctions had a very
negative impact.
NICOLA BARKER-MURPHY (
Jamaica), associating herself with
the Group of 77, CARICOM, Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States (CELAC) and the Alliance of Small Island States, said her region
remained among those in which progress towards reducing hunger had been
less than anticipated as 19.8 per cent of the population suffered from
undernourishment. In recent years, natural hazards, such as hurricanes
and droughts, had become more frequent and intense in the Caribbean. As
a result there had been crop losses, lower production yields and
increased livestock deaths. Mindful of the negative impact of
persistent hunger and poor nutrition on labour productivity, health and
education, her Government had implemented two programmes with the help
of FAO to provide balanced meals to schoolchildren.
Furthermore, she
said, efforts continued to improve financing, as well as introduce
technology and mainstream climate change adaptation within agricultural
programmes, policies and production methods.
LILLY STELLA NGYEMA NDONG (
Gabon), associating herself
with the Group of 77 and the African Group, stated that the eradication
of hunger was a crucial aspect of sustainable development. While there
had been great progress in fighting hunger in various parts of the
world, such progress was uneven. Sustained political commitment at the
highest level was crucial to tackling that.
Her country had achieved
the first of the Millennium Development Goals ahead of time, by reducing
by half the population suffering from hunger, thereby earning a
distinction from FAO. Gabon was currently focusing on the creation of a
sustainable export industry. The country had also established projects
for developing investment and industrializing agriculture.
ANTONIO GUMENDE (
Mozambique), associating himself with
the Group of 77, the African Group and the Group of Least Developed
Countries, said that progress was still 'asymmetric' as 800 million
people continued to suffer from chronic hunger, particularly in
Sub-Saharan Africa. The 2030 Agenda must promote sustainable
agriculture as a major driver of development. Political will was needed
to strengthen partnerships, such as South-South cooperation and
technology transfers.
In Mozambique, the agriculture sector employed
over 75 per cent of the working population and in 2014, it contributed
about 25 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP). The national
Strategic Plan for the Development of the Agricultural Sector 2011-2020
included modernizing the agricultural sector, increasing the current
levels of competitiveness, and promoting integrated rural development
and nutrition. As a result, the Mozambican people had experienced an
improvement in food consumption, with a view to improve further by 2019.
XIE ZHENGWEI (
China), associating herself with the Group
of 77, called for the proactive formulation of an action programme for
the implementation of agricultural goals that were key to achieving the
2030 Agenda. Increasing agricultural output and raising productivity
was essential to striking the right balance in food supply and demand.
Further, building a sustainable agricultural system was not possible
without improving resilience to climate change.
To create an enabling
environment for agricultural trade, all forms of protectionism and
agricultural subsidies must be eliminated. As a complement to
North-South cooperation, developing countries should help one another by
sharing their experience and knowledge. As the most populous State
with the highest food consumption in the world, China had made it a
priority to feed its 1.3 billion people and had met the relevant
Millennium Development Goals target ahead of schedule.
SEVERIN BUCHWALD (
Vanuatu), associating himself with the
Group of 77 and the Group of Least Developed Countries, drew attention
to climate change as the biggest threat to the sustainable development
of small island developing States. In that regard, he mentioned extreme
weather events such as cyclones and a severe drought in his country's
region that had affected the vulnerable population most.
Noting that
rising ocean temperatures would have a big impact on marine fisheries,
he said that could threaten the most important food source for many
small islands. Other impacts included sea-level rise, coastal erosion
and ocean acidification. New and innovative approaches were needed to
address food security, he said, mentioning the case study 'School
Feeding and Possibilities for Direct Purchases from Family Farming' as
an example.
Ms. PREMABHUTI (
Thailand), associating herself with the
Group of 77and ASEAN, said about 80 per cent of the farmers in the Asia
Pacific region were smallholder farmers and among the poorest and most
nutritionally needy in the world. An integrated approach to social
protection and agricultural development could strengthen rural
resilience and break the cycle of rural poverty and hunger. Her
Government had adopted a dual approach to agricultural development.
For
large-scale farmers, its agricultural zoning policy had factored in
market demand and scientific knowledge on sustainable land and soil
management to determine the type of crops, livestock and fish to be
raised. The sufficiency economy policy for small scale farmers achieved
self-reliance by applying an integrated farming system which included
the simultaneous practice of livestock, fishery and aquaculture in one
agricultural setting. That enabled farmers to first feed themselves and
their families before selling the surplus to others.
RINA MIKAMI (
Japan) said that the world's population of
undernourished people remained 'troublingly high' and called for efforts
to develop agriculture and strengthen rural communities. Japan had
promoted the development of whole value chains from primary production
through distribution. That included developing water resources and
irrigation systems, management of farmlands and distribution systems
such as storage and ports of shipment. On an international level,
imports of rice to Africa had increased 63 per cent over the last five
years. However, although developing countries had successfully
increased their agricultural production, reliance on imports exposed
them to vulnerability.
The active involvement of the private sector and
the improvement of nutrition were critical to food security, he said,
pointing out how malnutrition affected productivity, health and
education. Japan's most recent efforts were dedicated to engaging the
Japanese private sector towards the Scaling Up Nutrition initiative.
MISHAAL K. ALBANNAI (
Kuwait), associating himself with
the Group of 77, expressed concern that 795 million people lacked
sufficient food, which underscored the efforts required to achieve the
2030 Agenda. He advocated mobilizing agricultural technology,
supporting infrastructure and providing resources to help developing
countries eradicate poverty and hunger. The Kuwait Fund for Arab
Economic Development supported agriculture across Asia, Africa, Latin
America, the Caribbean and the Middle East through projects totalling
$4.18 billion since 1961. In 2013, Kuwait had hosted the Third
Arab-African Summit, and in 2008, established the Dignified Life Fund to
counter the negative effects of food and energy price increases.
HMWAY HMWAY KHYNE (
Myanmar), speaking in her national
capacity and associating herself with the Group of 77, the Group of
Least Developed Countries and ASEAN, said that agriculture was the
backbone of her State's economy. It generated 23 per cent of GDP and 20
per cent of total export earnings and employed more than 61 per cent of
its labour force. The Government was making every effort to focus on
poverty alleviation, and equitable development through providing
assistance to promoting sustainable agriculture development.
On a
global scale, rural farmers made up 78 per cent of about 1 billion
people living under extreme poverty, she said, calling for efforts to be
made to 'emancipate' peasant farmers from the cycle of poverty by
improving their socioeconomic standing. Myanmar had been cooperating
with regional countries and international partners to fight hunger and
was on target to achieve its 2025 target for the Zero Hunger Challenge.
WILFRIED I. EMVULA (
Namibia), associating himself with
the Group of 77 and the African Group, said that while his country's
economy was heavily dependent on the mining sector, roughly half the
population relied on subsistence agriculture, which was characterized by
low productivity and high variability. Therefore, access to adequate
food for vulnerable populations remained a constant challenge.
The
Government was implementing various initiatives, including the Green
Scheme Programme which promoted irrigation for under irrigated crops and
the Dryland Crop Production Programme which supported crop production
in communal areas under rain-fed conditions. International trade and
macroeconomic policies continued to be biased against the export of
agricultural products from the developing world and Namibia called on
the international community to achieve a development-oriented outcome at
the final Doha Round trade negotiations.
JEAN-FRANCIS ZINSOU (
Benin), associating himself with the
Group of 77, Group of Least Developed Countries and the African Group,
stated that agricultural development, food security and nutrition was a
particularly important agenda item as it represented a trilogy of
universal concerns as well as a particular challenge for Africa.
Agriculture was the centrepiece of that trilogy as it was essential for
the achievement of the national and international development goals
contained in the 2030 Agenda.
He said that 70 per cent of the poor
lived in rural areas in developing countries and agriculture was a main
source of employment for them. While availability and access to food
were crucial elements of food security, the nutritional dimension was
also an integral aspect. Further, several developing countries and
least developed ones faced considerable loss of agricultural product
because they did not have the means of conservation, and it was
necessary to tackle that.
SAAD ALARJANI (
Saudi Arabia), associating himself with
the Group of 77, said food security was the political dimension of
economic development. His country took initiatives to address the
global food crisis having spent $100 million in 2008 in response to an
appeal from international agencies. He reasserted his country's
commitment to support FAO in achieving food security and fighting
hunger. Saudi Arabia, in line with international initiatives, had
developed various plans for the sustainable development of agriculture
and the responsible use of national natural resources. It also aimed to
limit food loss, he said, underscoring the importance of the United
Nations in strengthening international partnerships to achieving food
security.
MORALES LOPEZ (
Colombia), associating himself with the
Group of 77 and the Cairns Group, said eradicating hunger in an
irreversible way required an approach that took into account the three
pillars of sustainable development, namely economic, social and
environmental.
The production and consumption food chain must be
sustainable as well. Transfer of technology was instrumental to
developing countries in achieving sustainable agriculture technologies.
He emphasized the importance of social protection programmes for rural
areas and farmers and outlined how Colombia had made much progress with
women farmers in rural areas. Rural agriculture went hand in hand with
peace and prosperity, he added.
JILL DERDERIAN (
United States) said her country actively
participated in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and outlined how her
State had been involved in supporting international programmes that
provided food vouchers to those in need and contributed to reducing
poverty and malnutrition. Nutrition was central to all food security
efforts as good nutrition had the biggest impact on saving lives.
Following the recent adoption of the Rome Declaration, the United States
must now maintain the momentum and focus on nutrition. Beyond that,
her country had helped develop additional initiatives between the
private sector and civil society that benefitted smallholder farmers.
She called for opportunities to be utilized at the upcoming Climate
Change Conference in Paris. By 2050, demand for crops would increase
significantly, boosting food prices. A commitment to climate smart
agriculture would be essential to building resilience and reducing
agriculture's impact on the climate. Nearly one third of all food was
lost or wasted, she said, also highlighting the need to protect oceans.
JAVAD MOMENI (
Iran), associating himself with the Group
of 77, said that desertification, land degradation, drought, dust and
sandstorms were of great concern to his country's agriculture sector.
In addressing those challenges, enhanced cooperation at the regional and
international level was necessary. Funding and implementation of
partnership must be inclusive and transparent.
Achieving the objectives
of the 2030 Agenda in the agricultural sector should be facilitated by
non-discriminatory provision of means of implementation, and the
transfer of technology and know-how. Lessons learned from the
Millennium Development Goals showed that while economic growth was an
important factor for success in the fight against hunger, it was often
insufficient by itself to guarantee access to food. Growth must be
accompanied by strong political will.
DIANGUINA DIT YAYA DOUCOURÉ (
Mali), associating himself
with the Group of 77, African Group and Group of Least Developed
Countries, stated that agricultural development was a top priority for
his State as more than 80 per cent of the population derived their
livelihood from that sector. Mali's efforts to reduce the number of
people suffering from hunger had been lauded by FAO and the country had
attained the goal of halving that population, from 1.4 million to 0.7
million, while also reducing undernutrition.
He said that his country
had hoped to be among the biggest producers of meat, fish and milk in
West Africa. In order to achieve that, the Government was following an
ambitious and multisectoral action plan that brought together health,
sustainable and rural development. The Government was also spending 15
per cent of the budget on agriculture and focusing on arable land
ownership and creating tractor assembly factories to mechanize
agriculture.
FREDERICK MUSIIWA MAKAMURE SHAVA (
Zimbabwe), associating
himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said that
agricultural development was crucial to the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals. Agriculture was the backbone of the
Zimbabwean economy and contributed 40 per cent of the country's export
volume. A number of initiatives were in place including the land reform
programme. Agriculture was critical to lifting Zimbabwe out of
poverty.
The problem of chronic droughts and climate change was
resulting in loss of crops, thereby affecting national food security.
The Government had embarked on an irrigation and rehabilitation scheme
in order to offset the perennial droughts. Farm mechanization was
another area of focus and the Government was equipping farmers with
machines to assist in tillage, fertilizing, crop tending and harvesting.
SUPRIYA SULE (
India), associating herself with the Group
of 77, said that in addition to the Sustainable Development Goal on
ending hunger and malnutrition, Goal 12 on ensuring sustainable
consumption and production patterns would also play a key role in the
progress towards a hunger-free world. It was a travesty that the world
produced enough food to feed the global population and yet millions of
poor went hungry every day because over one third of all food produced
was wasted every year. Most of that wastage happened in developed
countries due to unsustainable and wasteful consumption patterns.
Noting that India fed 17 per cent of the world's population on less than
5 per cent of the world's water and 3 per cent of its arable land, she
added that Indian agriculture had achieved self-sufficiency.
SUKHBOLD SUKHEE (
Mongolia), associating himself with the
Group of 77, said agriculture, food security and nutrition were all of
critical importance to his Government. Agriculture, particularly
livestock, was among the largest sectors of Mongolia's economy.
National policies aimed to create a better economic and business
environment, increase productive capability and produce more
environmentally friendly new equipment and machinery. He stressed the
importance of the thirty-second session of the FAO Regional Conference
for Asia and the Pacific held in Mongolia in March 2014. A major
portion of Mongolia's food was imported and rising foreign currency
rates and the costs of transportation made food expensive. That
situation coupled with the poor quality of food services was among the
main causes of malnutrition in his State. Apart from malnutrition,
obesity had also become an emerging issue in Mongolia. As a landlocked
country, his State remained highly vulnerable to climate change,
desertification and land degradation.
FEDERICO ALBERTO GONZÁLEZ FRANCO (
Paraguay), associating
himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said that his Government sought
to contribute all its national capacities and potential to a fruitful
debate on the effects of climate change on food security. He mentioned
several national nutrition programmes providing food assistance to
Paraguayans and breakfast and snacks to students. He urged the
international community to analyse carefully the impact of climate
change, in particular drought and desertification, on landlocked
developing countries. The international community must mitigate the
effects of climate change and develop resilience capacity by
strengthening national plans of actions especially in landlocked
countries.
Innovation in agriculture must take into account the effects
of climate change and promote the development of energy, mainly
renewable sources. Scientific research and the dissemination of data
were critical as well.
INGRIT PRIZRENI (
Albania) said her country tried to
achieve food security by developing sustainable agriculture and
fisheries though supporting smallholder farmers, especially women
farmers, herders and fishers.
Feeding the population faced multiple
constraints, however, including environmental degradation and climate
change. Her Government had been supporting family farmers and
smallholder producers by creating an integrated system of collecting and
redistributing crops, including though credit, technology, food safety
and market access. She highlighted the importance of women and youth in
agriculture in mainstreaming the crucial need for a socially,
economically, environmentally and rights-based approach in national food
policy.
ISSIAKOU ABDOU (
Niger), associating himself with the
Group of 77, the African Group and the Group of Least Developed
Countries, stated that agriculture contributed more than 46 per cent to
the GDP of his country. However, climactic variations were affecting
the sustainable development of that sector.
The compounded effects of
droughts, flooding and land degradation had resulted in chronic food
deficits and an almost permanent state of food insecurity. Niger was
seeking self-sufficiency in food production through a programme called
'Nourish Nigeriens' that tackled the problem of droughts. The programme
drew lessons from the agricultural policies of similar countries and
had adopted various good practices for improving resilience and managing
food crises.
ANTHONY ANDANJE (
Kenya), associating himself with the
Group of 77 and the African Group, pointed out that most people in
developing States, including the least developed ones, relied on
agriculture for livelihood. However, food security remained a
challenge, in part due to the high cost of production. In addition,
global food prices were beyond the reach of the poor.
The African
continent spent close to $35 billion annually on food imports despite
having 50-60 per cent of the world's unused arable land. Noting that
agriculture was the mainstay of Kenya's economy, he went on to describe
its Agricultural Sector Development Strategy, which would enable the
sector to contribute 10 per cent of the country's annual economic
growth. Other interventions included subsidized farm inputs, he said.
LEULSEGAD TADESSE ABEBE (
Ethiopia), associating himself
with the Group of 77, the Africa Group and the Group of Least Developed
Countries, said agriculture was the mainstay of his State's economy. As
such, an agricultural development-led industrialization strategy aimed
to transform the sector so it contributed to sustainable
industrialization. Ethiopia had seen encouraging results in
productivity of smallholder farmers and the agricultural sector had
grown at 8 per cent annually for the last 12 years. More than 60,000
development agents currently respond to the demands of farmers and
pastoralists. Despite such gains, ensuring food security by enhancing
agricultural productivity was a priority. He urged international
support for sustainable agriculture by improving market access and
promoting technology transfer.
HARRY RUSMANA IRAWAN (
Indonesia) said that despite global
undernourishment having declined to nearly 11 per cent in 2014 - down
from 18.6 percent from where it stood in 1992 - nearly 800 million
people remained undernourished. Ending hunger, a part of Goal 2 of the
2030 Agenda, meant accounting for several global trends. Those trends
included rapid urbanization that contributed to changing land use
patterns in developing countries; a potential decrease in agricultural
workers; and greater exposure to natural hazards and disasters.
Agriculture played a key role in reducing poverty and creating
employment, especially in rural areas, and agricultural productivity had
to be increased to end hunger and eliminate poverty.
Affordable
technologies that increased that sector's production were needed as was
greater investment in research and development to increase agricultural
yields, particularly in developing countries. At the same time, it was
vital to establish stable, secure and safe markets to create resilient
food systems and minimize volatile prices. It was also important to
give greater resources to women as their role in agriculture increased.
MARTHA AMA AKYAA POBBEE (
Ghana), associating herself with
the Group of 77 and the African Group, said agriculture accounted for
50 per cent of her country's workforce and was a major tool in ending
hunger and poverty. Ghana's agricultural capacity was constrained by an
over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, obsolete irrigation systems, low
levels of mechanization and insufficient agricultural financing, as
well as poor infrastructure and market access.
However, she welcomed
the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme aimed at
generating private investment in agricultural development on the
continent. Under Ghana's road map for its implementation, the country
had introduced additional incentives for private sector investments and
other measures to facilitate inclusive access to land and its productive
use. As a result of that initiative, Ghana had made great strides in
agricultural growth.
ANA CRISTINA RODIGUEZ PINEDA (
Guatemala) stated that
though her country had made some progress in agricultural development, a
variety of meteorological phenomena, such as tropical storms and
landslides, had left destruction in their wake and had impacted
agricultural systems. Further, with males more likely to migrate,
migration had decreased the active labour force.
Although a
middle-income country, Guatemala was working to eradicate poverty and
chronic malnutrition. The Government had established a 'zero hunger
plan' uniting various sectors of the civil society and the ministries of
food, nutrition, agriculture, and social development. Despite
progress, there were high indicators of chronic malnutrition and
Guatemala requested the United Nations system 'not to leave anyone
behind'.
CLAUDE BOUAH-KAMON (
Côte d'Ivoire), associating
himself with Group of 77 and the African Group, said the international
community had just renewed its commitment to end hunger. Nonetheless,
the Secretary-General's report underscored that more than 800 million
people suffered from chronic hunger. Food and nutrition security
required a greater mobilization. In his country, agriculture played a
major role in the socioeconomic area and was a priority for his
Government, which had established a national programme on agricultural
investment to reduce food insecurity, especially in rural areas, while
stimulating the agro-industrial sector. However, many challenges
remained and Côte d'Ivoire was working with bilateral and institutional
partners to modernize agriculture.
SEWA LAMSAL ADHIKARI (
Nepal), associating herself with
the Group of 77 and the Group of Least Developed Countries, called
agriculture the mainstay of the Nepalese economy. As a landlocked
country emerging from armed conflict and vulnerable to multiple
disasters, Nepal placed high priority on agriculture development. She
underscored the role of technology and reaffirmed that appropriate,
affordable, sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture technology -
and its proper integration - were fundamental to economic growth.
Despite that two thirds of the population depended on agriculture, its
contribution to GDP was less than one third of the total. Moreover, per
capita arable land in Nepal was among the lowest in the world. While
the country was on track towards achieving most of the Millennium
Development Goals, the earthquakes that had struck Nepal had greatly
hindered hard-earned gains, she added.
ALAIN WILFRIED BIYA (
Cameroon), associating himself with
the Group of 77 and the African Group, said history had shown that
agriculture was a source of wealth, security and jobs. Agriculture
technologies could improve living standards for all Cameroonians, he
said, appealing to Member States and the United Nations to improve
methods for transferring technologies. The agriculture sector employed
about two thirds of Africans and new technologies could stimulate
development on the entire continent. Cameroon had placed agricultural
improvement at the top of its national agenda, including through the
strengthening of funding and research. A new plan would enable Cameroon
to develop the chain of production, modernize infrastructure,
strengthen the capacity of stakeholders and train the most vulnerable
members of the population.
USMAN SARKI (
Nigeria), associating himself with the Group
of 77 and the African Group, said that nearly 900 million people in the
world suffered from chronic undernourishment. The international
community urgently needed to deliver the most vulnerable from extreme
poverty and hunger.
Turning to the Sahel, he said his country supported
the partnership between the Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative -
Sahel, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West
African Monetary Union and the Permanent Inter-State Committee on
Drought Control in the Sahel, which was expected to develop long-term
strategies to address the endemic food crises in the region which was
home to 150 million people. Progress on the Great Green Wall across the
fringes of the Sahara desert was also a matter of existential
significance that needed the full support of the international
community. On the national level, Nigeria had developed an agricultural
transformation agenda focussing on the key agricultural value chains to
create jobs for farmers. The Government had established a national
food security programme to boost domestic production of food crops and
the development of agro-allied industries.
ALEXANDRE ETSRI HOMEVOR (
Togo) said that his country had
put much emphasis on relaunching a national strategy to support
vegetable and meat production, fish farming and the sustainable
management of bodies of water, and technical training in agriculture.
That had the potential to stimulate growth especially in rural
communities. Those programmes were furthermore supported by inclusive
national finance to improve poor people's incomes. In recent years,
Togo had gone from a cereal deficit to a cereal surplus which improved
food security for many of its citizens. Reforms undertaken by the
Government had also allowed Togo to become a commodity exporting
country, he said, reiterating his gratitude to United Nations food
agencies for helping his State meet its challenges of agriculture
development and food security.
ZHANNA GAZIZULINA (
Kazakhstan) said that, to address food
security and nutritional inequities, it was necessary to empower
families and women. It also meant reducing micronutrient deficiencies,
underweight prevalence, stunting and child mortality, which called for
national macroeconomic strategies to prevent food price increases,
conflict and other setbacks from the shocks of globalization and market
inflation.
At the same time, there had to be effective food governance
and improved investments in food production through collaborative
solutions, policies and strategies. Describing Kazakhstan's national
priorities in those areas, she went on to say that the country had
initiated the creation of the Islamic Organization on Food Security,
which would be established and headquartered in Astana in the near
future, and to which Kazakhstan would allocate $0.8 million annually.
YAROSLAV GOLITSYN (
Ukraine) said the predictability and
stability of global food markets had been a keystone of global food
security. He commended the work done in his country by FAO and the
World Food Programme (WFP) to help his Government respond to the current
humanitarian challenges. Despite the difficult conditions resulting
from the occupation of the Crimean peninsula, and military action in
eastern regions, Ukraine continued to be among the strongest players on
the international food market. Notwithstanding temporary difficulties,
Ukraine would fulfil all agricultural export obligations towards its
partners in 2015.
BERNARDITO CLEOPAS AUZA, Observer for the
Holy See, said
that while it was encouraging that, since 1990, more than 215 million
people had been lifted out of hunger, progress remained highly uneven. A
high proportion of the world's hungry lived in South Asian and
sub-Saharan African countries. Hunger, like all forms of poverty, was
exacerbated by exclusion. The international community could eliminate
hunger and food insecurity and foster human dignity by promoting
inclusion and solidarity. The challenge to defeat hunger and
malnutrition did not have just an economic or scientific dimension, but
also, and above all, an ethical dimension.
An observer of the
State of Palestine said Israel, the
occupying Power, would be preparing a draft resolution on agriculture,
but it did not respect the rights of Palestinians. Israel had
systemically destroyed the livelihoods of small farmers in Palestine.
Israeli authorities had recently put pressure on 700,000 Bedouins,
obliging them to leave their homes and then had destroyed their homes
and confiscated their land.
Israel continued to confiscate land, deport
Palestinians and seize agricultural land and possessions. Israel had
committed the worst crimes against Palestinian farmers in Gaza and the
West Bank. The bombing of Gaza had led to the destruction of more than
one thousand trees and 47,000 acres of agricultural land. He urged the
Committee to ask whether Israel had the moral right to submit
resolutions in which it did not believe.
ZAK BLEICHER,
International Fund for Agricultural Development,
who also spoke on behalf of FAO and WFP, said the latest State of Food
Insecurity report had shown that the number of people estimated to be
chronically undernourished had fallen by 216 million. There was no one
single action the international community could take to improve food
security. Rather, many variable solutions, when tailored to the
realities of a specific region or even village, could transform
agriculture. The beauty of agricultural development was that solving
one problem could often solve a multitude of others.
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