A last chance for the UN to eliminate hunger by 2015
President Bharrat Jagdeo is scheduled to fly out today to attend the World Summit on Food Security of Heads of State and Government to be held in Rome on November 16 and 17.

The meeting of the world leaders is to seek to develop new tools in the fight against and with a renewed focus on agriculture and the whole issue of food insecurity.

The meeting is being viewed as the last chance which the United Nations has at eliminating hunger by 2015.

Two key components of food security are the production or availability of nutritionally adequate safe food, and access or the capacity to acquire nutritionally adequate food; and the world needs to produce safe nutritious food in order that people can have access to same.

Addressing reporters on the issue yesterday, prior to his departure, President Jagdeo recalled Dr Jaques Diouf, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), visiting the region soliciting support for the summit, and requesting too full representation from CARICOM countries.

Jagdeo recalled too, in a presentation to the Heads of Government in CARICOM as lead Head with responsibility for agriculture, that he also urged all his colleague heads to attend the summit, which he considers important enough to have the entire world unite to coordinate their actions against food insecurity.

At the time, countries in the region were reeling from the difficulties associated with escalating increased food prices in 2007 and 2008, and the real focus was on agriculture.

Noting that in 2007 the hungry in the world increased by 75 million people, with another 40 million added in 2008, the President said it is estimated that the people in the world who are hungry would increase this year by another 100 million.

Citing figures to substantiate his claim, the President said the ODA in agriculture declined from $7.6 billion in 1980 to $3.9 billion in 2006, noting that in the face of real hunger, there is a decline in help from the developed world to address the issue.

And with climate change getting into the way of the agenda of the world leaders, thus complicating matters, Jagdeo said the issue would also be on the Rome summit agenda.

Emphasising the importance of agriculture in the region, President Jagdeo said if enough attention is not paid, the Region with its current huge import bill would remain a net food importer.

On this note, he made reference to some 22 riots which occurred worldwide when food prices increased, not because there was no money to purchase food, but because food supplies could not be found.

He said they do not want such occurrences in the Region.

The demand for food, he pointed out, is the result of several factors, including growth in population, change in consumption patterns and the scarcity of fresh water.

He continues to reiterate that ensuring future global food security requires a partnership that brings together the best science, adequate resources and a coherent set of international trade and other policies.