-President Ali tells UN General Assembly, says peace and climate action should be top priority

TO effectively address food insecurity, concerted action addressing the root causes such as global conflicts and the threats of climate change will be required, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

The Guyanese Head of State during his address at the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York last week, pointed out that global statistics have seen billions being severely food insecure.

“The primary causes were conflict and insecurity, extreme weather events, including those related to El Niño, climate change and economic shocks,” Dr. Ali said.

Citing statistics from the UN’s Food Security and Nutrition Report in 2023, he stated that an estimated 28.9 per cent of the global population, 2.3 billion people, were moderately or severely food insecure.

Aside from reducing conflicts and mitigating climate change enhancing food production and trade in food commodities is also needed.

“By prioritising peace and climate action, we can create environments where food systems, crops and livelihoods are not threatened by conflict and weather extremes. In turn, enhancing food production and ensuring fair and efficient trade in food commodities can reduce food insecurity,” the Head of State said.

“While I have spoken of food insecurity, the global malnutrition rates are also alarming and must be addressed. Nutritious, safe and sufficient food are crucial to a healthy population,” he added.

Meanwhile Guyana’s Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha disclosed that the country has fallen below the regional and global averages for undernourishment, with the country reporting a 2.5 per cent decrease.

Minister Mustapha while addressing a regional summit facilitated by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) disclosed recent statistics that shows Guyana has fallen below 2.5 per cent, a figure well below the regional average of 6.6 per cent and the global average of 9.1 per cent.

“This achievement has not been accidental, but the result of deliberate policy interventions aimed at enhancing food production and improving access to nutritious food,” Minister Mustapha said.

The agriculture minister further pointed out that the country has made progress in addressing food insecurity according to statistics. The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity stands at 25.5 per cent lower than the regional average of 31.3 per cent.

Nonetheless, he observed that, while these figures are positive, the country remains at risk of insecurity.

“Our focus remains on ensuring that no one is left behind,” Minister Mustapha said, pointing to the country’s strategic policies that emphasise the expansion of the productive sector and reduction of the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) massive food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

“This bold plan is driven by the need to enhance domestic production and ensure regional food self-sufficiency. We are expanding agricultural production across several key sectors: crops, livestock, and fisheries/aquaculture.”

Mustapha further highlighted that, while the country is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, its key policy, the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, encompasses plans to build resilience.

‘ACHIEVING GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY’

On Saturday, President Ali officially released his latest book “Achieving Global Food Security: The Caribbean Experience and Beyond” at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford in England.

The book provides a holistic overview of the causes and challenges surrounding food security both globally and, in the Caribbean. It explores a number of strategic policy recommendations to mitigate the issue.

In a time where the Caribbean is plagued with skyrocketing food and fertiliser prices and displaced labour, this book presents an innovative pathway to achieving freedom from hunger by capitalising on the region’s comparative advantages and potential for agricultural investment.

Published in collaboration with World Scientific Publishing, the book serves as a valuable research resource for scholars and professionals pursuing knowledge and solutions on food security, international development and Caribbean studies.