Merores: It's Now Time for an Agricultural Renaissance

The President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Léo Mérorès calls for action within the international community to turn a threatening situation in food into an agricultural renaissance as he concluded the special meeting on the global food crisis, held at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York. He pointed out that agriculture has to be put back in the center of the development agenda in order to solve the food crisis. He emphasized the necessity to meet the needs of man through longer-term increased agricultural production.

Moreover, Ambassador Mérorès highlighted the need to make efforts concerning the environment by minimizing greenhouse emissions, deforestation and global warming. He also saw the potential of agro-science and technology in reducing production cost and increasing productivity and output for every hectare of arable land. Furthermore, he challenged the international community to find ways to promote investments in agriculture.

To read complete story, see http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26736&Cr=food&Cr1=crisis . The press release of the UN Economic and Social Council is available at http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/ecosoc6334.doc.htm