FAO Director-General: New Approach in Ending Hunger

Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General José Graziano da Silva called for sustainable increases in farm production and fairer and more inclusive food and agricultural systems during the Organization's Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific in Hanoi, Vietnam on March 12-16, 2012. Over 300 delegates from 39 countries attended the conference.

"Our first global challenge is to eradicate hunger and improve food security. That means that we need to have better access to food and also increase the production of agriculture, forestry and fisheries while ensuring sustainable ecosystem management, adaptation and mitigation of climate change, and building on the many promising examples that already exist," he said.

Da Silva also called upon countries to formulate national policies to address food security and improve nutrition. Participants requested FAO to coordinate a regional rice strategy and help address key challenges to increase agricultural productivity, promote value chain development, reduce post-harvest losses, manage natural resources and respond to food price volatility.

View the FAO media release at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/129561/icode/