UN Leaders Laud G8 Efforts for Food Security

Partnerships, broader consultation in the formulation, and implementation of country-led development processes, and long term commitments must be made and maintained to address food security issues. United Nations Rome-based agencies thus welcome G8 commitment to keeping food security high on the global agenda. This was the consensus of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General Jose Graziano da Silva, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Kanayo Nwanze, and World Food Prize (WFP) Executive Director Ertharin Cousin.

"Agriculture is a powerful tool for reducing poverty and hunger. Events of recent years - such as food price increases, droughts, growing climate change impacts and other emergencies - have put agriculture high on the international agenda. We should be clear that agriculture is the solution. Economic growth generated by agriculture is more than twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. Agricultural development is also an effective means of assisting developing countries in building capacity and infrastructure as well as introducing innovation and technology," the three leaders said in a joint statement.

In addition, the joint statement noted the promotion of a set of enabling tools related to markets and finance, risk and insurance, and science and technology that can address gaps and strengthen smallholders' position in the value chain.

For the full statement visit http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/143409/icode/.