Saturday 16 November 2013

UN Joins Forces with Expo 2015 to End Hunger

22 UN agencies will bring the vision of a sustainable hunger-free world to Expo Milan

The United Nations and Expo 2015 signed an agreement recently confirming the UN’s major support for Expo 2015, during which global attention will zero in on the challenge to eradicate hunger and poverty and on producing enough nutritious food for a world population expected to top 9 billion people by 2050.

Expo 2015’s theme, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” is at the heart of the UN’s founding principles to combat hunger and poverty. Expo will run in Milan for six months from May until the end of October 2015.
The Expo theme touches upon food security and nutrition, sustainability, poverty reduction, development and cooperation, said  José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Claudia von Roehl, Director of the Government Partnership Division at the World Food Programme (WFP).
The UN system is closing ranks behind the call to bring the vision of a sustainable, hunger-free world to Expo Milano 2015, FAO, IFAD and WFP stressed.
Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino, said, “With Italy being the location of most of the agencies of the UN dedicated to food and nutrition, it goes without saying that for us, [this] active participation and engagement in Expo is considered by my government as one of the most important engagements we wanted to achieve.”
Bonino said, “Expo is not only the promotion of a theme. We would like to have an Expo which will not be remembered because of skyscrapers or architecture, but because of ideas, and because of projects, commitments and ideas that will follow up from this Expo.” 
Italy’s Commissioner for Expo 2015, Giuseppe Sala, said, “Of all the participants in Expo Milano 2015, the UN was the first international organization to show its support and is the first to sign a contract,” said Giuseppe Sala, Italy’s Commissioner for Expo 2015. “I am very proud of this outcome and to see here representatives of all three agencies – FAO, IFAD and WFP – that are responsible for food and nutrition at the global level, and which will guide UN participation in Expo Milano 2015,” he added.

“This synergy shows once again the global interest in the theme of the World Exposition. “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” takes on a challenge that needs us united: assuring healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, with a view toward sustainable development.”
The work of the UN will be on display across Expo 2015, and its themes mirrored throughout the more than 110 hectares of pavilion space, rather than being one among hundreds of exhibitors.

Expo 2015 will allow the UN to spotlight its decades of knowledge and expertise with the aim of ramping up efforts to one day achieve the goal of healthy, sufficient food for every person on the globe.
Expo Milano is expected to draw some 20 million visitors to Italy in 2015. So far, 22 UN agencies have submitted proposals for exhibits, that will all centre on a common UN message. During the signing ceremony, an international competition was also launched for best practices in sustainable development, which will be on display at Expo.
Despite progress made toward achieving Millennium Development Goal #1 on halving the proportion of hunger and poverty, still some 842 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished.
The end of 2015 will mark the deadline for achieving the eight UN Millennium Development Goals . Yet hundreds of millions of people remain mired in hunger and poverty. Faced with the need to produce 60 percent more food for at least 2 billion more people in 2050, while coping with weather shocks and emergencies linked to climate change, the international community is expected to endorse a set of new goals to address sustainable development in the post-2015 era. 

Thursday 7 November 2013

Shri Anwar Calls For Judicious Use of Technologies and Resources To Achieve Food Security

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Shri Tariq Anwar recently said that use of better technologies can help us to achieve our primary goal of food security even if availability of land and water is kept constant. “We just need to use these resources more judiciously,” he emphasised. 

Shri Anwar was speaking at the inauguration of World Agriculture Congress at Hyderabad. The topic for this occasion is “Congress on Reshaping Agriculture for a Sustainable Future.” Inauguration of the Congress was attended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Shri N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Minister for Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh, Shri K. Lakshmi Narayana, and Chairman of the WAF Advisory Board, Shri James Bolger. Scientists and businessmen also participated in the Congress. 

Stating that Bio-technology is expected to play a major role in improving productivity, the Minister said, “What is needed is Robust Regulatory System, which has scientifically established mechanism for evaluation of GM Crops so that all the issues raised on this matter can be put to rest. On this issue, he reiterated the request made by Hon’ble President wherein he had ex-horted the Scientific Community and ICAR to contribute to the public discourse and provide clarity on this sensitive issue.” 

Shri Anwar further said, "Contract farming and value addition of Indian food through food processing would play a major role in improving agricultural productivity as well as providing economic return for agricultural produce. Contract farming can provide the close hand holding regarding seed selection, seed treatment, soil testing, fertilizers, pest management and income support through procurement, which Government programme cannot possibly provide."

The Minister also said that Indian agriculture faces a number of serious challenges like shrinking land, depleting water resources & inefficient water use, adverse impact of climate change, ineffective management of energy resources, shortage of farm labour, poor and inefficient market infrastructure, lack of access to appropriate technology, increasing cost and uncertainties of domestic and international markets and the biggest challenge which the country would be facing in the coming years shall be how to ensure food security in face of constantly growing population. 

Underlining measures to tackle impact of climate change on Indian Agriculture, Minister said that steps are being taken to mitigate the impact of climate change. Among the various areas in which interventions are being planned include improved crop seeds, livestock and fish culture, water efficiency, pesticides management, nutrient management, agriculture insurance, market access and livelihood diversification. Shri Anwar further informed that Indian Council for Agriculture Research(ICAR) has initiated a network project “National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture”(NICRA) aiming at enhancing resilience of Indian Agriculture through Strategic Research, Technology Demonstration and Capacity Building. 


Source: Ministry of Agriculture