Social Protection, Agricultural Development Must Go Together, Speakers Stress as Second Committee Discusses Food Security, Nutrition
Social protection was crucial to achieve an end to hunger, the representative of Guyana told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it met to discuss agriculture development, food security and nutrition.
Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he noted that while agriculture was a source of livelihood and entrepreneurial opportunities, natural disasters prevented many island States from realizing that potential. Therefore, social protection and agricultural development must go hand in hand. Emphasizing the importance of “pro-poor investment”, he called on the international community to ensure the availability of food for current and future generations.
The representative of Brazil echoed similar words by crediting his country’s graduation out of the world hunger map in 2014 to increased spending on food security and social protection programmes. He also highlighted the “triple win” of Brazil’s school food programme which created a demand for local produce while ensuring nutrition for schoolchildren and revitalizing local economies.
At the same time, he regretted agricultural subsidies in rich countries which had led to distortions in world food markets, a view that resonated strongly in the meeting today.
The representative of Australia, who spoke on behalf of the Cairns Group, expressed disappointment with the current status of the agriculture negotiations of the Doha Round and questioned the political will of some World Trade Organization (WTO) Member States to make the necessary reforms.
The representative of the United States spoke about supporting international food voucher programmes and participating in initiatives benefitting smallholder farmers. She stressed the need for “climate smart agriculture” that reduced the ecological impact of farming.
Though his continent was endowed with abundant land and water resources, the representative of Sierra Leone, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said those resources were under-utilized. Emphasizing the importance of using technologies to increase agricultural productivity in farms and along the agro-food value chain, he called for capacity-building.
Delegates also shared lessons from their countries’ experiences in achieving food security. Singapore ranked second, that country’s delegate pointed out, on the 2015 Global Food Security Index. But, as a small city-state with no hinterland, it imported over 90 per cent of its food, and was extremely vulnerable to fluctuations in food supply and prices. Regretting the under-investment in agriculture, she stressed that food security must be on the agenda of key regional and multilateral forums that had not traditionally focused on the issue.
For Sri Lanka’s delegate, it was unacceptable that more than 90 million children under age five were still undernourished and underweight. The Government was addressing the impact of soaring food prices through a national campaign for establishing home gardens. By minimizing dependency on markets, Sri Lanka had achieved self-sufficiency in its staple food of rice.
The meeting was opened by Marion Barthelemy of the Sustainable Development Division at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who introduced the Secretary-General’s report on agriculture development, food security and nutrition.
Also making statements were representatives of South Africa (speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Bangladesh (speaking on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries), Myanmar (speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Israel, Nicaragua, Belarus, Russian Federation, Qatar, Sudan, Jamaica, Gabon, Mozambique, China, Vanuatu, Thailand, Japan, Kuwait, Namibia, Benin, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Iran, Mali, Zimbabwe, India, Mongolia, Paraguay, Albania, Niger, Kenya, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Ghana, Guatemala, Côte d’Ivoire, Nepal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
Representatives from the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine also spoke today, and a representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development made a statement on behalf of the Rome-based agencies.
The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, 3 November, to discuss the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
Introduction of Report
MARION BARTHELEMY, presenting the Secretary-General’s report on agriculture development, food security and nutrition (document A/70/333), said 216 million people had been lifted out of hunger since 1990. Furthermore, out of the 129 developing countries monitored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than half had reached their Millennium Development Goals’ hunger target. However, one out of every nine people worldwide was chronically hungry. Undernourishment persisted in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with Western Asia actually seeing a rise in the share of hungry.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development brought together the economic, social and environmental aspects of food security and nutrition, she said. It included more structural dimensions such as agricultural productivity and sustainable food production systems, and targets on ending hunger and malnutrition. There were a growing number of partnerships and coalitions working to address global hunger. The Secretary-General’s Zero Hunger Challenge, which had engaged 137 countries, was committed to working towards ending hunger and supporting the 2030 Agenda. The Committee on World Food Security was an example of the kind of international inclusive platform that could bring all actors together to drive the implementation of the Agenda. There was a need to strengthen collaboration among countries, including through South-South cooperation.
Statements
Ms. MOLEKO (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that her Group was encouraged by the positive news in the report, including the fact that undernourishment in the developing world had fallen from 23.3 to 12.9 per cent. Further, 72 of the 129 developing countries monitored by FAO had reached the Millennium Development Goals target of halving the prevalence of undernourishment between 1990 and 2015. Such developments showed that sustaining rapid progress in reducing hunger was achievable.
However, she added, it was worrying that hundreds of millions of people still did not have the means to access food to meet their individual dietary needs. Overall, progress in reducing hunger had been uneven, with 795 million people remaining chronically hungry. While economic growth was an important factor for success in the fight against hunger, it was often insufficient by itself to guarantee access to food. Growth needed to be accompanied by strong political will and special interventions to ensure that it benefited the poor. Hunger and undernourishment could also place a high burden on health systems and other social services and have a negative impact on education. Therefore, it was necessary to strengthen the agriculture sector in developing countries.
SHEKU MESALI (Sierra Leone), speaking on behalf of the African Group and associating himself with the Group of 77, said the agriculture sector in Africa today was dominated by smallholder farmers who cultivated 80 per cent of farms. Africa was endowed with abundant land and water resources suitable for agriculture. It had 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land but due to various constraints, those resources were not fully utilized. The Group therefore strongly believed that available technologies would help increase agricultural productivity both on farms and along the agro-food value chain.
Technology transfer and strengthening capacity were central to improving sustainable agriculture on the continent, particularly in support of women and youth smallholder farmers, he said. Drought and desertification continued to be another serious challenge to agricultural activities, he added, welcoming initiatives that would address those challenges. Another concern was child undernutrition, which was a persisting challenge on the continent. That had placed extremely high social and economic burdens on families in Africa. To deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda, sustainable food production, which did not only feed and nourish people, but also delivered increased income and sustainable rural livelihoods, must be seen as highly critical.
ANDALIB ELIAS (Bangladesh), speaking on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries, said that over 1 billion people around the world were classified as extremely poor, with a significant percentage of them living in least developed countries. The Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 had elaborated a number of actions to assist those States in strengthening their agricultural sectors for rural development and food nutrition security. It was critical to have enhanced financial and technical support for those sectors, he said, adding that it was important that those States received the official development assistance (ODA) that had been pledged by their development partners.
Food and nutrition security were intertwined with the issue of agricultural security, he continued. In order to ensure that populations were not malnourished, it was vital to have appropriate and sufficient agricultural production along with research facilities, another area where least developed countries needed support. It was also necessary that all developed countries fulfil their commitment of importing all products from least developed countries duty-free and quota-free. The United Nations and other international organizations must provide support to the least developed countries through food assistance where required. It was also important that the United Nations system helped those States to strengthen their capacity in the area of agriculture, rural development, and food and nutrition security.
GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and associating himself with the Group of 77, said that agriculture remained the key provider of employment for the poor and a major source of livelihood and entrepreneurial opportunities, especially for women and youth in low- and middle-income countries. However, persistent challenges such as climate change, natural disasters and the difficulties of exploiting economies of scale, hindered the full potential that his region could realize from that sector. Social protection and agricultural development must go hand in hand to end hunger. Therefore, CARICOM was coordinating its efforts through a multidimensional and multisectoral approach that incorporated production and distribution, trade, health and nutrition, social welfare and education.
The countries of his region, he added, faced particular restraints to agriculture development as a result of their high vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. They needed greater support to ensure sustainable livelihoods and development through access to concessionary financing, investment, transferring of innovative tools and technological know-how. Emphasizing the importance of South-South cooperation, he added that “pro-poor investment” and a combination of production support and social protection were crucial for promoting food security. “Our efforts must transcend national, regional and international boundaries to ensure the availability of food not only for the current generation, but for generations to come,” he said.
KYAW TIN (Myanmar) spoke on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aligned himself with the Group of 77. ASEAN was a food-surplus region, but it faced seasonal food scarcity in certain parts of the region due to climatic conditions. With a combined population of over 600 million, there was a need to pay special attention to food security for everyone in the region. The updated ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework for 2015-2020 was comprised of five components: food security and emergency/shortage relief, sustainable food trade development, integrated food security information systems, agricultural innovation and nutrition-enhancing agricultural development.
Welcoming the fact that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its second Goal committed to ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture, he noted that ASEAN believed achieving those lofty objectives would require policies that were coordinated through the inputs and collaboration of multiple sectors and Government departments. ASEAN had established the world’s first functioning regional rice reserve mechanism to ensure food security in case of emergency. He reiterated the strong commitment of ASEAN to the collective efforts of the international community towards hunger reduction, sustainable agriculture and global food security for all.
BARRY O’SULLIVAN (Australia), speaking on behalf of the Cairns Group, reiterated the importance of agriculture for development, especially in developing countries where a significant population was largely dependent on agriculture as a source of income. The Group wished to address the global imbalances and distortions in world agricultural trade, whether in areas of market access, domestic support or export competition. It was important to address distortions not only in terms of creating further market efficiencies and more effective price signals for farmers and investors in agriculture alike, but also as a means of contributing to greater food security. Against that backdrop, the Cairns Group was very disappointed with the point reached in the agriculture negotiations of the Doha Round.
There were serious questions about the level of political will on the part of some World Trade Organizations (WTO) members to pursue reforms to agricultural trade, particularly with respect to substantial reductions to trade distorting domestic support and substantial improvements in market access, he said. The Group remained committed to engaging in discussions aimed at delivering an outcome on export competition in December at the WTO tenth Ministerial Conference. Achieving an ambitious outcome on export competition would be a critical step forward, he said, remaining mindful that it would only be one step of many needed in the reform of global agricultural trade.
EYAL SELA (Israel) said it was important to improve the productivity levels and the adaptability and resilience of smallholder farmers because they were responsible for most global agricultural production. Israel had transformed its food system from a small-scale, subsistence agricultural system characterized by food insecurity into a “global powerhouse” of agricultural technology and innovation. His country had experience and expertise in farming, water management and desalination, climate change mitigation and more. He noted that during his time as a diplomat in Ecuador, he had seen with his own eyes the benefits knowledge-sharing programmes could yield. For example, Ecuadorean farmers were now growing a new variety of banana developed in Israel. Enhanced coordination and effective cooperation between all stakeholders was necessary.
PATRICIA BAJAÑA (Nicaragua), associating herself with the Group of 77, said that improving food security, tackling land degradation and increasing food production in developing countries were crucial elements of sustainable development. Stressing that everyone must have “healthy, sufficient and nutritious” food, she added that it was a fundamental right of all people not to suffer from hunger. Reaffirming the importance of integrating the agricultural production of developing countries into international markets in a just and transparent manner, she added that job creation and technological progress were essential for guaranteeing food security.
IGOR MISHKORUDNY (Belarus), emphasizing the importance of FAO and the High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, said the international community must continue to respond effectively to the global crisis by implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 2, which was related to nutrition and agriculture development. His country was gradually building up agricultural productivity and developing food export opportunities. As much as 15 per cent of the volume of its exports was made up of food and agricultural products. Belarus and the Russian Federation were working with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to develop agriculture projects, and his country was interested in cooperating with other specialized agencies of the United Nations system.
CINDY EU (Singapore), associating herself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, expressed concern that global agricultural productivity had been in decline due to years of under-investment in agriculture, while global food demand had been steadily increasing due to a growing population. Recognizing the importance of regional and international cooperation in ensuring global food security was a step in the right direction, but countries now needed to work on putting plans into action. She called for an open, rules-based multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the full implementation of the Bali Package from the Ninth Ministerial Conference. Singapore’s ranking second, behind the United States, on the Global Food Security Index in 2015 was a major achievement. As a small city-State that imports over 90 per cent of its food security, Singapore was vulnerable to fluctuations in food supply and prices.
PAVEL A. FONDUKOV (Russian Federation) said that in order to make progress in agricultural development, food security and nutrition, it would be especially necessary to focus on avoiding loss and waste at all stages of food production. The Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the Plan of Action on World Food Security presented a cross cutting vision that integrated multiple aspects of that problem and his delegation was pleased that it was well-reflected in the 2030 Agenda. Without due attention to ensuring healthy food for all, it was difficult to achieve various Sustainable Development Goals relating to food security, maternal health and other important issues. His Government emphasized the importance of food safety, and as a donor, would continue to provide developing States with assistance in resolving food security problems.
SÉRGIO RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS (Brazil), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that his country had graduated out of the FAO world hunger map in 2014 as a direct result of increased spending on food security and social protection programmes, which had led to a reduction in the percentage of Brazilians living in extreme poverty. Regretting that agricultural subsidies in rich countries had led to distortions in world food markets, he noted that the General Assembly had declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming to raise awareness about the importance of small scale farmers, including the contribution their activities could make to the achievement of adequate nutrition and protection of the environment. There was a growing consensus that fostering smallholder agriculture created positive externalities for the development of local economies. Brazil’s school food programme, which sourced food from local producers to provide meals at public schools, was a triple “win” as it created a demand for local produce, generated economic activity in remote places and promoted better nutrition among schoolchildren.
FAHAD MOHAMMED AL-KHAYARIN (Qatar), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that poverty and hunger must occupy a primary place in the 2030 Agenda, which had decided to put an end to those scourges. Qatar emphasized the fundamental right of all persons to live sheltered from poverty and hunger and have a decent life. That included paying extra attention to the needs of the women, children, the elderly and disabled. Desertification and soil degradation remained a challenge in ensuring sustainable agriculture and global sustainable development, he said, emphasizing the need for developed States to cooperate in assisting developing countries. Political will was critical to cooperation and meeting the challenges of drought, water and land deterioration, he added, as he called for an increase of efforts to improve health, education, nutrition and energy. Those areas were interlinked with eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development.
NILUKA PRABHATH KADURUGAMUWA (Sri Lanka), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that it was disheartening that 795 million people across the globe remained chronically hungry, lacking sufficient food for conducting an active and healthy life. Statistics showed that more than 90 million children under age five were undernourished and underweight, which was an unacceptable reality. Agriculture was the foundation of Sri Lanka’s economy as 70 per cent of its population lived in rural areas. The Government had implemented a national campaign to address the impact of soaring food prices and aimed to establish home gardens all over the country. The prime objective of that initiative was to strengthen people’s economic status and to minimize their dependency on the market for food and nutrition requirement. As a result of those strategies and directives, Sri Lanka had achieved self-sufficiency in rice, which was a major staple food.
OMER DAHAB FADL MOHAMED (Sudan), associating himself with the Group of 77, the African Group, and the Group of Least Developed Countries, expressed concern that over a billion people still suffered abject poverty. The elimination of poverty and malnutrition must be on the forefront of any sustainable development agenda. African States declared in 2013 that they would launch an agricultural development programme and had since adopted a declaration to accelerate agriculture for prosperity and improvement of livelihoods. Despite regional and international efforts, hunger would not be eliminated without comprehensive national plans. Food security required cooperation between various sectors of society, focusing on water, agriculture and sanitation. Sudan was rich in resources with arable land, water, biodiversity and fisheries, but just like many least developed countries it faced challenges and a lack of infrastructure in rural areas coupled with an increased demand for energy. It was also impacted by climate change, drought and land degradation. The Government had drawn up a plan to assist smallholders and increase direct foreign investment (FDI) in various fields. In the same vein, unilateral sanctions had a very negative impact.
NICOLA BARKER-MURPHY (Jamaica), associating herself with the Group of 77, CARICOM, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Alliance of Small Island States, said her region remained among those in which progress towards reducing hunger had been less than anticipated as 19.8 per cent of the population suffered from undernourishment. In recent years, natural hazards, such as hurricanes and droughts, had become more frequent and intense in the Caribbean. As a result there had been crop losses, lower production yields and increased livestock deaths. Mindful of the negative impact of persistent hunger and poor nutrition on labour productivity, health and education, her Government had implemented two programmes with the help of FAO to provide balanced meals to schoolchildren. Furthermore, she said, efforts continued to improve financing, as well as introduce technology and mainstream climate change adaptation within agricultural programmes, policies and production methods.
LILLY STELLA NGYEMA NDONG (Gabon), associating herself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, stated that the eradication of hunger was a crucial aspect of sustainable development. While there had been great progress in fighting hunger in various parts of the world, such progress was uneven. Sustained political commitment at the highest level was crucial to tackling that. Her country had achieved the first of the Millennium Development Goals ahead of time, by reducing by half the population suffering from hunger, thereby earning a distinction from FAO. Gabon was currently focusing on the creation of a sustainable export industry. The country had also established projects for developing investment and industrializing agriculture.
ANTONIO GUMENDE (Mozambique), associating himself with the Group of 77, the African Group and the Group of Least Developed Countries, said that progress was still “asymmetric” as 800 million people continued to suffer from chronic hunger, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The 2030 Agenda must promote sustainable agriculture as a major driver of development. Political will was needed to strengthen partnerships, such as South-South cooperation and technology transfers. In Mozambique, the agriculture sector employed over 75 per cent of the working population and in 2014, it contributed about 25 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP). The national Strategic Plan for the Development of the Agricultural Sector 2011-2020 included modernizing the agricultural sector, increasing the current levels of competitiveness, and promoting integrated rural development and nutrition. As a result, the Mozambican people had experienced an improvement in food consumption, with a view to improve further by 2019.
XIE ZHENGWEI (China), associating herself with the Group of 77, called for the proactive formulation of an action programme for the implementation of agricultural goals that were key to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Increasing agricultural output and raising productivity was essential to striking the right balance in food supply and demand. Further, building a sustainable agricultural system was not possible without improving resilience to climate change. To create an enabling environment for agricultural trade, all forms of protectionism and agricultural subsidies must be eliminated. As a complement to North-South cooperation, developing countries should help one another by sharing their experience and knowledge. As the most populous State with the highest food consumption in the world, China had made it a priority to feed its 1.3 billion people and had met the relevant Millennium Development Goals target ahead of schedule.
SEVERIN BUCHWALD (Vanuatu), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the Group of Least Developed Countries, drew attention to climate change as the biggest threat to the sustainable development of small island developing States. In that regard, he mentioned extreme weather events such as cyclones and a severe drought in his country’s region that had affected the vulnerable population most. Noting that rising ocean temperatures would have a big impact on marine fisheries, he said that could threaten the most important food source for many small islands. Other impacts included sea-level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification. New and innovative approaches were needed to address food security, he said, mentioning the case study “School Feeding and Possibilities for Direct Purchases from Family Farming” as an example.
Ms. PREMABHUTI (Thailand), associating herself with the Group of 77and ASEAN, said about 80 per cent of the farmers in the Asia Pacific region were smallholder farmers and among the poorest and most nutritionally needy in the world. An integrated approach to social protection and agricultural development could strengthen rural resilience and break the cycle of rural poverty and hunger. Her Government had adopted a dual approach to agricultural development. For large-scale farmers, its agricultural zoning policy had factored in market demand and scientific knowledge on sustainable land and soil management to determine the type of crops, livestock and fish to be raised. The sufficiency economy policy for small scale farmers achieved self-reliance by applying an integrated farming system which included the simultaneous practice of livestock, fishery and aquaculture in one agricultural setting. That enabled farmers to first feed themselves and their families before selling the surplus to others.
RINA MIKAMI (Japan) said that the world’s population of undernourished people remained “troublingly high” and called for efforts to develop agriculture and strengthen rural communities. Japan had promoted the development of whole value chains from primary production through distribution. That included developing water resources and irrigation systems, management of farmlands and distribution systems such as storage and ports of shipment. On an international level, imports of rice to Africa had increased 63 per cent over the last five years. However, although developing countries had successfully increased their agricultural production, reliance on imports exposed them to vulnerability. The active involvement of the private sector and the improvement of nutrition were critical to food security, he said, pointing out how malnutrition affected productivity, health and education. Japan’s most recent efforts were dedicated to engaging the Japanese private sector towards the Scaling Up Nutrition initiative.
MISHAAL K. ALBANNAI (Kuwait), associating himself with the Group of 77, expressed concern that 795 million people lacked sufficient food, which underscored the efforts required to achieve the 2030 Agenda. He advocated mobilizing agricultural technology, supporting infrastructure and providing resources to help developing countries eradicate poverty and hunger. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development supported agriculture across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East through projects totalling $4.18 billion since 1961. In 2013, Kuwait had hosted the Third Arab-African Summit, and in 2008, established the Dignified Life Fund to counter the negative effects of food and energy price increases.
HMWAY HMWAY KHYNE (Myanmar), speaking in her national capacity and associating herself with the Group of 77, the Group of Least Developed Countries and ASEAN, said that agriculture was the backbone of her State’s economy. It generated 23 per cent of GDP and 20 per cent of total export earnings and employed more than 61 per cent of its labour force. The Government was making every effort to focus on poverty alleviation, and equitable development through providing assistance to promoting sustainable agriculture development. On a global scale, rural farmers made up 78 per cent of about 1 billion people living under extreme poverty, she said, calling for efforts to be made to “emancipate” peasant farmers from the cycle of poverty by improving their socioeconomic standing. Myanmar had been cooperating with regional countries and international partners to fight hunger and was on target to achieve its 2025 target for the Zero Hunger Challenge.
WILFRIED I. EMVULA (Namibia), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said that while his country’s economy was heavily dependent on the mining sector, roughly half the population relied on subsistence agriculture, which was characterized by low productivity and high variability. Therefore, access to adequate food for vulnerable populations remained a constant challenge. The Government was implementing various initiatives, including the Green Scheme Programme which promoted irrigation for under irrigated crops and the Dryland Crop Production Programme which supported crop production in communal areas under rain-fed conditions. International trade and macroeconomic policies continued to be biased against the export of agricultural products from the developing world and Namibia called on the international community to achieve a development-oriented outcome at the final Doha Round trade negotiations.
JEAN-FRANCIS ZINSOU (Benin), associating himself with the Group of 77, Group of Least Developed Countries and the African Group, stated that agricultural development, food security and nutrition was a particularly important agenda item as it represented a trilogy of universal concerns as well as a particular challenge for Africa. Agriculture was the centrepiece of that trilogy as it was essential for the achievement of the national and international development goals contained in the 2030 Agenda. He said that 70 per cent of the poor lived in rural areas in developing countries and agriculture was a main source of employment for them. While availability and access to food were crucial elements of food security, the nutritional dimension was also an integral aspect. Further, several developing countries and least developed ones faced considerable loss of agricultural product because they did not have the means of conservation, and it was necessary to tackle that.
SAAD ALARJANI (Saudi Arabia), associating himself with the Group of 77, said food security was the political dimension of economic development. His country took initiatives to address the global food crisis having spent $100 million in 2008 in response to an appeal from international agencies. He reasserted his country’s commitment to support FAO in achieving food security and fighting hunger. Saudi Arabia, in line with international initiatives, had developed various plans for the sustainable development of agriculture and the responsible use of national natural resources. It also aimed to limit food loss, he said, underscoring the importance of the United Nations in strengthening international partnerships to achieving food security.
MORALES LOPEZ (Colombia), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the Cairns Group, said eradicating hunger in an irreversible way required an approach that took into account the three pillars of sustainable development, namely economic, social and environmental. The production and consumption food chain must be sustainable as well. Transfer of technology was instrumental to developing countries in achieving sustainable agriculture technologies. He emphasized the importance of social protection programmes for rural areas and farmers and outlined how Colombia had made much progress with women farmers in rural areas. Rural agriculture went hand in hand with peace and prosperity, he added.
JILL DERDERIAN (United States) said her country actively participated in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and outlined how her State had been involved in supporting international programmes that provided food vouchers to those in need and contributed to reducing poverty and malnutrition. Nutrition was central to all food security efforts as good nutrition had the biggest impact on saving lives. Following the recent adoption of the Rome Declaration, the United States must now maintain the momentum and focus on nutrition. Beyond that, her country had helped develop additional initiatives between the private sector and civil society that benefitted smallholder farmers. She called for opportunities to be utilized at the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris. By 2050, demand for crops would increase significantly, boosting food prices. A commitment to climate smart agriculture would be essential to building resilience and reducing agriculture’s impact on the climate. Nearly one third of all food was lost or wasted, she said, also highlighting the need to protect oceans.
JAVAD MOMENI (Iran), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that desertification, land degradation, drought, dust and sandstorms were of great concern to his country’s agriculture sector. In addressing those challenges, enhanced cooperation at the regional and international level was necessary. Funding and implementation of partnership must be inclusive and transparent. Achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda in the agricultural sector should be facilitated by non-discriminatory provision of means of implementation, and the transfer of technology and know-how. Lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals showed that while economic growth was an important factor for success in the fight against hunger, it was often insufficient by itself to guarantee access to food. Growth must be accompanied by strong political will.
DIANGUINA DIT YAYA DOUCOURÉ (Mali), associating himself with the Group of 77, African Group and Group of Least Developed Countries, stated that agricultural development was a top priority for his State as more than 80 per cent of the population derived their livelihood from that sector. Mali’s efforts to reduce the number of people suffering from hunger had been lauded by FAO and the country had attained the goal of halving that population, from 1.4 million to 0.7 million, while also reducing undernutrition. He said that his country had hoped to be among the biggest producers of meat, fish and milk in West Africa. In order to achieve that, the Government was following an ambitious and multisectoral action plan that brought together health, sustainable and rural development. The Government was also spending 15 per cent of the budget on agriculture and focusing on arable land ownership and creating tractor assembly factories to mechanize agriculture.
FREDERICK MUSIIWA MAKAMURE SHAVA (Zimbabwe), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said that agricultural development was crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Agriculture was the backbone of the Zimbabwean economy and contributed 40 per cent of the country’s export volume. A number of initiatives were in place including the land reform programme. Agriculture was critical to lifting Zimbabwe out of poverty. The problem of chronic droughts and climate change was resulting in loss of crops, thereby affecting national food security. The Government had embarked on an irrigation and rehabilitation scheme in order to offset the perennial droughts. Farm mechanization was another area of focus and the Government was equipping farmers with machines to assist in tillage, fertilizing, crop tending and harvesting.
SUPRIYA SULE (India), associating herself with the Group of 77, said that in addition to the Sustainable Development Goal on ending hunger and malnutrition, Goal 12 on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns would also play a key role in the progress towards a hunger-free world. It was a travesty that the world produced enough food to feed the global population and yet millions of poor went hungry every day because over one third of all food produced was wasted every year. Most of that wastage happened in developed countries due to unsustainable and wasteful consumption patterns. Noting that India fed 17 per cent of the world’s population on less than 5 per cent of the world’s water and 3 per cent of its arable land, she added that Indian agriculture had achieved self-sufficiency.
SUKHBOLD SUKHEE (Mongolia), associating himself with the Group of 77, said agriculture, food security and nutrition were all of critical importance to his Government. Agriculture, particularly livestock, was among the largest sectors of Mongolia’s economy. National policies aimed to create a better economic and business environment, increase productive capability and produce more environmentally friendly new equipment and machinery. He stressed the importance of the thirty-second session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific held in Mongolia in March 2014. A major portion of Mongolia’s food was imported and rising foreign currency rates and the costs of transportation made food expensive. That situation coupled with the poor quality of food services was among the main causes of malnutrition in his State. Apart from malnutrition, obesity had also become an emerging issue in Mongolia. As a landlocked country, his State remained highly vulnerable to climate change, desertification and land degradation.
FEDERICO ALBERTO GONZÁLEZ FRANCO (Paraguay), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said that his Government sought to contribute all its national capacities and potential to a fruitful debate on the effects of climate change on food security. He mentioned several national nutrition programmes providing food assistance to Paraguayans and breakfast and snacks to students. He urged the international community to analyse carefully the impact of climate change, in particular drought and desertification, on landlocked developing countries. The international community must mitigate the effects of climate change and develop resilience capacity by strengthening national plans of actions especially in landlocked countries. Innovation in agriculture must take into account the effects of climate change and promote the development of energy, mainly renewable sources. Scientific research and the dissemination of data were critical as well.
INGRIT PRIZRENI (Albania) said her country tried to achieve food security by developing sustainable agriculture and fisheries though supporting smallholder farmers, especially women farmers, herders and fishers. Feeding the population faced multiple constraints, however, including environmental degradation and climate change. Her Government had been supporting family farmers and smallholder producers by creating an integrated system of collecting and redistributing crops, including though credit, technology, food safety and market access. She highlighted the importance of women and youth in agriculture in mainstreaming the crucial need for a socially, economically, environmentally and rights-based approach in national food policy.
ISSIAKOU ABDOU (Niger), associating himself with the Group of 77, the African Group and the Group of Least Developed Countries, stated that agriculture contributed more than 46 per cent to the GDP of his country. However, climactic variations were affecting the sustainable development of that sector. The compounded effects of droughts, flooding and land degradation had resulted in chronic food deficits and an almost permanent state of food insecurity. Niger was seeking self-sufficiency in food production through a programme called “Nourish Nigeriens” that tackled the problem of droughts. The programme drew lessons from the agricultural policies of similar countries and had adopted various good practices for improving resilience and managing food crises.
ANTHONY ANDANJE (Kenya), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, pointed out that most people in developing States, including the least developed ones, relied on agriculture for livelihood. However, food security remained a challenge, in part due to the high cost of production. In addition, global food prices were beyond the reach of the poor. The African continent spent close to $35 billion annually on food imports despite having 50-60 per cent of the world’s unused arable land. Noting that agriculture was the mainstay of Kenya’s economy, he went on to describe its Agricultural Sector Development Strategy, which would enable the sector to contribute 10 per cent of the country’s annual economic growth. Other interventions included subsidized farm inputs, he said.
LEULSEGAD TADESSE ABEBE (Ethiopia), associating himself with the Group of 77, the Africa Group and the Group of Least Developed Countries, said agriculture was the mainstay of his State’s economy. As such, an agricultural development-led industrialization strategy aimed to transform the sector so it contributed to sustainable industrialization. Ethiopia had seen encouraging results in productivity of smallholder farmers and the agricultural sector had grown at 8 per cent annually for the last 12 years. More than 60,000 development agents currently respond to the demands of farmers and pastoralists. Despite such gains, ensuring food security by enhancing agricultural productivity was a priority. He urged international support for sustainable agriculture by improving market access and promoting technology transfer.
HARRY RUSMANA IRAWAN (Indonesia) said that despite global undernourishment having declined to nearly 11 per cent in 2014 — down from 18.6 percent from where it stood in 1992 — nearly 800 million people remained undernourished. Ending hunger, a part of Goal 2 of the 2030 Agenda, meant accounting for several global trends. Those trends included rapid urbanization that contributed to changing land use patterns in developing countries; a potential decrease in agricultural workers; and greater exposure to natural hazards and disasters. Agriculture played a key role in reducing poverty and creating employment, especially in rural areas, and agricultural productivity had to be increased to end hunger and eliminate poverty. Affordable technologies that increased that sector’s production were needed as was greater investment in research and development to increase agricultural yields, particularly in developing countries. At the same time, it was vital to establish stable, secure and safe markets to create resilient food systems and minimize volatile prices. It was also important to give greater resources to women as their role in agriculture increased.
MARTHA AMA AKYAA POBBEE (Ghana), associating herself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said agriculture accounted for 50 per cent of her country’s workforce and was a major tool in ending hunger and poverty. Ghana’s agricultural capacity was constrained by an over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, obsolete irrigation systems, low levels of mechanization and insufficient agricultural financing, as well as poor infrastructure and market access. However, she welcomed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme aimed at generating private investment in agricultural development on the continent. Under Ghana’s road map for its implementation, the country had introduced additional incentives for private sector investments and other measures to facilitate inclusive access to land and its productive use. As a result of that initiative, Ghana had made great strides in agricultural growth.
ANA CRISTINA RODIGUEZ PINEDA (Guatemala) stated that though her country had made some progress in agricultural development, a variety of meteorological phenomena, such as tropical storms and landslides, had left destruction in their wake and had impacted agricultural systems. Further, with males more likely to migrate, migration had decreased the active labour force. Although a middle-income country, Guatemala was working to eradicate poverty and chronic malnutrition. The Government had established a “zero hunger plan” uniting various sectors of the civil society and the ministries of food, nutrition, agriculture, and social development. Despite progress, there were high indicators of chronic malnutrition and Guatemala requested the United Nations system “not to leave anyone behind”.
CLAUDE BOUAH-KAMON (Côte d’Ivoire), associating himself with Group of 77 and the African Group, said the international community had just renewed its commitment to end hunger. Nonetheless, the Secretary-General’s report underscored that more than 800 million people suffered from chronic hunger. Food and nutrition security required a greater mobilization. In his country, agriculture played a major role in the socioeconomic area and was a priority for his Government, which had established a national programme on agricultural investment to reduce food insecurity, especially in rural areas, while stimulating the agro-industrial sector. However, many challenges remained and Côte d’Ivoire was working with bilateral and institutional partners to modernize agriculture.
SEWA LAMSAL ADHIKARI (Nepal), associating herself with the Group of 77 and the Group of Least Developed Countries, called agriculture the mainstay of the Nepalese economy. As a landlocked country emerging from armed conflict and vulnerable to multiple disasters, Nepal placed high priority on agriculture development. She underscored the role of technology and reaffirmed that appropriate, affordable, sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture technology — and its proper integration — were fundamental to economic growth. Despite that two thirds of the population depended on agriculture, its contribution to GDP was less than one third of the total. Moreover, per capita arable land in Nepal was among the lowest in the world. While the country was on track towards achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals, the earthquakes that had struck Nepal had greatly hindered hard-earned gains, she added.
ALAIN WILFRIED BIYA (Cameroon), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said history had shown that agriculture was a source of wealth, security and jobs. Agriculture technologies could improve living standards for all Cameroonians, he said, appealing to Member States and the United Nations to improve methods for transferring technologies. The agriculture sector employed about two thirds of Africans and new technologies could stimulate development on the entire continent. Cameroon had placed agricultural improvement at the top of its national agenda, including through the strengthening of funding and research. A new plan would enable Cameroon to develop the chain of production, modernize infrastructure, strengthen the capacity of stakeholders and train the most vulnerable members of the population.
USMAN SARKI (Nigeria), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said that nearly 900 million people in the world suffered from chronic undernourishment. The international community urgently needed to deliver the most vulnerable from extreme poverty and hunger. Turning to the Sahel, he said his country supported the partnership between the Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative — Sahel, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Monetary Union and the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel, which was expected to develop long-term strategies to address the endemic food crises in the region which was home to 150 million people. Progress on the Great Green Wall across the fringes of the Sahara desert was also a matter of existential significance that needed the full support of the international community. On the national level, Nigeria had developed an agricultural transformation agenda focussing on the key agricultural value chains to create jobs for farmers. The Government had established a national food security programme to boost domestic production of food crops and the development of agro-allied industries.
ALEXANDRE ETSRI HOMEVOR (Togo) said that his country had put much emphasis on relaunching a national strategy to support vegetable and meat production, fish farming and the sustainable management of bodies of water, and technical training in agriculture. That had the potential to stimulate growth especially in rural communities. Those programmes were furthermore supported by inclusive national finance to improve poor people’s incomes. In recent years, Togo had gone from a cereal deficit to a cereal surplus which improved food security for many of its citizens. Reforms undertaken by the Government had also allowed Togo to become a commodity exporting country, he said, reiterating his gratitude to United Nations food agencies for helping his State meet its challenges of agriculture development and food security.
ZHANNA GAZIZULINA (Kazakhstan) said that, to address food security and nutritional inequities, it was necessary to empower families and women. It also meant reducing micronutrient deficiencies, underweight prevalence, stunting and child mortality, which called for national macroeconomic strategies to prevent food price increases, conflict and other setbacks from the shocks of globalization and market inflation. At the same time, there had to be effective food governance and improved investments in food production through collaborative solutions, policies and strategies. Describing Kazakhstan’s national priorities in those areas, she went on to say that the country had initiated the creation of the Islamic Organization on Food Security, which would be established and headquartered in Astana in the near future, and to which Kazakhstan would allocate $0.8 million annually.
YAROSLAV GOLITSYN (Ukraine) said the predictability and stability of global food markets had been a keystone of global food security. He commended the work done in his country by FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP) to help his Government respond to the current humanitarian challenges. Despite the difficult conditions resulting from the occupation of the Crimean peninsula, and military action in eastern regions, Ukraine continued to be among the strongest players on the international food market. Notwithstanding temporary difficulties, Ukraine would fulfil all agricultural export obligations towards its partners in 2015.
BERNARDITO CLEOPAS AUZA, Observer for the Holy See, said that while it was encouraging that, since 1990, more than 215 million people had been lifted out of hunger, progress remained highly uneven. A high proportion of the world’s hungry lived in South Asian and sub-Saharan African countries. Hunger, like all forms of poverty, was exacerbated by exclusion. The international community could eliminate hunger and food insecurity and foster human dignity by promoting inclusion and solidarity. The challenge to defeat hunger and malnutrition did not have just an economic or scientific dimension, but also, and above all, an ethical dimension.
An observer of the State of Palestine said Israel, the occupying Power, would be preparing a draft resolution on agriculture, but it did not respect the rights of Palestinians. Israel had systemically destroyed the livelihoods of small farmers in Palestine. Israeli authorities had recently put pressure on 700,000 Bedouins, obliging them to leave their homes and then had destroyed their homes and confiscated their land. Israel continued to confiscate land, deport Palestinians and seize agricultural land and possessions. Israel had committed the worst crimes against Palestinian farmers in Gaza and the West Bank. The bombing of Gaza had led to the destruction of more than one thousand trees and 47,000 acres of agricultural land. He urged the Committee to ask whether Israel had the moral right to submit resolutions in which it did not believe.
ZAK BLEICHER, International Fund for Agricultural Development, who also spoke on behalf of FAO and WFP, said the latest State of Food Insecurity report had shown that the number of people estimated to be chronically undernourished had fallen by 216 million. There was no one single action the international community could take to improve food security. Rather, many variable solutions, when tailored to the realities of a specific region or even village, could transform agriculture. The beauty of agricultural development was that solving one problem could often solve a multitude of others.
Rights of Reply
Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of the Russian Federation said that she could not remain unresponsive to a politically motivated comment by the representative of Ukraine. Condemning that “clumsy attempt”, she said the situation was fully the result of policies carried out by Ukraine. The Russian Federation had sent 43 humanitarian convoys to the southeast of Ukraine and continued to provide assistance. The Second Committee was not the place for unfounded accusations.
The representative of Israel said his Palestinian colleague had made another attempt at politicizing the meeting. He had seen Palestinian famers coming to Israel to take advantage of his country’s knowledge.
The representative of Ukraine said his delegation had only stated facts regarding what had led to the unlawful loss of his country’s territory.