Arab Non- Violence Society Commemorated World Food Day
Foreign Affairs Advisor of the Arab Non- Violence Society Dr. Naseer Homoud's statement on World Food Day. He urged governments to initiate and implement various programmes to increase food production, reduce inflation, create employment, expand social security nets and ensure food supply up to the people at the marginal level so that MDGs are accomplished.
- (1888PressRelease) October 17, 2011 - Observing the World Food Day Dr. Naseer Homoud, Foreign Affairs Advisor of Arab Non- Violence Society and Honorary Member of Arab Youth Media Forum said "World Food Day must serve to remind each and every one of us that we must do everything we can to prevent more than a billion people from going hungry. The developed nations must put food security, agriculture and rural development at the heart of its assistance to developing countries, giving rapid and massive support to tackle the increasing hunger in the world". He further stressed "the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates there are over one billion hungry people, more than ever before and certainly this is not a healthy sign for accomplishment of United Nations Millennium Development Goals".
Addressing his speech on the occasion to mark Food Day Dr. Homoud said "the theme of this year celebration of Food Day is the 'Food prices - from crisis to stability'. Demand for food is continuing to grow through both population growth and changing consumption patterns, as developing countries adopt diets containing more processed food and meat. By contrast, supply of food depends mainly on agricultural land which is steadily being lost to development, desertification and overexploitation". He went on to say "the price spikes in key food commodities in recent years, leading some countries to ban food exports for a period, show that food supplies can be disrupted, leading to widespread suffering in developing countries and mounting concern in countries relying on imports for its food supplies".
He highlighted that with over 1 billion hungry people on this planet, it must be noted that the major constraints to food security are economic, political and social in nature. Food security requires that a society not be based on inequity and discrimination and that international trade rules not impede efforts to develop the local food sector. Beyond these requirements, major changes must be made in policies, institutions, research and development to realize organic agriculture's full benefit for sustainable food security. "Reducing chronic hunger and improving food security is essential to achieving progress in areas like health, education, and economic growth. As long as almost one billion people in the world go hungry, the challenge of creating a fair, peaceful and prosperous world will not have been met", said Dr. Homoud. He went on to say "the human right to food is the most important instrument people have to struggle against hunger. Governments must be held accountable under their obligations with the Right to Food".
"On this World Food Day let us reaffirm our commitment to the cause of the poor and the hungry. The challenge and vision of a millennium free from hunger is attainable", he said. Reaffirming his faith of UN strategy in fighting hunger Dr. Homoud further said "we need that political will and delivery on financial commitments by governments as agreed in several conferences and submits while brainstorming on how to feed the world by 2050". There is a hope in every crisis, and I believe that together we will transform this world to a hunger free world".
He maintained that a united front was needed at the global level to fight hunger and ensure food sufficiency to people. "The achievement of the MDG 1-to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger- faces the risk of serious setbacks and it has occurred because of several reasons originating from global financial meltdown which has resulted in panicky price hikes that have reduced incomes and access to food of the poor, more severely those in the poorest part of globe", said Dr. Homoud. He urged governments to initiate and implement various programmes to increase food production, reduce inflation, create employment, expand social security nets and ensure food supply up to the people at the marginal level.
"As food prices continue to rise, and sources of food continue to dwindle, the nutritional status of millions of people unable to afford basic stapes is being compromised. Many are at risk of having nothing to eat at all. It has never been more urgent that the international community and donors focus on this epidemic that is not going away. The response to the food-price crisis requires actions both to improve the quality of responses to food crises in general and also to address issues specific to rises in food prices", said Dr. Homoud.
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