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Thought for food

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-16 08:06

The World Food Day that we observe today highlights the urgent need for more international effort to address an emerging food crisis currently eclipsed by the global financial and economic crises.

With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, a recent report by the Food and Agricultural Organization found that there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people, meaning that almost one sixth of humanity is suffering from hunger.

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If the international community does not respond swiftly and adequately to the worsening problem, the 1996 World Food Summit goal of reducing the number of hungry people by half by 2015 will never be achieved.

Since food is a prerequisite for human survival and well being, and a basic human necessity, policymakers around the world must attach equal, if not greater, importance to food security for all members of society than the short-term economic downturn.

After spending trillions of dollars to resuscitate wealthy economies from the current economic crisis, world leaders have no reason to continue to ignore the dire need of investing $30 billion a year in agriculture in developing countries to help farmers.

Besides, it is estimated that global food output has to increase by 70 percent to feed a projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050. In view of this, agricultural aid to poor countries needs to be increased from the current level of $7.9 billion a year to $44 billion to increase access to irrigation systems and modern machinery as well as build roads and train farmers.

As the world's most populous country, China has always given top priority to food security.

Despite unexpected drought and the global economic recession, China is expected to have a big harvest this year, underpinning the country's stable and fast economic growth.

But continuous years of grain output increase have not blinded the Chinese policymakers from the long-term prospect of tight supply of food as the country's infrastructure for grain output remains poor, grain planting efficiency relatively low and natural calamities frequent.

The Chinese government has decided to take further measures to improve subsidy policies and encourage grain planting, stabilize market prices to protect farmers' interests and promote technology services for farmers.

It is hoped that the World Food Day will heighten public awareness of the hunger problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

More important, rich countries should shoulder their obligations to help poor countries protect the most vulnerable from the worst effects of hunger and malnutrition even in times of crisis. This resolve needs to be heard across the world, in every forum, and as loud and clear as the assertions to overcome the economic crisis or the resounding cries to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

(China Daily 10/16/2009 page8)