Food Security – a must for everyone

Every second one person dies in the world of starvation. The terrible statistics were published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. According to the FAO experts, the starving population numbers about one billion people. And tens of millions of people suffer from systematic malnutrition. Two-thirds of the famine-stricken population live in the Asia-Pacific Region. More from Alexander Redchenko.

What should be done to provide enough food for the residents of the huge region was discussed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum on Food Security. It was for the first time that the heads of the agriculture ministries of the APEC members met in Niigata in Japan. Russia’s delegation was led by Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik. Two Russian projects were included in the common Plan of Action.

As regards the safeguarding of food security, the world has found itself at a cross-roads, the Declaration that was adopted in Niigata says. Population growth, climate change and natural calamities have a negative impact on the world food situation. By the year 2050 the world population will top 9 billion people – hence, in order to provide sufficient food to 9 billion people, food production must be increased by 70 per cent at the minimum. It is well known that starvation, malnutrition and lack of vitamins undermine the gene pool of whole continents. As a result, children grow sickly and mentally retarded, and besides, the country can’t achieve prosperity or well-being either. Experts say that if the population in underdeveloped countries had received normal food, their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), would have been greater by at least 45 per cent in the past 30 years. Therefore, the affordability of food is not only a natural and a fundamental right of every person but also an economic category, influencing world development. Regrettably, it is absolutely clear now that the number of famine-stricken people will grow, Russian Minister of Agriculture Yelena Skrynnik says.

And this is an object of concern for everybody. Therefore, the Declaration, reflecting all approaches, including the responsibility of national governments for their attitude towards famine-stricken people has already been adopted. Russia has adopted the Food Security Doctrine as well, Yelena Skrynnik says. It was worked out in compliance with the recommendations of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and it reflects the main tasks Russia’s agricultural policy is facing today.

At the conference in Niigata Russia’s agriculture minister also stressed that food security must be ensured at all levels, including both the individual and global level. And this is possible only on condition that physical and economic access to quality products, which people need for an active and healthy life, is ensured.

Voice of Russia