Toespraak over voedselprijzen/voedselcrisis, diner ministers CSD16 (Engelstalig)

Toespraak | 16-05-2008

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me first of all thank you for joining me tonight to discuss in a more informal setting one of the most pressing issues of today, the food crisis.
The topics of this CSD cycle could not have been better chosen.
Agriculture and rural development are back on the international agenda.
They are the cornerstones for sustainable development.
Allow me to provide you with some thoughts as input for our discussion tonight.

Food prices/competing claims

The food crisis is on the front page of every newspaper these days.
Riots have erupted in a number of countries around the world.
The president of the World Bank warned us that 33 nations are at risk of social unrest because of rising food prices.
Many causes are mentioned, such as neglected interest for agriculture at the international level and in developing countries the last decade, growing, demand for bio-fuels, the rapidly growing markets in Asia due to improved income and diet changes, high oil prices driven by the rapid rate of economic growth in recent years and speculation on the commodity markets, due to record lows in worldwide stocks.

According to the World Bank, food prices have almost doubled.
Studies show that the urban poor - earning less than two dollars a day - are hit hardest.
The World Bank predicts that in many countries and regions where progress in reducing poverty has been slow the impact of increasing food prices could undermine the little progress made so far.

In addition, the ever-rising trends in energy consumption and the impact of climate change on agriculture are growing concerns.
All of this is the result of unsustainable consumption and production patterns, leading to a detrimental impact on our planet.

Facing the dilemma

Having said this, it is clear that we face a serious dilemma.
As a world community, we cannot accept that we will face increased poverty and hunger.
And on top of that the UN estimates a growth of the world population with 2,5 billion reaching more than 9 billion people by 2050.
This growth will take place mostly in developing countries where nowadays over 800 million people are structurally food insecure.
The Secretary General of the UN has established a Task Force on the Global Food Crisis, which will focus on formulating a response to the increasing food prices.
The Task Force will not only look at the food crisis and what should be done in the short term, but will also deal with the root causes.

Solutions

The re-discovery of agriculture as a main driver for sustainable development and poverty reduction is crucial.
What should be done?
What should be the outcome of CSD17?
This morning/afternoon I mentioned amongst others:

• The need for substantially increased investments in agriculture;
• Further investment and research into improved cultivation practices, the breeding of new varieties and processing technology;
• Facilitating chain development, stimulating local and regional markets and improving access to international markets.

Ladies and gentlemen,

More specifically, I would be interested to hear your views on the following questions:

• How do we substantially increase investments in (sustainable) agriculture?
• What long-term strategies could be followed to improve agricultural research to develop innovative practices, and the breeding of new varieties and processing technologies?
• Which measures can be taken to address the effects of the food crisis in the short term?