Udenrigsudvalget 2009-10
URU Alm.del Bilag 123
Offentligt
Speech of Minister Gerda Verburg of the Netherlands Ministryof Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, on the occasion of theFAO World Summit on Food Security on 17 November 2009Your Excellencies, Colleagues, distinguished delegates, Ladies andGentlemen,The years 2008 and 2009 have shown very clearly theinterdependent character of the world economy.Almost no country or economic sector has been exempted from thesometimes disastrous effects of the worldwide financial and economiccrisis.This goes especially for the countries and people who were stillreeling from the onslaught of the food and energy crisis.Bail-outs of huge companies; subprime mortgages, and the debateabout bonuses for managers of financial institutions have taken overthe front pages of the newspapers.However, we must not forget that the food crisis is still there.It poses a threat not only to the wellbeing of nearly a billion peoplebut also to national and international security.Ladies and Gentlemen,We are facing one of the biggest challenges ever: how to feed 9billion people in 2050.This was also the main challenge of the 17thsession of the UnitedNations Commission on Sustainable Development, which I chaired.There was recognition of the fact that the achievement of the firstMillennium Development Goal of halving the number of people livingin poverty seems further away than ever.At the same time, numerous reports indicate that we use far more ofour natural resources than our planet can regenerate.Some reports even suggest as much as four times!The competition for the use of natural resources – land, water andbiodiversity – for the production of food, feed and bio-fuels is fiercerthan ever.Against this backdrop delegates from all over the world agreed inNew York in May 2009 that a world facing multiple crises, includingclimate change and looming natural resource scarcity, urgently needsa transition towards a more sustainable and resource efficientagriculture.I am convinced that people realize that old solutions no longer fit thenew challenges of the 21stcentury.“If you do what you did, you get what you got”.The most important result of this year’s CSD-session was a paradigmshift for agriculture.1 van 4
Agriculture is now at the heart of sustainable development.Agriculture is no longer seen as a problem in achieving sustainabledevelopment.Agriculture is now considered an important part of the solution.Agriculture is at the heart of poverty reduction. In many developingcountries, agriculture is the driving force for economic development.Agriculture is at the heart of the climate change agenda, especiallywhen we look at mitigation and adaptation measures.Ladies and Gentlemen,This paradigm shift underlines the need for a sustainable and homegrown Green Revolution, especially in Africa.Such a second Green Revolution should be a revolution in the mostliteral meaning of the word.This means calling for a revolution in ideas, a revolution intechnologies and a revolution in agricultural and trade policies andmarket access as well as providing the financial means.It calls for new, creative and innovative thinking.It involves not only Governments, but all parts of society.Such a sustainable second Green Revolution can happen through afive track approach:- increasing our investments in sustainable agriculture;- creating an enabling environment;- developing sustainable production and food chains;- improving market access especially for developing countries, and- Social safety net and access to finance, through for example,microcredit.From these five areas of action one can see the importance ofconcerted action by governments and other partners in society,especially agribusiness.Entrepreneurship in the broad agricultural sector is key to sustainablegrowth.For stability and wealth in a country large scale and small scaledevelopment of the agricultural sector is needed.Ladies and Gentlemen,Part of the paradigm shift is also the full use of the latest scientificknowledge and experience and the opportunities provided by science,research and technology.They must be connected to education and agricultural extensionservices in order to disseminate the results of research and to makeit applicable on the ground.Extension services need to be revitalized in many countries and mademore representative.In that area we must realize that women are the most importantcontributors to agricultural production in Africa. They produce 60% ofthe food, but own only 2% of the land and only receive 5% of theagricultural assistance.2 van 4
Ladies and Gentlemen,I already mentioned the relationship between sustainable agricultureand climate change.I always think that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.Next month Copenhagen should be the place to prove that agricultureis at the heart of the climate change agenda.Globally, the agricultural sector has a significant potential tocontribute to mitigation of climate change as well as to provideadaptation and sustainable development opportunities. At the sametime, it can improve the lives and incomes of farmers and perhapsdeliver diversified livelihoods.Some reports suggest that the agricultural sector could be broadlycarbon neutral by 2030 if sustainable management practices werewidely adopted.Globally, themitigationpotential could be realised at low cost.The challenge here is how to unlock the potential while maintaining asustained food production capacity.Mitigation actions to increase soil carbon, for example, can increaseresilience against climate-induced stresses and increase productivityin a sustainable way.Mitigation is one thing, but we must not lose sight of the seriouschallenges for agricultural production resulting from highertemperatures and drier or wetter climates.Therefore, investments inadaptation arekey, including, forexample, in more drought and heat-tolerant crops.If we want a second Green Revolution, we need to modernizeagriculture by combining the best farmer knowledge with the bestagricultural science, as well as by promoting good land and waterstewardship.While we need toadaptagricultural practices to climate change,there are win-win opportunities for both adaptation and mitigation inagriculture.
It is not just what happens down on the farm that echoes to theclimate theme.There is a great deal that can be achieved in terms of thedistribution, post harvest and consumption of the food we eat.Food waste, from the farm and the seas to the supermarket and thekitchen, is an area that has been under-examined in this regard.So, let us push for including agriculture and soil carbon in a newclimate change deal in Copenhagen.Ladies and Gentlemen,
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To conclude, to meet our challenges we need a strong and adaptiveFood and Agriculture Organization in the UN. I welcome the FAOreform and the increased Rome based agencies.But, there is still a long way to go.Nevertheless, I will aim for the continuation of the multi donorpartnership between the FAO and the Netherlands government. Iencourage other Member States to join us.CSD 17 and this Summit should be meetings where we intensify ourinvestments in agriculture, not only with words but rather withactions and financial means.Only together we can make this happen for the benefit of our childrenand our grandchildren.Thank you.
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