Honourable Chairperson,
Honourable Director-General Dr Diouf
Your Excellencies, Ministers and Ambassadors
Esteemed Conference Delegates
Only unity and collective efforts of all Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Member States will bring about change. The millions of hungry and starving individuals have their hopes vested in us. Despite our serious global challenges, we still have hope. Doctor Jose Graziano da Silva, the Director-General (DG) elect of FAO is a symbol of that hope.
We thank Dr Diouf on behalf of all South Africans for his relentless efforts at fighting food insecurity. Dr Diouf your impressive and detailed report to plenary this morning displayed your incisive leadership of this organisation despite all the challenges you faced, including budgetary constraints. As you hand over the baton to Professor Da Silva, we are extremely hopeful that we will not betray the expectations of the hungry, malnourished and the poor.
Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to thank and congratulate the FAO on the hosting of this most successful and historic conference.
Chairperson, on 26 June 1955, a group of ordinary South Africans congregated in Kliptown, Soweto, under the banner of the Congress of The People and the leadership of Mandela, Sisulu and Tambo to adopt the Freedom Charter. One of the founding principles of the Freedom Charter was, and I quote: “The land shall be shared amongst those who work it to banish famine and land hunger” (unquote). If South Africa could bring about a peaceful end to apartheid oppression then it is within our ability to strengthen global food security.
We can improve the quality and diversity of agricultural production. We need to develop nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies in all parts of the world. Together, we can eradicate hunger and malnutrition!
South Africa is very optimistic that through support for partnerships such as the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), FAO could make a strong contribution to agricultural development.
We need to encourage development and implementation of further programmes in agriculture and rural development that promote sustainable production. Better market information, access to markets, increased investment in research and technology development, and infrastructure remain our priorities. Small-holder farmers must be placed at the centre of rural economies, since they represent the majority of the food insecure in developing countries. Increasing their production and access to markets would improve access and affordability of food amongst the most vulnerable.
South Africa will host the 17th Conference of Parties in Durban during December 2011. It is vital to include agriculture, food security and land in the climate change negotiations. The FAO, African Union, World Bank and Government of South Africa will host a High-level event to launch an Early-Action Programme on Climate Smart Agriculture. We call on this FAO conference to support the elevation of agriculture to achieve global climate change goals and the “triple win” of enhanced agricultural productivity and incomes, climate resilience and carbon sequestration.
The theme of this year’s conference boldly endorses the vital role of women in agriculture and rural development. South Africa remains committed to eliminating hunger, fighting the scourge of HIV and AIDS and empowering women. To this end we have already started the search for a woman to be the successor to Dr Da Silva. We have good female candidates in abundance. This conference should be the last conference of the FAO in which all the candidates for the position of DG were men.
Thank you!
Enquiries:
Selby Bokaba
Ministerial Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 082 778 0245
E-mail: Selbyb@daff.gov.za
South Africa country statement at Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) conference, delivered by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Tina Joemat - Pettersson Rome, Italy
