by Doumbia Balla Moïse, Côte d'Ivoire, October 1997
THEME = SOCIAL ACTION
As in other countries, on 16 October, Côte d'Ivoire celebrated the 17th World Food Day, which was also the 52nd anniversary of the foundation of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
In Côte d'Ivoire, the city of Man was chosen to host the occasion. With its chosen theme of: "Investing in food certainty", FAO wanted to point out that if there is to be enough food, then necessary investment has to be made.
In 1995, FAO celebrated in Quebec, Canada, its 50th anniversary. The ministerial meeting gathered on this occasion, examined the importance of providing the necessary means to ensure there is enough food available. At the World Food Summit held in Rome in 1996, a plan of action was set up, and world leaders proclaimed their political determination to arrive at providing enough food for all, as well as reducing the number of undernourished people (presently reckoned to be some 800 million) by the year 2015.
A Seven-Point Plan of Action was put forward:
- To create the necessary political, social and economic environment for producing food;
- To wipe out poverty and unequal distribution of foodstuffs, and facilitate everyone's access to sufficient and proper food;
- To establish ways and means of ensuring long-lasting methods of agricultural development;
- To ensure that adequate political measures are adopted, so that agricultural produce can be marketed for everyone's benefit;
- To satisfy food needs in emergency situations, while still encouraging agricultural development;
- To encourage public and private investment in the agricultural sector;
- To ensure that the Plan of Action is put into effect.
This year, FAO has concentrated on Point Number Six - encouraging public and private investment in the public and private sector. This includes: storage of foodstuffs; establishing necessary infrastructures for distributing and marketing foodstuffs; transport and communication.
It is also very important to invest in developing resources used in the agricultural sector. Especially by improving training, encouraging scientific research and making the results known to a wider public, making sound use of available credit, and educating people on the importance of nutrition. Last of all, it is essential to make certain that farmers and their agricultural associations work together, so that they can qualify for the necessary funding.
FAO's special Programme for Ensuring Adequate Food supplies, covers 19 countries, described as "countries with low incomes and inadequate food production". The Programme aims at reducing undernourishment in a quick and lasting way, by increasing the production and distribution of food in the areas where the need is urgent. This Programme will cover other countries, eventually reaching out to 86 countries having the same problems, and where most of the 800 million people suffering from chronic undernourishment live.
Côte d'Ivoire's government and the FAO are working together to prepare a special programme, aimed at finding an answer to the country's real needs. This will be done by: increasing agricultural produce, especially produce rich in protein; increasing market gardening produce and rice farming.
However, agricultural production at home and importation from abroad are not enough, to guarantee an adequate and long-lasting answer to providing enough food to go around. Poverty and the unequal distribution of foodstuffs (Point Number Two in FAO's Plan of Action) must be tackled. It's poverty that blocks the way to ensuring there's sufficient food.
But even the best-laid plans can go amiss. All sectors of civil society have to work together if success is to be ensured. Mr.Francis Rinville, FAO's representative at Man's celebration of World Food Day, invited all to take the opportunity of World Food Day each year, to re-evaluate progress in the realisation of the objectives put forward at the 1996 Rome summit.
At this summit, representatives from 186 countries declared they intended to eliminate hunger from the world scene. But governments can't do everything. The private and public sectors of industry need to be involved, also public and private effort.
This year, FAO launched their "Telefood" Programme, an appeal televised worldwide from Rome to stimulate donations towards their food-sufficiency programme. If "Telefood" is to be a success, FAO needs the help of public leaders and professional organisations, as well as important celebrities like artistes and well-known personalities.
So, let's work together to provide "food for all". It is not only a moral obligation but the key to lasting development for us and for future generations.
END