Africa/ IFAD: food production must double within 2050.
President Bage: economic crisis is worsening poverty.
Rome, (Apcom) - Food production must double by 2050 said IFAD President,Lennart Bage, calling for the attention of the world's leaders and underlining the steps that must be taken in order to better global food security and put an end to poverty and famine."We are experiencing the most significant world economic crisis we've seen in years - said Bage. Even before the crisis nearly one person out of six lived in conditions of poverty and famine. Such percentage is now increasing and only last year the list grew to include another 100 million people. This cancels a previously decreasing trend". During the last Governing Council meeting of his 8-year presidency, Bage warned: "The most dramatic fact is that the long term supply is not meeting the demands. We anticipate that demand for food at an international level will increase by 50% by 2030, and that it will double by 2050. At the same time, agricultural production,which grew by 4-5% in the 1900s and in the first part of the 1980s, decreased to the current 1-2%".
An increase in agricultural production is essential; however, the chances of extending crops are limited. It is estimated that without cutting forests,only 10-15% of cultivable land remains. Therefore most of the increase in crops will have to come from better productivity for each hectare already cultivated. "This requires more political attention and bigger investments"said Bage.
Small farmers must be involved in the global response to food demand. There are about 500 million small farmers who represent over 2 billion people, a third of humanity, underlined Bage: "In Africa and in Asia, small farmers cultivate 80 per cent of the available land. Internationally, families of small farmers represent the majority of poor people who live on less than one or two dollars per day. At the same time they represent an important part of potential global food production."
The IFAD Governing Council, which met in Rome between 18th and 19th February, elected current Vice-President Kanayo Nwanze as head of the UN agency. Nigerian Nwanze will replace Bage on 1st April.