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Press Release 98/22
NEAR EAST DEPENDENCY ON FOOD IMPORTS ON THE RISE
DIOUF, FAO READY TO SUPPORT FOOD PRODUCTION
Damascus, 24 March - Dr. Jacques Diouf, The
Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) warned this morning, in his
statement to the 24th FAO Regional Conference for the Near
East, against the widening food gap facing the Near East
Region since 1990 where net cereal imports may reach an
alarming 71% increase in the next 12 years.
" Net cereal imports in the [Near East] Region placed at
44 million tons in 1988-90 are expected to reach 75.5
million tons by the year 2010" Dr. Diouf said. " The
high cost of food imports combined with the loss of income
from commodity exports as a result of falling prices and
increasing debt burden, have caused serious problems for
many low-income food-deficit countries [in the Region] and
slowed their progress towards the achievement of food
security. In Iraq, while the food supply situation has
improved with the implementation of the oil-for-food
agreement, malnutrition remains a serious concern."
Addressing Ministers of Agriculture and Senior Officials
from the Region's 29 Member Nations gathered here since the
21st of this month, Dr. Diouf stated, "FAO's activities in
the previous biennium were marked by the World Food Summit
held in November 1996 and several initiatives have now been
undertaken to implement the resulting Plan of Action."
The World Food Summit Plan of Action, adopted by 186
countries, called on the international community,
governments, the private sector and civil society to work
together with FAO and other development agencies to at least
cut by half the number of today's 800 million chronically
hungry people in the world, by the year 2015.
He added, " 150 national strategies for agriculture and
food security towards the year 2010 have been drafted with
the governments of developing Member Nations and others in
transition, including all the countries of the Near East
Region; the Special Program for Food Security [targeting
rural poor communities] is now operational in 30 countries,
including 4 in the Near East, and under formulation in 40
others, including 6 in the Near East; and the Food
Insecurity and Vulnerability Information Mapping System has
been established."
Furthermore, "two FAO programs, namely the Emergency
Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests
Diseases and the Regional Animal Disease Surveillance and
Control Network are making noticeable contributions in the
Near East region in the prevention and control of pests and
animal diseases". Dr. Diouf added, " it is with concern
that I inform you of an outbreak of the Old World screw Worm
in Iraq ... FAO, in response to a request from the
Government of Iraq, provided emergency advice as well as
insecticides, technical assistance and training. Control
operations will continue with funds provided by the
Netherlands."
In accordance with the directives of the Summit, Dr.
Diouf said, " FAO has also encouraged the launching of
Food for All campaigns to mobilize civil society. The
Telefood 1997 operation that was broadcast by some 100
television channels in over 70 countries gave 500 million
viewers an added insight into the problems of hunger and
malnutrition and laid the foundations of a system for
raising funds which - already this year - will finance small
projects of direct assistance to rural communities in
developing countries, helping them boost agricultural
production. The next edition will be launched from 16 to 18
October 1998 and will be larger in scale than last year".
He also touched on the problem of water scarcity in the
Near East. Against projections indicating that by year
2025, the per capita availability of renewable water for
most countries in the Region will fall below 700 cubic
meters compared with a global average of 4780 cubic meters
per person that year, Mr. Diouf said, " the high variation
of rainfall subjects many areas of the Region to great risks
and insecure food production. In 10 countries of the Region,
water use exceeds 100 percent of their renewable resources,
and water quality problems plague another ten. Since almost
all easily accessible conventional water resources have now
been committed, the emphasis in the future must be directed
towards the efficient use of water".
Highlighting the importance of Regional cooperation Dr.
Diouf said, " many common and technical problems faced by
individual countries of the Region could better be solved by
joining efforts. The strengthening or establishment by FAO
of Regional and Sub-regional offices is meant to foster and
develop this kind of regional cooperation. Now with the
sprouting interest in regional economic and technical
cooperation within the Near East Region, there seem to be an
opportunity for strengthening collaboration among Member
Nations and with regional and national funding
institutions." He went on to say, " the Organization stands
ready within its mandate and fields of competence, to
support any new form of regional cooperation to promote the
agricultural development and food production processes."
Dr. Diouf added, "One of FAO's ongoing concerns is to
promote investment in agriculture. During the last 3 years,
the Investment Center [of FAO] has prepared investment
projects in the Near East Region for a total value of US $
756 million, including US $ 370 million from external
funds." In addition, " FAO's Technical Co-operation Program
continues to act as strong catalyst on account of its
defining characteristics of rapid approval, limited project
duration, low costs and practical orientation. A total of 63
new projects [in agriculture and rural development] were
implemented in the Near East Region in 1996-97."
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