The Workshop on Rural Radio and Food Security was a side-event of the 31st Session of FAO Conference, which was held in Rome from 2nd to 13th of November. The venue of the five African radio broadcasters during FAO Conference gave them the opportunity to cover the event in African languages - namely in Bamana/Bambara, Peuhls, Sepedi/Zulu, Swahili and Haoussa - and to broadcast to their stations.
The Conference is the supreme governing body of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Comprising of all the 184 FAO Members (presently 183 States and one Member Organization, the European Community), it meets on a regular session every two years. Its main functions are to determine the policies of the Organization, approve the budget, and make recommendations to Members and international organizations on any matter pertaining to the purposes of FAO. The Conference also elects the Council, comprising 49 Member Nations.
Before their arrival in Rome, the five radio broadcasters as well as AMARC and DCFRN representatives received preliminary/preparatory information and documents including documentation on topics to be discussed during the Conference, namely:
Progress in the Revision of the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides,
FAO Plan of Action on Gender and Development (2002-2007)
International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Seventh Progress Report on the Implementation of the Plan of Action for Women in Development (1996-2001)
Evaluation Report on EMPRES.(Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases).
The first day of the Workshop, the radio broadcasters attended a Press Conference, given by the Director General, Jacques Diouf. This was an opportunity for African radio broadcasters to be exposed to an international environment, together with journalists and correspondents coming from the international press, radio and TV, and to ask questions to FAO Director-General. This Press event also allowed them to hear experts presenting the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, before its approval as an International Treaty. This signature constitutes one of the major successes of the Conference.
As regards the live coverage of the Conference, three of the five radio broadcasters succeeded in sending their reports to their stations, using FAO radio studio, in African languages: Haoussa, Bambara and Peuhls.
The one-week Workshop was also an opportunity for African radio broadcasters to conduct a number of interviews with a Representative to FAO in the context of the Conference (Ambassador of Mali), and with technical experts in the following fields: Special Programme for Food Security, Forestry Resources, Nutrition Programmes, Agricultural Marketing, Biodiversity, Early Warning Systems and Animal Health. The interviews were conducted in English or French, and one was carried out in Swahili. The interviews were conducted with the following officers:
1. WITH NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE
Mr. Ibrahim Bocar Daga
Mali Ambassador to FAO
2. WITH FAO TECHNICAL EXPERTS
Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS)
Mr. Abdul Kobakiwal (English)
Chief, Special Programme for Food Security
Ms Laura de Clementi (French)
Special Programme for Food Security
Forest Resources (FORD)
Mr. ElHaji Sene (English and French)
Director, Forest Resources Division
Nutrition (ESNP)
Ms Florence Egal (French)
Nutrition Programme Service
Agricultural Marketing (AGSM)
Mr. Andrew Shepherd (English)
Marketing and Rural Finance Service
Biodiversity
Mr. Clive Stannard (French)
Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS)
Mr. Stéphane Jost (French)
GIEWS
Animal Health
Mr. Mark Rweyemamu (Swahili)
Infectious Diseases Group (EMPRES)
Thus in this way, the 5 rural radio broadcasters had an opportunity to seek clarification from the experts on pertinent issues and concerns that are relevant to their audience background and communities of origin. It was a challenging opportunity for them to exercise their rightful role of representing the interests of their communities as known to them.
After all the input-sessions, conference coverings and interviews with the technical experts, the participants joined their voices into one voice, by issuing a final communique.
