Annex 1
Media Coverage

Thairath
19 October 2006

Daily News
Thursday, 19 Octoter 2006

MCOT.ORG

FAO honours model farmers from Asia

BANGKOK, Oct 17 (TNA) -The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Tuesday honoured model farmers from four Asian countries including Thailand for their outstanding achievements in aquaculture, livestock, industrial crop production and seed farming.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presented FAO awards to four Asian model farmers--Phloiruedee Pitiworawong from Thailand, Wang Haiyan from China, U Moe Win from Myanmarand Rashid Hussain from Pakistan.

They were honoured for their outstanding achievement and for providing that investments in agriculture can pay off, although even more can be accomplished if the right policies are in place to address the problems faced by small farmers.

The presentation ceremony was held at FAO's regional office for Asia and the Pacific here.

The model farmerfrom Thailand, was Phloiruedee, a 57-year-old aquaculture farmer from the southern province of Chumphon who achieved success in sea bass farming.

She got the idea after listening to a distance learning programme on radio sponsored by His Majesty the King's Chai Pattana Foundation and heard that sea bass could be farmed commercially.
In an FAO statement, she was quoted saying that she fervently advocates sustainable farming - making optimal use of land, water and other natural resources - including applying motherly devotion and love for the land and children of Thailand.

The three other farmers honoured were Mr. Wang, U Moe Win and Mr. Hussain in the fields of livestock, industrial corps production and seed farming respectively. (TNA)-E003

Last Update : 2006-10-17 / 18:43:41 (GMT+7:00)

FAO honors four Asian model farmers

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Tuesday honored model farmers from four Asian countries for their outstanding achievements in their respective farming fields.

Thai Princess Sirindhorn presented the FAO awards at FAO's regional office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok to four Asian model farmers-- Phloiruedee Pitiworawong from Thailand, Wang Haiyan from China, U Moe Win from Myanmar and Rashid Hussain from Pakistan, in the fields of agriculture, livestock, industrial crops production and seed farming respectively.

According to the FAO, the farmers were honored for their outstanding achievement and for providing that investments in agriculture can pay off, although even more can be accomplished if the right policies are in place to address the problems faced by small farmers.

Source: Xinhua

UPDATED: 10:04, October 18, 2006

Thairath
19 October 2006

Drive to feed world's hungry 'falling short'
From correspondents in Rome
17oct06
WORLD leaders and development experts called for greater investment in agriculture and greater compassion toward the world's poor today, as rich and poor capitals marked World Food Day with actions large and small.
In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI appealed for solidarity as the key to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment.
Local communities "must also be involved in the choice and decisions that concern the use of their territory, because arable land is increasingly directed to other uses to the detriment of the environment", the pontiff said in a message read by the Holy See's permanent observer at the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
According to the FAO, wealthy nations have fallen short in helping about 850 million hungry people around the world.
Foreign aid for agriculture and rural development has declined from an average of $US9 billion ($12 billion) in the early 1980s to less than $US5 billion ($6.6 billion) in the late 1990s, according to the FAO.
"Increasing the volume of public investment in agriculture but also making it more effective are of absolute necessity," FAO head Jacques Diouf said today, recalling that the World Food Summit in 2002 adopted as its core objective reducing world hunger by half before 2015.
In Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo's outgoing Agricultural Minister Constant Ndom Nda Ombel echoed Diouf s appeal for greater agricultural investment.
"Investing in agriculture can be justified in that it remains the most certain source not only of food
but also of revenue and employment," the minister said on Congolese radio.
In drought-prone Afghanistan, officials handed tools and fertilisers to farmers during a ceremony in Kabul.
And in Bangladesh, a bleak report published today by the UN World Food Program found 15 per cent of the rural population suffered from chronic hunger.
Richer countries also marked the day with ceremonies recalling the plight of the poor. Charities in Brussels and Santiago de Compostella, Spain, erected giant hourglasses as reminders of the urgency of hunger and malnourishment, which primarily affects rural areas.
"That is where it is most critical to provide food and employment - the seed planted by a farmer leads to a flourishing agribusinesses that pay taxes, and help build rural schools and roads," Mr Diouf of the FAO said.
"Agricultural development is the first step of a long-term sustainable economic growth."
The theme for World Food Day 2006 reflects these priorities: "Investing in agriculture for food security so that the world will profit."
Mr Diouf said there has been a significant revival in lending and other actions promoting agriculture, including debt forgiveness programs.
"But much still remainstobedoneand innovative actions are welcome," he said.
The FAO-which has disbursed more than $US80 billion ($107 billion) in funding for agricultural project to 165 member nations over four decades - is today promoting "profitable partnerships" between private and public sectors.
"This means finding new ways of bringing together producers - small farmers and cooperatives - with agribusiness and governments to create profitable ventures," he said.
During the ceremonies today, Cuban pianist Chucho Baldeswas named the FAO's "goodwill ambassador".

World Food Day: Musharraf for a world sans hunger and poverty

ISLAMABAD (October 16 2006): The World Food Day being observed on Monday is an appeal to our collective conscience to act for the achievement of a world without hunger and poverty, said President General Pervez Musharraf here in his message on the day.

He said, the World Food Day theme for this year "Investing in Agriculture for Food Security" is a reminder of the stark reality that despite heavy investment in technological development, we are still far from ensuring food security for the world.

This theme is of particular significance to Pakistan because agriculture is the mainstay of livelihood of about 65.9 percent of the national population living in the rural areas and is the prime driver of national economy.

It employs about 44.8 percent of the labour force and is a major source of foreign exchange earnings. Investment in this sector will result not only in increased food production but would also help ensure food security and improve living standards of our people.

Realising the importance of investing in agriculture, the government has initiated a series of policies and programmes aimed at raising agriculture productivity, reducing poverty, improving living standards and enhancing human capital involved in agriculture.

This financial year, we initiated the first phase of productivity enhancement food security programme that shall, Inshallah, by 2015, enable food security for the rural population in 13,000 villages.

The programme is designed around an integrated programme of crops, livestock, fisheries and off-farm rural development activities for enhancing productivity, increasing rural income and improving living standards.

The key components of the project include establishing an easy access to credit for resource poor farmers, improvement of irrigation system, water use efficiency, adoption of modern technologies and empowerment of women so they may contribute positively for agriculture productivity.

I would also like to compliment and appreciate the efforts of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for its drive to reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty in the world. Its role as a policy advisor, a technical assistance agency and a centre of excellence on agriculture has been instrumental in assisting many food deficit nations in producing and procuring food for its population.

Its present effort for increased investment in agriculture will go a long way in assuring food security for the generations to come.

On the occasion of World Food Day, the government of Pakistan pledges itself to invest more for the cause of food security so that the farmers may reap maximum benefits and make the country self sufficient in food production.

Copyright PPI (Pakistan

Myanmar encourages local, foreign investment in agriculture
Myanmar is encouraging local and foreign investment in the sector of agriculture, as there exists a great deal of land in the country to be utilized for the purpose, said a government official on Monday. A total of about 18 million hectares of fallow and cultivable waste land are available for agricultural expansion, said Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Major-General Htay Ooata ceremony to mark the World Food Day in Nay Pyi Taw, the new administrative capital of Myanmar.
"For immediate expansion and investment in about 7 million hectares, investment laws and land tenures acts have been put in force for foreign entrepreneurs and local economic enterprises to cooperate and invest without any apprehension," said Htay Oo.
The theme of the World Food Day of the Food and Agriculture Organization is defined as "Invest in Agriculture for Food Security" this year.
Htay Oo said irrigation coverage in Myanmar has reached 12 percent of the total sown area, adding that 189 dams and irrigation works and 298 pump lift irrigation facilities were brought into operation, providing irrigation for nearly 2 million hectares against a net sown area of 12 million hectares.
On the livestock sector, he noted that better strains of livestock have been introduced in conjunction with rural development, while land tenure acts have been amended to encourage local as well as foreign entrepreneurs to invest and engage in the sector.
He reiterated that Myanmar has laid down suitable policies and strategies for food sufficiency, saying that the country does not foresee any problems for the present nor envisage any difficulties in the future.
He expressed Myanmar's confidence that the country will help tackle global and regional food need. Myanmar has a population of over 55 million, of whom nearly 70 percent live in rural areas, and are engaged in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry economic activities. These sectors remain the main pillars in the country's economy.
He assumed that Myanmar could one day reclaim its pre-eminent position as one of the top global exporter of food products.
At Monday's ceremony, Tang Zhengping, resident representative of FAO, read out the message of FAO Director-General and the Myanmar ministry presented prizes to those for outstanding contribution in agriculture.
According to official statistics, agricultural sector constitutes 41.2 percent of Myanmar's national economy and 11 percent of the export.
The agricultural sector grew 11.8 percent in the fiscal year of 2005-06 (April 2005-March 2006).
Source: Xinhua

The Financial Express

Public and private sectors investment in agri-sector underscored 10/17/2006
Speakers at a seminar underscored Monday the need for further increasing
government and private sectors investment in the agriculture /?/
ensuring food security in the country, reports BSS.
In the overall agri-sector, more investment /?/
- irrigation, seeds, extension works an /?/
production as it is considered as a drivii /?/
they said.
Agriculture Minister M K Anwar attended
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdullah
Agriculture Secretary Kazi Abul Kashem w /?/
The ministry of agriculture organised the se /?/
Research Council (BARC) auditorium on tht /?/
Executive Director of BARC Dr Nurul Alam, /?/
Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Shaha /?/
Karim and FAO Representative (acting in-cha /?/
others, took part in the discussion. Mohammad /?/
paper.
Agriculture Minister M K Anwar said 25 per cent i /?/
the country through supply of adequate quantity /?/
He said a revolution would take place in the seed . /?/
ensure supply of 50 per cent HYV seeds to the farmerswithin /?/
years from the existing only 10 per cent. /?/
Laying emphasis on increasing private sector investi /?/
the private entrepreneurs have to come forward to in /?/
especially in seeds, marketing and research, to boost 1 ;
poverty.
The minister asked the extension workers to discharge
sincerity by making interaction with the farmers to this /?/I
Abdullah Al Noman laid emphasis on launching an integr /?/
foods, fisheries and livestock with agriculture for achievin /?/
agri-sector with a view to removing poverty.

HERALD WEEKLY ISSUE 325: 21 OCTOBER 2006
Friday's the day at market
FRIDAY is World Food Day, with the Ministry of Agriculture org
Minister of Agriculture Aunty Mau Munokoa will official open the /?/
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Na
Ministry - celebrate World Food Day each year. This is done or
Here's the programme for Friday's events in Rarotonga:
9am -10am: official opening, Minister Agriculture Aunty Mau
10.30am: open to the public
10.45am -12pm: Master of ceremonies Nga Mataiowill interview each stall and talk about their root crops, vegetables,
ornamentals, seedlings
Events: by various schools
Coconut Husking
Floral arrangement

HERALD WEEKLY ISSUE 325: 21 OCTOBER 2006
The Right to Food
Global education project launched by Girl Guides, Scouts
A new global education project was launched this week to raise awareness about hunger and the right to food among children and young people around the world.
It is part of World Food Day activities around the world. These are marked in Rarotonga on Friday with events at Punanga Nui Market organised by the Ministry of Agriculture.
INITIATIVE
As part of the ongoing "Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger" initiative, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts produced a cartoon-style story book.
This is entitled "The Right to Food: A Window on the World." It comes with a companion "Resource and Activity Guide" educating young people and motivating them to join in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
Speaking at a news conference, Alexander Muller, FAO Assistant Director-General for Sustainable Development, said:
"The right to food is, in principle, the right to feed oneself, and one's family, adequately and with dignity.
"Raising the awareness of young people about the inseparable nature of human rights, food security and good nutrition, and about how each of us can play a part in helping secure everyone's right to nutritionally adequate food is essential to this end."
Elspeth Henderson, Chairman of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Board, said:
SURE
"We at WAGGGS have a responsibility to make sure that the messages about the right to food and giving everyone access to nutritionally adequate and safe food get to all of our members, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 144 countries and that they and other young people around them are inspired to take action."
Keeping it simple
According to FAO, the materials present right to food issues in a simple, understandable and attractive style that captures the attention of young people.
The materials will help young people understand that each individual has the right to adequate food and that governments,

consumer organizations, the private sector, communities and families have an obligation to help protect, promote and support that right.
The book consists of an introductory section providing an overview of selected right to food issues, and eight individual stories dedicated to illustrating aspects of food security and right to food issues in Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
CULTURAL
A unique feature of the publications is that the illustrations were planned and drawn by young artists and art students from the eight countries.
The cartoon-style drawings convey national differences in culture, lifestyles, food habits, environments and living conditions. In each of the selected countries, a national contest was organized among art schools and institutes for illustrating the chapter set in that country.
The book and the Resource and Activity Guide are available in six languages in both hard copy and electronic formats, including as a CD-ROM and as web-based HTML and PDF files.
To order the books, send an e-mail to: [email protected]

An attendant stands behind the reception of a Vietnamese restaurant in Hong Kong October 12, 2006. World Food Day will be celebrated October 16, the day on which The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was founded in 1945. REUTERS/Bobby Yip (HONG KONG) Reuters Oct 12 4:07 AM

An attendant stands at a food concierge inside a shopping mall in Hong Kong October 12, 2006. World Food Day will be celebrated October 16, the day on which The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was founded in 1945. REUTERS/Bobby Yip (HONGKONG) Rjeuters - Oct 12 3:56 AM.

World Food Day to be observed today
By IE
Monday October 16,12:32AM
part of World Food Day celebrations, the Indian Water Resources Society
RS) and Central Water Commission (CWC) arejointly organising a series of
/?/nts in Gandhinagar on October 16. The events revolve around the theme
/?/sting in agriculture for food security' declared by the Food and Agriculture
/?/isation (FAO).
/?/s include a roundtable discussion on "Food and political security in India -
/?/of blockades against water storage projects", workshop on 'Preventive
/?/e for national development and effective water management', World Food
/?/ction, and a management committee meeting of IWRS, in Gandhinagar.
/?/g to IWRS and CWC, although agriculture may have become a minor
/?/any industrialised economies, it has to play a starring role on the world
/?/nger has to be eradicated. Yet, the foreign aid for agriculture and rural
/?/t has continued to decline, the bodies also added.
/?/of over US $9 billion per year in the early 1980s, it had fallen to less
/?/billion in the late 1990s. Meanwhile, an estimated 854 million people
/?/rld remain undernourished.
/?/ood and political security in India, the organisations aim to urge
/?/st otherwise "Indian civilisation may be doomed due to severe
/?/, potable water and reliable power".

October17,2006
Food Day: 'UN goal of halving hunger before 2015
/?/ o achieve'
/?/ : The United Nations Millennium Development Goal to cut down hunger in
/?/ar 2015 will be difficult to achieve, if crop production is not increased, said
/?/ster for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on the
World Food Day on Monday.
/?/articipants of a function organised at the National Agricultural Research
/?/C), he said, "A massive scaling up of food security efforts and poverty
/?/tions globally would be required by all countries having high prevalence of
/?/y.
pointed to the government's commitment to "revolutionise" the agricultural
/?/h enhancing investment in agriculture, technology interventions and policy
/?/ssing this year's theme of "Investing in agriculture for food security" the
/?/the gathering that included diplomats and scientists that the government
/?/ make agriculture a profitable profession and business.
ests on adoption of modern technologies for crop production, water £ and livestock promotion and this year the government has funded /?/ dopting efficient agricultural technologies," he said.
hat investment in agro-based industry had been attracted and facilitated. "Several protocols and MoUs have been concluded for trade promotion, especially enhancing export of fruits, vegetables, rice and other agricultural products." He thought that measures such as these would give a new direction to agriculture and at the same time create possibilities for increasing the revenue for the agriculture sector, which in turn would benefit the poor farming community. "This approach of agriculture development will also help reduce rural poverty, ensure food security and make agriculture more competitive in the international market," he said.
Earlier, Bosan gave away the Norman Borlaug award to Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, the chief scientific officer and member Crop Sciences Division of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
Dr Iftikhar designed and established a national programme with a strong initiative of its large-scale implementation through farm level research and farmer education approach.
Meanwhile, a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative read out the message of the organisation's director general in which he said that despite progress achieved in agriculture and rural development, more than 850 million people still remained hungry and poor. "Our greatest challenge is to reach the World Food Summit and the first UN Millennium Development Goal to reduce hunger and poverty worldwide by 2015."
He said that recently there had been a significant revival in lending for agriculture. "Debt forgiveness programmes, strengthened by the G-8 decision in 2005, have begun to release national resources for investment in the sector, but much more remains to be done," he said. Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk

Afghanistan: Celebration of World Food Day

Kabul, 16 October 2006 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
celebrates World Food Day (WFD) each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. The theme chosen for World Food Day this year is "Investing in agriculture for food security" so that "the whole world will profit." The aim is to highlight the role of investment in agriculture - both public and private. Action should be supported to improve rural livelihoods by reversing the decline of public investment in agriculture over the last two decades.
Seventy percent of the world's hungry live in rural areas. That is where it is most critical to provide food and employment. The seed planted by a farmer leads to a flourishing agribusinesses that pay taxes, and help build rural schools and roads. Agricultural development is the first step of a long-term sustainable economic growth. Everyone gains from investment in agriculture.
The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with FAO celebrated the WFD on Monday, 16th October 2006,10:00 -12:00 am at Ministry of Agriculture Conference Hall, Jamal Mina, Opposite Kabul University.
The Deputy of FAO representative in Afghanistan read the Dari translation of message of the FAO Director General for World Food Day on "Investing in agriculture for food security " in which he mentioned "the objective is to ensure food security through agriculture and rural development, as well as to underline the importance of incentives and institutions for targeted and managed resources that generate maximum social benefits".
The Ministry of Agriculture mentioned in the it's message "Fortunately, Ministry of Agriculture completed the National Agricultural Master Plan based on its developed policy and strategy with assistance of Ministry professions and international colleagues, for investment in agriculture, increment of quality agricultural productions and crops, access to market and increment of export for national revenue, revenue of farmers, better life status and food security. No doubt that the basic and side needs of the implementation has been taken in to consideration".
UN Agencies, International NGOs, Ambassadors, donors, the representatives of Governmental authorities, Afghan farmers and national and international media were invited to the celebration.
An exhibition of agricultural projects and activities of Ministry of Agriculture and FAO took place and a short film was showed which highlighted this year's WFD theme. The ceremony ended with distribution of agricultural inputs to the farmers and a package of local food was given to each participant.

Source: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
Date: 16 Oct 2006