World
Food
Summit

13-17 November 1996 - Rome, Italy

The following text appears in the full report of the Twentieth FAO Regional Conference for Europe

World Food Summit

16. With a view to contributing a European Regional perspective to the Summit preparation, the Conference considered documents ERC/96/3 "Towards Universal Food Security: Draft of a Policy Statement and Plan of Action", ERC/96/4 "World Food Summit: Food Security Situation and Issues in Europe" and noted ERC/96/4 - Sup.1 "Food for All Campaign".

17. The Conference considered it would be premature to make any commitments of a global nature at this regional level, and therefore decided not to consider Part III of ERC/96/4. The European Union stated its wish to have discussions with other European countries on the elaboration of common European views on food security in the Region in order to give an input to the Inter-sessional Working Group of the Committee on World Food Security.

18. The Conference recognized that certain countries within the Region faced food security problems. The Region as a whole made a significant contribution to food security throughout the world, despite the fact that vulnerable groups occurred in the Region.

19. Emphasis was placed on making progress with food and agricultural production in countries in transition to market economies. Steps being taken to expand intra-regional agricultural trade were highlighted. The Conference also identified food safety and sound nutrition as areas of importance.

20. The Conference considered a number of issues should be given greater emphasis in the draft Summit documents and drew particular attention to the following:

• the over-riding need for much greater attention to be given to the fundamental problem of poverty alleviation and access to food;
• governments have responsibility for and must ensure a framework conducive to food security;
• the need for full and active participation of people and their organizations in formulating and implementing food security policies and actions;
• the empowerment of women in view of the central role they play as managers of natural resources and as food producers;
• the critical importance of addressing demographic issues;
• the importance of addressing household-level food security as an essential building block in achieving food for all;
• the multiple functions of agriculture with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture
• as an engine of growth, in fighting poverty, in providing employment in rural areas and so improving access to food, in resource conservation and in slowing the rural
• urban migration;
• the urgency of action to maintain and enhance the natural resource base of agriculture, fisheries and forestry of all regions of the world;
• the sustainable management of water resources, availability of water and dissemination of appropriate technologies for the efficient use of water;
• the substantive role of sustainable fisheries and forestry in food security;
• reinforcing and broadening research on food production systems with an emphasis on sustainable management of natural resources; and
• providing food aid where appropriate without discouraging national production and commercial structures.

21. The Conference recognized the importance for food security of a well-functioning liberal trade system at local, national, regional and international levels. However, a number of delegations cautioned that trade liberalization by itself would not be sufficient to achieve food security and ecological and social objectives, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

22. Delegations drew attention to the need to refer to agreements reached in other international fora and highlighted the importance of substantive contributions which are expected from the Leipzig FAO Conference on Plant Genetic Resources for food and agriculture. Steps needed to be taken by Member States and the UN system to ensure the World Food Summit preparation and its subsequent follow-up formed an integral part of the Conferences Action Plan (i.e. the UN system assistance for the integrated follow-up to the major UN conferences since 1990).

23. The Conference recognized that the Inter-sessional Working Group of the Committee on World Food Security had been entrusted with the task of taking forward preparation of the Summit Policy Statement and Plan of Action. It accordingly directed that its report should be provided to the Inter-sessional Working Group.

24. The Conference underlined that further steps should be taken to fully involve other relevant organizations of the United Nations system in Summit preparations. It particularly emphasized the importance of their active participation in the meetings of the Inter-sessional Working Group and stressed the need for further UN system consultations within appropriate existing inter-agency mechanisms.

25. The Conference welcomed the outcome of the FAO/Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) Consultation which took place immediately prior to the Regional Conference as a valuable input to its debate. It noted and supported transmission of the Consultation Report to the Inter-sessional Working Group of the Committee on World Food Security.