At the kick-off event of the 6th Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Summit on Saturday, Federal Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Hans Peter Friedrich, called for closer links between agricultural and food policies in the fight against global hunger. He said that it was not enough to only look at the output volumes. Friedrich emphasised: "Preserving agricultural diversity is not a luxury; it is a matter of survival. Plant varieties, once lost, cannot be recovered. We must therefore conserve our genetic resources worldwide on a permanent basis and make better use of them." He went on to say that it was not just hunger that was the problem, but also malnutrition caused by an unbalanced diet. The United Nations' Agriculture Organisation FAO estimates that there are still 840 million starving people around the globe. A further two billion people are seriously compromised in their development by malnutrition or undernutrition. "The right to food for everyone also represents a right to have access to the entire diversity of creation," said Friedrich.
At the world's largest meeting of agriculture ministers, the Federal Minister of Agriculture stressed: "Producing enough food for mankind whilst securing the foundations for a nutritious, diverse and balanced diet - this is a big challenge." He continued by saying that the decisive question in this regard was how to make agriculture as resilient as possible to climate change, volatile markets and dwindling resources. "There is no single solution that is valid for all regions and all problems. What we need here are intelligent, site-adapted and sustainable models that are suited to the people on the ground. The diversity of local plant varieties plays an important role in this context. They are adapted to the local climatic conditions and soils. Conventional breeding can make them even more productive and resilient." The BMEL plans to step up its efforts in this area and establish new cooperative research projects with emerging and developing countries in the food sector. Friedrich strongly opposed monopolisation in the access to genetic resources: "We cannot allow smallholders in emerging and developing countries to become dependent." He said that the conclusion of the International Seed Treaty and the foundation of the Global Crop Diversity Trust therefore marked important steps. He went on to say that Germany contributed significantly to this, also within the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources, and succeeded in bringing the seat of this United Nations' organisation to Bonn.
The Federal Minister expressly welcomed the industry's strong participation within the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). He said that farm machinery manufacturers, experts on infrastructure, food, agriculture as well as science and research were needed more than ever. "Politics alone cannot eliminate hunger in the world. We can only master this Herculean task by joining forces. This requires broad-based and well-coordinated social commitment, driven by industry, science, non-governmental organisations and international organisations that would concentrate in particular on involving people on the ground." This year, for the first time, the GFFA panel not only includes members of government and UN organisations but also representatives of civil society. "We can only master the huge challenges facing us by engaging in a dialogue. We need to talk and listen to each other more," stressed Friedrich.
Information on the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA)
With over 1500 participants, among them 72 Ministers from around the world this year, the GFFA is a unique political conference which focuses on key issues regarding the future of the global agri-food industry. Friedrich stated in this regard: "There is no other meeting of Agriculture Ministers in the world that is held in such high esteem as the Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Summit. The keen interest and positive response from many delegations throughout the world shows the huge importance of the agricultural sector for policy-makers around the globe." The GFFA is taking place during the International Green Week (IGW) for the sixth time in its current format. This year's event is entitled "Empowering Agriculture: Fostering Resilience - Securing Food and Nutrition".
For further information please go to: www.gffa-berlin.de and www.bmel.de
At the world's largest meeting of agriculture ministers, the Federal Minister of Agriculture stressed: "Producing enough food for mankind whilst securing the foundations for a nutritious, diverse and balanced diet - this is a big challenge." He continued by saying that the decisive question in this regard was how to make agriculture as resilient as possible to climate change, volatile markets and dwindling resources. "There is no single solution that is valid for all regions and all problems. What we need here are intelligent, site-adapted and sustainable models that are suited to the people on the ground. The diversity of local plant varieties plays an important role in this context. They are adapted to the local climatic conditions and soils. Conventional breeding can make them even more productive and resilient." The BMEL plans to step up its efforts in this area and establish new cooperative research projects with emerging and developing countries in the food sector. Friedrich strongly opposed monopolisation in the access to genetic resources: "We cannot allow smallholders in emerging and developing countries to become dependent." He said that the conclusion of the International Seed Treaty and the foundation of the Global Crop Diversity Trust therefore marked important steps. He went on to say that Germany contributed significantly to this, also within the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources, and succeeded in bringing the seat of this United Nations' organisation to Bonn.
The Federal Minister expressly welcomed the industry's strong participation within the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). He said that farm machinery manufacturers, experts on infrastructure, food, agriculture as well as science and research were needed more than ever. "Politics alone cannot eliminate hunger in the world. We can only master this Herculean task by joining forces. This requires broad-based and well-coordinated social commitment, driven by industry, science, non-governmental organisations and international organisations that would concentrate in particular on involving people on the ground." This year, for the first time, the GFFA panel not only includes members of government and UN organisations but also representatives of civil society. "We can only master the huge challenges facing us by engaging in a dialogue. We need to talk and listen to each other more," stressed Friedrich.
Information on the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA)
With over 1500 participants, among them 72 Ministers from around the world this year, the GFFA is a unique political conference which focuses on key issues regarding the future of the global agri-food industry. Friedrich stated in this regard: "There is no other meeting of Agriculture Ministers in the world that is held in such high esteem as the Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Summit. The keen interest and positive response from many delegations throughout the world shows the huge importance of the agricultural sector for policy-makers around the globe." The GFFA is taking place during the International Green Week (IGW) for the sixth time in its current format. This year's event is entitled "Empowering Agriculture: Fostering Resilience - Securing Food and Nutrition".
For further information please go to: www.gffa-berlin.de and www.bmel.de
