PRESS RELEASE OF CIIA

June 28, 2011

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The International Commission for Food Industries (CIIA) welcomes the Action Plan on Price Volatility decided by Ministers of Agriculture on June 23 at their meeting in Paris and will be handed to G20 Heads of Government in November 2011.

 

CIIA made several proposals (see releases of December 3, 2010, March 15, April 11 and May 2, 2011) inward debate. CIIA suggests making two additions to the Plan.


CIIA indeed underlines with great interest the decision of:
- Launching the “Agricultural Market Information System” (AMIS) by involving the private sector through the implementing of a Forum for fast reaction related to the Committee on World Food Security with FAO, with the outlook published in June 2012;
- Launching an "Initiative for satellite monitoring of the global agriculture" coordinated by the GEO secretariat hosted by the World Meteorological Organization through voluntary international network;
- Recommending that WTO adopts a resolution to remove food export restrictions and taxes on food purchased by WFP for humanitarian and non-commercial targets;
- Taking up challenges and exploiting opportunities related to biofuels;
- Recognizing that contracts between farmers and buyers or suppliers of agricultural inputs can improve the price volatility risk management and provide greater predictability throughout the agricultural value chain;
- Supporting a targeted system proposition of emergency food reserves

CIIA underlines that the Ministers of Agriculture encourage countries, international organizations and the private sector to increase investment in agriculture in developing countries and in activities closely related to increasing agricultural productivity, food security and income generation in rural areas such as agricultural institutions, consulting services, cooperatives, research, roads, ports, cold chain, energy, storage, irrigation systems, the information and communication technology, mitigation and adaptation to climate change. They recognize in particular the importance of rice for food security as the main crop used in Asia and increasingly in Africa. However, it is an international initiative of research on the wheat is launched with the indication that IRIWI will open initiatives on other cultures ...

Because the increase in population is centered mainly in Asia and Africa and having the Ministers recognized that the first responsibility of each State is to ensure food security for its population,
CIIA proposes that the efforts of research, investments and information to producers in order to improve the food chains efficiency first devoted to the rice and tropical cereals production.

In addition, the resources of stockbreeders are directly correlated to the availability of agricultural inputs and, considering that 3/4 of poor people live in rural areas, those living in urban areas are hardest hit by food price sharp rise since their little poor financial resources are not indexed.
CIIA proposes that the emergency reserves management takes especially into account the situation of stockbreeders and urban poor people.

 

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