World Food Summit, 1996

MAC/WFY

Page-358

0230_553559_39_cha35

358

The 1990s and Beyond: International Conferences

to food security. He observed that while famines `stirred emotions and triggered
waves of solidarity among public opinion', chronic hunger was `only met with
indifference, penalized for existing in silence and for not providing shock images
on our television screens'. Yet, `it also degrades biologically and intellectually,
excluding the undernourished from the opportunities of life'. Hunger weighed
heavily on the economies of countries it affected, causing an estimated 1 per cent
a year loss in the rate of economic growth through reduced productivity and
nutritional effects.

Diouf informed the meeting that since the 1996 summit, 150 developing and

transition countries had prepared national food security strategies, and agricultural
trade strategies had been drawn up for regional economic organizations. A special
programme for food security for small farmers had been put into effect in 69
countries. A programme of prevention against transboundary animal and plant
pests and diseases was also underway. And a programme to mobilize public opinion
had also been in operation since 1997. Progress had been made in the realization of
the right to food. Despite these positive developments, concessional assistance for
agriculture had fallen by 50 per cent between 1990 and 2000, even though it was
the source of employment and income of 70 per cent of the world's population.

Critically, the number of undernourished had fallen by 6 million a year instead

of the 22 million required to reach the WFS target. At this rate, he estimated
that the target would be met 45 years behind schedule. He stated that `we know
how to fight hunger'. An anti-hunger programme launched shortly before the
meeting started would `serve as a basis for work and dialogue among partners to
mobilize the resources still needed'. In his opinion, the resources and technology
existed to eliminate `the insufferable spectre of cyclical famine and the inexor-
able deprivation of chronic hunger'. In the broader perspective of eliminating
poverty, progress needed to rest on the three pillars of food, health and education.
The mobilization of an international alliance against hunger would revive the
essential political will required if the destiny of the world's hungry was to regain
centre stage.

WFS

+5 adopted an International Alliance Against Hunger (IAAH), which contained

three substantive sections concerning political will, the challenges ahead, and
the resources needed (FAO, 2002a). The IAAH, inter alia, reaffirmed `the right
of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food' and that trade was a
`key element' in achieving world food security. Concerning political will, the
FAO Council was invited to establish an Intergovernmental Working Group `to
elaborate, in a period of two years, a set of voluntary guidelines' to support
FAO member states' efforts to achieve `the progressive realization of the right to
adequate food' in the context of national food security. FAO and other relevant
UN bodies were requested to assist the working group, which would report on its
work to the FAO Committee on World Food Security.

The United States repeated the reservation that it had voiced at the 1996 WFS

concerning the right to food. In addition, it understood `the right of access to
food to mean the opportunity to secure food, and not guaranteed entitlement'.
The United States stated that it was `committed to concrete action to meet the

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Useful links	World Food Summit, 1996 MAC/WFY Page-358 0230_553559_39_cha35 358 The 1990s and Beyond: International Conferences to food security. He observed that while famines `stirred emotions and triggered waves of solidarity among public opinion', chronic hunger was `only met with indifference, penalized for existing in silence and for not providing shock images on our television screens'. Yet, `it also degrades biologically and intellectually, excluding the undernourished from the opportunities of life'. Hunger weighed heavily on the economies of countries it affected, causing an estimated 1 per cent a year loss in the rate of economic growth through reduced productivity and nutritional effects. Diouf informed the meeting that since the 1996 summit, 150 developing and transition countries had prepared national food security strategies, and agricultural trade strategies had been drawn up for regional economic organizations. A special programme for food security for small farmers had been put into effect in 69 countries. A programme of prevention against transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases was also underway. And a programme to mobilize public opinion had also been in operation since 1997. Progress had been made in the realization of the right to food. Despite these positive developments, concessional assistance for agriculture had fallen by 50 per cent between 1990 and 2000, even though it was the source of employment and income of 70 per cent of the world's population. Critically, the number of undernourished had fallen by 6 million a year instead of the 22 million required to reach the WFS target. At this rate, he estimated that the target would be met 45 years behind schedule. He stated that `we know how to fight hunger'. An anti-hunger programme launched shortly before the meeting started would `serve as a basis for work and dialogue among partners to mobilize the resources still needed'. In his opinion, the resources and technology existed to eliminate `the insufferable spectre of cyclical famine and the inexor- able deprivation of chronic hunger'. In the broader perspective of eliminating poverty, progress needed to rest on the three pillars of food, health and education. The mobilization of an international alliance against hunger would revive the essential political will required if the destiny of the world's hungry was to regain centre stage. WFS +5 adopted an International Alliance Against Hunger (IAAH), which contained three substantive sections concerning political will, the challenges ahead, and the resources needed (FAO, 2002a). The IAAH, inter alia, reaffirmed `the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food' and that trade was a `key element' in achieving world food security. Concerning political will, the FAO Council was invited to establish an Intergovernmental Working Group `to elaborate, in a period of two years, a set of voluntary guidelines' to support FAO member states' efforts to achieve `the progressive realization of the right to adequate food' in the context of national food security. FAO and other relevant UN bodies were requested to assist the working group, which would report on its work to the FAO Committee on World Food Security. The United States repeated the reservation that it had voiced at the 1996 WFS concerning the right to food. In addition, it understood `the right of access to food to mean the opportunity to secure food, and not guaranteed entitlement'. The United States stated that it was `committed to concrete action to meet the back to top Next page
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