Brussels, 31/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - As expected, the Commission, on Wednesday 31 March, adopted two strategic communications on food supply security and food aid to push the EU more resolutely to tackle hunger in the world and to help developing nations tackle food insecurity, in both emergencies and the long term, so that Millennium Development Goal n°1 (eliminating poverty and hunger) can finally be achieved (see EUROPE 10109).
Deeming it “unacceptable that, in 2010, one billion people are still suffering from hunger and malnutrition,” European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs stresses the need for the EU to “more structurally help developing countries”. To achieve its aim, the Commission proposes: - helping smallholder farmers, and especially women; - increasing demand-led agricultural research, extension and innovation by 50% by 2015; - launching a joint initiative with the African Union to speed up implementation of the African Land Policy Guidelines; - supporting the establishment or expansion of targeted and flexible social safety nets tailored to local needs; - promoting better integration of nutrition in development policies, including in education and health and related capacity building; - supporting the reform of the Committee on World Food Security, to that it can become the pivotal global institution on food security. The EU will also seek to strengthen the capacity of the international humanitarian system to deliver effective and appropriate responses in a timely and efficient way. It will also contribute almost €3 billion in 2010-2012 within the initiative on global food security agreed at the G8 summit of world leaders in Aquila in 2009. The two communications will be discussed by the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers on 11 May. (A.N./transl.rt)