The Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of
the United Nations, Mr. Graziano da Silva, has highlighted the crucial
importance of supporting family farming through public policies and
intersectoral programmes, reports NaijaAgroNet.
He additionally noted the need to empower rural women across developing
countries, especially in the Community of
Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) in order to achieve
sustainable development.
FAO’s Director-General also warned that the strategy of
increasing food production at any price has not been enough to eradicate hunger
nor to avoid the global epidemic of obesity and overweight, and that it has had
an enormous environmental cost due to the intensive use of chemicals and
natural resources.
"Soil, forests, water, air quality and biodiversity
continue to deteriorate. We must promote a transformative change in the way we
produce and consume food. We have to put forward sustainable food systems that
offer healthy and nutritious food, and also preserve the environment,” he said.
He also encouraged the adaptation of agricultural and food
systems to the impact of climate change, especially s floods and droughts will
become more frequent, as is already the case in Cape Verde.
Uj. N. Dominic/ED, Ops
