PM Calls For Regional Cooperation For Food Security

Inaugurating a three-day "South Asia Right to Food Conference 2015" here this afternoon, she laid emphasis on regional initiative to eradicate poverty and hunger and set up SAARC Food Bank without delay.

"There is no alternative to combined efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger from South Asia and the recent devastating earthquake in Nepal reminds us the urgency of establishing regional food security," she said.

Nobel Laureate for Peace Kailash Satyarthi was guest of honour at the conference being held under the auspices of Anti Poverty Platform (APP), a forum of as many as 43 government, non-government and international organizations working for poverty alleviation. Chair of the organizing committee of the conference Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman presided over the inaugural session held at Krishibid Institution auditorium. Food Minister Advocate Md. Quamrul Islam attended the function as special guest. Co-chair of the organizing committee of the conference and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, Coordinator of the National Network on Right to Food of Nepal Dr Sarbal Raj Khadka, and secretary of the organizing committee Mohsin Ali also spoke on the occasion. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid emphasis on speeding up the initiative taken to set up SAARC Food Bank saying South Asian leaders are working to establish the food bank as soon as possible. "Let the SAARC Food Bank be a friend of need so that none dies of starvation in our region," she said requesting the policy makers for taking steps to formulate the SAARC Seed Bank in order to ensure the participation and empowerment of the farmers in the area of seed.

The Prime Minister said food remains at the top of the five most important basic needs -- food, clothing, housing, education and healthcare -- for human being.

Despite remarkable success and progress of civilization, and science and knowledge, it is yet not possible to ensure adequate food for all people on the planet, she said.

Pointing out a report of the FAO, the Prime Minister said nearly 805 million people out of 7.3 billion on the earth suffer from malnutrition. One in every nine is not getting required quantity of food and out of them 791 million hungry people live in the developing countries and 276.4 million in the South Asia region alone, Sheikh Hasina said.

The Prime Minister said food security does not depend only on production of food grains. Ensuring food for all is a complex task as a host of factors like poverty, flawed economic and distribution system, conflict, over population, food and agricultural policy, climate change etc influence the availability of food.

Sheikh Hasina said only USD 30 billion is required per annum to eradicate poverty from the earth. According to 2012 calculation, this expenditure is equal to 8 days' cost of US military budget.

The world spent about USD 1.76 trillion for military defense purpose which was about 2.5 percent of the world GDP or approximately USD 249 per person, she said adding that a fraction of the amount being spent for military purpose is enough to eradicate hunger and poverty from the earth.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been working relentlessly to fulfill the basic needs of Bangladesh. Defying all obstacles, Bangladesh has progressed remarkably in terms of food security, nutrition, education, health and social protection, she said.
During 2013-14 fiscal, Bangladesh produced 38.343 million metric tons of rice and already achieved self-sufficiency in food production. Food storage capacity rose to 1.9 million metric tons, she said.

The Prime Minister said education and human development are the best ways to eradicate poverty. Therefore, massive programmes should be taken in this area, she said.

Pointing out the steps taken by her government to ensure food security of the poor, she said the social safety net programmes were widened for the relatively poor and disadvantaged people.

During the current fiscal, BDT 307.51 billion (USD 3.94 billion) has been allocated for social safety net programmes, she said hoping that experts attending the conference would formulate recommendations that would help eradicate poverty from this region.
Sheikh Hasina said, "It should be our commitment to ensure food and nutritional security across South Asia region. We are also requesting to discard the food wastage in different corners of the world."

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi said millions of children were deliberately kept hungry across the world. Ensuring food security cannot be achieved in isolation. All initiatives for food security, education and development should go hand to hand, he said adding that South Asian people need to wage a dynamic movement for their right to food.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol