AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS' CAUCUS

Mr. Graham Blight, President, International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP)

This statement is on behalf of 83 national organizations of family farmers in 59 countries throughout the world, over half of which are developing countries. We are pleased that farmers, particularly family farmers and small landholders both men and women, have been recognized at this World Summit. After all it is not governments or NGOs or environmentalists who will feed the world, only farmers will do that.

We are ready to meet the challenge of food production to feed the people of the world. World food security is attainable, in fact we believe that even with present day technology, more than adequate food can be produced to feed the anticipated eight billion people by the year 2020. For farmers to deliver this ultimate benefit, governments must ensure a stable political environment, proper national economic management, credit facilities for farm inputs, secure land tenure and an efficient infrastructure system to support the handling and movement of agricultural products.

The issue of global, national, regional and household food security is no longer an agricultural problem. Society, through the various avenues of government must support rural communities and foster social and economic organizations, particularly farmers' organizations. Agriculture alone cannot solve the problems of food security and social development.

Agriculture and its farmers can provide the food, however, hunger is a consequence of poverty. Therefore, the biggest challenge is to raise productivity across all sectors of the economy to create jobs and raise living standards so that people can afford to buy food with higher nutritional value. We clearly understand that the challenge of eradicating poverty and hunger is not only a question of technology and agricultural production but is linked to the distribution of resources and income and the opportunity to trade and have access to markets.

Farmers need financial reward for their endeavours as we are in the business of making money to support our families and to invest in our future. We are not in the business of feeding the world for no reward, and low commodity prices are a greater threat to world food security and stable agricultural communities than any other issue except land tenure. Do not take for granted that farmers will automatically produce food. The issue of land rights and small farmers and poverty is the biggest single issue in agriculture and this complex situation requires urgent attention before it has the capacity to undermine all the hopes of this Summit for food security and economic stability.

Higher commodity prices in real terms are needed to maintain farms and farmers in a sustainable environment. Only in this way, can farmers be expected to meet the dual challenge of feeding the world and caring for the environment. Only then, will farmers be able to use the world's scarce resources more efficiently, and only then, will rural communities develop the opportunity to stop their people from drifting to the cities to further endanger that fragile social environment.

We also believe in the dynamism of microeconomic development in developing countries. Ultimately, this should lead to food self reliance through an efficient combination of domestic production and trade in a liberalized environment. Trade and business opportunity is fundamental to delivering rising incomes and opportunity for our people and eliminating hunger.

Farmers of the world will continue to adequately feed the world. Profitable agriculture will play its part to ensure that poverty and malnutrition in the world is eradicated. But always remember, farmers are very important people, for without us no day can properly begin.