MOZAMBIQUE

His Excellency Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of the Republic of Mozambique

I would like at the outset to congratulate His Excellency Romano Prodi, President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic upon his election as Chairman of the World Food Summit. I would also like to take this opportunity to express, on behalf of my Government, our sincere gratitude for the convening of the World Food Summit, a forum in which we will pledge our collective commitment to eradicate hunger from our planet and ensure food security.

My compliments are also extended to Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and to other United Nations agencies for the excellent working conditions put at our disposal in this Summit. To the host country, Italy, especially its friendly people and Government go my words of thanks for the traditionally warm hospitality and sympathy accorded again to us since our arrival in this historical and beautiful city of Rome.

In Mozambique we are already making efforts towards the eradication of hunger. In our strategy we approach the issue of hunger eradication as a multi-disciplinary and global action. It is within this framework that political, economic and social reforms are taking place with some already positive and tangible results. In 1987, we initiated the structural adjustment programme with the objective of revitalizing our economy and creating a favourable environment for investment. These reforms have indeed created an attractive environment for private investment, both domestic and foreign, which will lead the country to economic and social development. In fact, over the last few years the average growth rate of the Gross Domestic Product has attained about 6.6 percent.

Among the main factors behind the successful economic growth, it is worth mentioning the positive agricultural output and the good performance of the industrial and transportation sectors. Mozambique is a country with a predominantly agricultural-based economy. The agricultural policies adopted by the Government along with the prevailing good soil and climatic conditions over the last three years have created a basis which further stimulates the development of agriculture towards the achievement of food security for the country.

The 1995-96 harvest season was the best over the last eight years, with about 1.37 million tons of grain, which is over 22 percent more than the 1994-95 harvest. These results led to a sharp decline of the target population for free food distribution. Notwithstanding the encouraging results of the 1995-96 harvest, the food deficit in Mozambique remains at around 230 000 tons. As a consequence, close to half of the population, especially the most vulnerable segments of our population, such as women and children, are still short of adequate food to satisfy their basic nutritional needs.

The majority of Mozambican women are, unfortunately, still subject to harsh conditions of work, therefore women in Mozambique deserve special attention. Programmes that will allow them to increase their knowledge of advanced methods of farming and nutrition must be put in place. Their role as mothers should lead us to increase our attention to their nutrition needs.

In my country we are aware that the concept of food security entails more than increasing food production. It also requires the adoption of adequate policies to pursue development in a sustainable manner, particularly of the rural areas, through steady investment in human resources and through the rational use of natural resources. Promotion of livestock, restockage in many areas of the country, while encouraging the participation of the private sector and communities in the protection, preservation and the rational use of fisheries, forestry and wild life resources, are part of our approach to food security. We are confident that these are the right steps that will ensure the materialization of one of the most fundamental human rights, the right to food, which means the right to health.

Today, in my country, some positive outcomes of our resolute commitment to achieve food security and eradication of malnutrition can already be seen. However, we are aware of the challenges lying ahead and that we still have a long way to go to achieve our final goals. Therefore, the country will continue to be in need of support and assistance from the international community, especially to ensure the implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action to help set up and fund special programmes aimed at modernizing the agriculture sector in order to ensure the improvement of our low per capita income, our food deficit and above all to heal the devastating consequences of the recently ended war.

In order to reach a desirable level of food security, our agricultural production should increase at an annual rate of about 5 percent. This implies substantial investments in the areas of agro-hydraulics, commercialization of products, their storage and processing, and without neglecting supporting services to agricultural development including scientific research and the transfer of technology.

We believe that FAO, along with the other United Nations agencies will coordinate our ideas and design programmes to be implemented in countries with conditions similar to Mozambique, in order to help less advantaged countries achieve food security and self-reliance.

It is our belief that the Plan of Action will give answers to many of the issues we raised here today. We believe the documents before us can lead us to our goal. It is our hope that FAO will continue to monitor the evolution of the situation in this field in order to adjust the contents and mechanisms now adopted to circumstantial changes that may occur, thus making our commitment sustainable.

Mozambique adopts the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action. We do so because we strongly believe that the recommendations contained in these documents are in complete harmony with national and international efforts for the promotion of food security and improved nutrition for all human beings. We are sure that FAO and all of us are now better prepared to create a sustainable food security system that will enable our children and mankind to build a better future and face the twenty-first century with optimism.

I would like to end my statement reiterating my country's support and commitment to work hard so that both texts of the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action become a reality.