PAKISTAN

His Excellency Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

The end of the Second World War generated an optimism that with peace and security assured, and with scientific breakthroughs in every field, humankind had reason to hope for a better quality of life. More than 50 years down the line, it is difficult to be optimistic. While living standards have improved in the developed world, many other areas are still seriously threatened by hunger. The current situation in Central Africa is only one manifestation of a wider problem. This Summit, therefore, comes at a most opportune time and there is no doubt that its deliberations will result in an improved awareness of the food security situation, will result in a new resolve to address these problems and a new commitment to the eradication of hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

The rapidity with which crises have been developing, the prospects of millions and millions of people continuing to suffer from poverty, hunger, disease and malnutrition, means that just a conference will not do. We will have to collectively concentrate on these problems with a singleminded determination, because the time of danger is not somewhere in the future but it is here and now.

The Government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan commend the efforts of the Director-General, in drawing the attention of the world to these problems through the Summit. The help and assistance given by the Italian Republic has also been acknowledged all over the world and is similarly acknowledged by the Government of Pakistan.

We are lucky that Pakistan is endowed with good land, a reasonable quantity of water and suitable climate for a breakthrough in agriculture. It is agriculture which generates 25 percent of our GDP and provides a livelihood for 72 percent of our people. Agriculture and agriculturally-related goods contribute 60 percent to our total exports. We have demonstrated a sustained growth in our agriculture sector and our agriculture base is diversifying, land utilization is getting better, seed quality is improving, and the farmer is more in tune with the latest research. However, there is no cause for complacency. We are already 130 million people and the seventh largest country in the world. Our population is growing at the rate of 2.9 percent despite concerted efforts by the Government in the field of population planning. The trends indicate that we may double our population in the next 25 years. Therefore, ensuring food security is vital to our existence. Our agriculture has to show not an average growth rate but a spectacular growth rate to keep pace with population growth. The trends in the international food security situation indicate to us that every nation has to first develop its own potential to the maximum before beginning to rely on others. Therefore, the Government of Pakistan is committed to food security for our people which can only happen through an extraordinary growth in agriculture.

There are a number of natural, social, economic and even political factors, which determine productivity in agriculture; the land ownership pattern, if skewed, results in poor land utilization and inferior agricultural practices; a low rate of literacy acts as a brake on the acquisition of technical knowledge by farmers; and political instability denies space to the people to single-mindedly devote their energies to their livelihoods. Many steps are being taken to address these problems but more needs to be done.

We must develop better quality seeds, we must develop varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases. We must improve water efficiency. We must invest in, and acquire new farming techniques and ensure modern means of cultivation. We have to improve the skills of our farmers, and we can only do that if we improve the skills of our scientists and of those who are involved in the management of the agriculture sector. In all these aspects, the international community can assist us. We do not seek aid but we do seek transfer of technology. We do not seek foreign experts but we need assistance to build up the quality of our scientists and managers of agriculture. We do not seek massive imports of agricultural machinery but we do seek assistance in building our manufacturing capacity. In all these matters we seek help from the international community and I have no doubt that this Summit and FAO, as in the past, will continue to help us to develop our potential.

At the same time, we are ready and more than willing to share the knowledge and experience of our experts with the international community. We hope to share our experience not only with countries with a highly developed agriculture sector, but with developing countries, who, like us, are struggling to improve their farming methods and their human potential. In this connection, we are rapidly coming on to the information super highway. Our scientists, our researchers, our farmers would then be able to directly communicate, and have access to and share knowledge with their counterparts all over the world.

While trying to improve international cooperation, we have already taken steps to improve regional cooperation in the field of agriculture. Recently, an Inter-Ministerial Conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation was held in Islamabad, in which our determination towards regional cooperation was enunciated through the "Islamabad Resolution". We consider that regional cooperation could be critical to improving farming practices because the conditions are similar. Our commitment to this will continue. We also seek peace, we also seek freedom of suppressed people because without peace and regional security, the productivity of the people cannot improve. If the people are under an alien occupation, subject to brute force, as is happening in Kashmir, it becomes difficult to improve productivity either in agriculture, or in industry, or in any other area of human endeavour. However, we are still determined to explore every avenue that leads to peace and to the freedom of all people so that the objective of human effort becomes improving the quality of life and not force or war or occupation. It is important to note that difficulties in the region have not stopped us from assuring our cooperation to our neighbours in all fields.

Our commitment to global and regional cooperation is obvious and I have also mentioned a number of national efforts to improve our food security situation to increase productivity in agriculture but I also want to mention here that the Government of Pakistan is fully aware of the contribution of rural women to agriculture. It is also aware that due to social imbalance, women have been traditionally excluded from a more prominent role in controlling their lives. I want to state that we are committed to female education, committed to creating employment opportunities for women through affirmative action and most importantly, in legislating for women's rights so that exploitative practices within families and homes can come to an end.

In the end, I would like to reiterate the following five points which summarize my country's recommendations to this Summit:

· We have a firm conviction that freedom from hunger is one of the inalienable and inviolable rights of human beings;

· Sustainable food, agriculture, and rural development policies are essential to ensure adequate and reliable food supplies;

· Trade policies must be conducive to fostering food security. The developing countries which have experienced negative effects of the Uruguay Round decisions must be adequately assisted and compensated;

· Food supplies in emergency situations, whether natural or man-made must be ensured. Disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness is the key element in alleviating food security in emergencies and famines;

· The international community must redefine the modality of global cooperation in terms of improving the critical areas of food security, managing fragile eco-systems, deforestation, promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development.