Rome, Italy – The Philippines and its programs in agriculture and food security will take the centerstage when it assume the Chairmanship of the 40th United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 40th Biennial Conference in Rome from July 3 to 9.
As the Philippine Secretary of Agriculture, I will represent the Philippines and I will be backed up by the Chairpersons of the Committee on Agriculture of both Houses of Congress, Senator Cynthia A. Villar and Congressman Jose Panganiban.
Both Senator Villar and Congressman Panganiban will arrive in Rome on July 2.
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Palau President Tommy Remengesau, the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, over 70 Agriculture Ministers and representatives of 194 member countries of the FAO will attend the week-long conference.
This will be the first time the Philippines will Chair the FAO Conference and it comes at a time when Philippine Agriculture is undergoing a major overhaul and redirection.
In the country statement which I will deliver during the Conference, the Philippines will emphasise the importance of a concerted effort among nations to ensure food security amid the challenges of Climate Change.
The Philippines will also call for greater cooperation among the advanced food producing countries and the emerging food production areas like the Philippines in the areas of technology transfer and sharing of best practices.
“The responsibility to feed the growing population of the world must be a shared mission of all countries of the world and the old practice of keeping in exclusivity advanced technologies in food production must be abandoned,” the statement which I will deliver on Monday, July 3, will emphasise.
The Philippines will also share its innovations in disaster and Climate Change preparedness including the establishment of Food Storage and Depots in identified High Risk areas which could be marooned during major disasters.
The program to repopulate the inland bodies of water to ease the pressure on the fishing grounds of the Philippines will also be shared during the Conference.
Other countries will also share their best practices during the 5-minute Country Statement that each Agriculture Minister will deliver. | via DA Sec Manny Piñol