WORLD FOOD SUMMIT HEARS OF SAMOA'S SUCCESS STORY ROME, Italy (June 13, 2002 - PINA Nius Online)---Samoa has told the world food summit in Rome how it has overcome the devastation caused by cyclones and infestations and rebuilt its agriculture. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielagaoi said Samoa has focused its concerted efforts over the past five years on food security. "This was after having endured the devastation of consecutive cyclones and the ravages of pest and disease infestation of important food crops," he said. "Our plight in the 90s led to more purposeful action to ensure that food security was not undermined." The summit was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as a follow up to the 1996 World Food Summit. During that meeting, world leaders made commitments to cut hunger and undernourishment. The FAO works to alleviate poverty and hunger by promoting agricultural development, improved nutrition and the pursuit of food security. Food security is defined
as the access of all people at all times to the food they need for an active and healthy life. Prime Minister Tuilaepa told leaders from round the world: "We were able to achieve diversification and increase production of the staple food base. "Successful research and development activities, in collaboration with our development partners, including FAO, have seen the steady recovery of the Taro industry. "Similarly, an FAO-sponsored coconut hybrid project saw the introduction of high-yield and early maturing coconuts seedling to farmers." These, he said, ensure both income generation and food security. He also told of: - successes in the diversification of the cattle industry from meat production to dairy; - fisheries playing an extremely important role in the economy as well as contributing significantly to the health and nutrition of Samoa's people; and - an education policy including agriculture studies, providing school dropouts with the tools to harness opportunities in the rural communities. But he sa
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an influx of inferior food imports, which is having an impact on the health of lower-income families. Cook Islands Prime Minister Dr. Robert Woonton told the summit that as a result of neglect over many years the Cook Islands agricultural sector has steadily declined. But he said the government is committed to rejuvenating it, including livestock, fisheries and forestry. Agriculture has once more become a focal sector for development, he said. He said: "We are looking to take advantage of opportunities becoming available through new regional trade agreements as well as the Cotonou Agreement between African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) and the European Union (EU). "In the negotiation of the economic partnership arrangements with the EU, we will be looking to cooperate with the EU in capacity building in our agricultural sector." But he added: "The obstacles facing agricultural exports in developing countries are burdensome enough without having to compete with the highly subsidized agricultural product
s of the world's major agricultural producers. "We join with others in urging that early, genuine steps be taken to reform the international agricultural trading system, as called for in the plan of action as well as the declaration we have adopted this week." Dr. Woonton also told how the Pacific concluded a convention aimed at the sustainable management of the highly migratory fish species of the region. "Those resources are vital as a source of food for our people as well as for our economic development," he said. "Therefore, we also call on all states fishing in the region, especially the distant water fishing states, to become parties to the convention and to work closely with us to ensure the sustainable use of those resources." Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Website: <http://www.pinanius.org> SOURCE: Pacific Islands Report
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