SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT SEES
LAND MINES ALSO AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE CURRENT FOOD CRISIS
AND PROPOSES REGIONAL BUFFER STOCKS FOR FOOD
By Walter Jayawardhana
President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka addressing the World Food
Summit in Rome said that the current crisis in food has been brought
about by the growing demand for fuel , the failure to act in time on
climate change, problems of distribution, the negative impact of an
open global economy and the ravages of terrorism .
He said, in Sri Lanka, “Much arable land has been neglected due
to land mines being laid by terrorists over two decades.”
The Sri Lankan President warned that the world food crisis is sadly
conditioned by forces which are beyond the control of poor countries.
“ From a situation of an excess of food supplies, only a few years
ago, we have entered an era of shortages,” he said.
As an international step to prevent starvation of masses the Sri Lankan
President requested the UN body , the Food and Agricultural Organization
to initiate regional buffer stocks with the help of food surplus affluent
countries. He also proposed a Global Food Crisis Fund with contributions
from all countries and big business.
The following is the full text of his speech:
“I greatly value this opportunity to present Sri Lanka’s views
on the crisis in global food supply that has taken center stage in world
affairs. It is a crisis with the potential to have a crippling effect
on the smaller, less developed countries with restrictions on the availability
of arable land and financial resources. A crisis in food becomes all
the more serious as it impacts most severely on the most vulnerable
sections of a community, - namely, those living in poverty who constitute
around one billion of the world's population. As a global community
we need to act fast and take short term emergency measures to ensure
that the poorest and most vulnerable sections of our people do not go
hungry.
“It is regretted that warnings of this crisis, although seen, were
largely ignored, until it assumed today’s magnitude. It is a crisis
that has come from the growing demand for fuel, the failure to act in
time on climate change, the ravages of terrorism, and problems of distribution.
“Sri Lanka, like many other developing countries, is affected by
all of these factors – namely – the total dependence on imported
fuel; success in agriculture being dependent on changing weather patterns;
and problems of storage and distribution. We are also faced with the
fourth factor where food production is made difficult or even hazardous
due to the threat of terrorism. Much arable land has been neglected
due to land mines being laid by terrorists for over two decades.
“While a combination of all these factors, no doubt, has resulted
in the present crisis, there is also another set of factors, - socio
- political in nature, - to which I would like to direct our attention.
Let me explain, Mr. Chairman, by drawing on the experience of my own
country, which is not very different from that of many other developing
countries of the world.
”Before the economy of our country was opened to the play of global
market forces, the focus of social and economic development was the
rural sector. The granaries of the nation which produced the food for
our people, consisting of thousands of villages where 77% of the people
live today, were then the main focus of economic development and concern.
Rural incomes, rural well being, rural infrastructure, rural transport,
rural health, rural education and other rural services constituted the
main goals and objectives of social development. Development was focused
on enhancing the productivity, well being and dignity of the peasant
and small farmer who produced the food for our people.
”With advent of the open economy, the focus of development activity
shifted - in stages no doubt - from the village to the town. It shifted
from that larger part of the country where rural people toiled to produce
food for us all, to the urban centres of commerce and industry where
goods and services are produced largely for export to high income countries.
”The international economic pressures of that time coupled with
some domestic political compulsions made us, as a country, shift our
focus of development and concern, away from the rural economy and rural
society, away from agriculture and food production to manufacture, commerce
and services, away from a concern for the dignity and well being of
those who produce the food for our people to a concern for those who
came to the cities and towns to be engaged in non - farm employment.
”We opened our doors so wide to the global market forces, that
while we reaped several of the benefits of globalization, we failed
at the same time to protect several of our national interests, - in
particular, those relating to our food security - from the negative
impact of the global market. The earlier development goal of self reliance
in food which we had almost reached, and in some years even exceeded,
was severely weakened as my country gradually opened even the production
and supply of our food requirements to the free play of global and domestic
market forces.
”The country progressively dismantled its buffer stocks of rice
and wheat flour - a then abiding feature of our food security - which
cushioned the food supply from the shocks and uncertainties of crop
failures on the one side and price fluctuations on the other. As the
State for all practical purposes started reneging on its responsibility
for providing food to the people at an affordable price, the supply
and price of food became more or less a market responsibility.
“I will not elaborate too much on the reasons for this crisis.
We all know that global food stocks have reached an all time low and
prices have escalated to unexpected levels. Sadly the world is conditioned
by forces which are beyond the control of poor countries. From a situation
of an excess of food supplies, only a few years ago, we have entered
an era of shortages.
We needed a change in our policy on development. We have therefore launched
an integrated national drive called 'Api Vavamu Rata Nagamu' meaning,
‘Grow more food towards prosperity’, through which all arable
lands in the country are being brought under cultivation. At the same
time, during the last two years, we have provided a substantial fertilizer
subsidy to rice farmers, at a huge cost to the government, to increase
farm productivity. This is continuing despite ever increasing global
fertilizer prices and I must say that this bold initiative has paid
significant dividends in terms of enhanced production.
“We are giving land to farmers who do not have land for cultivation.
We have already initiated a number of multi - purpose irrigation schemes
to transform otherwise dry land into fertile agricultural settlements.
Seed production programmes in the country have been strengthened to
ensure that good quality seeds are available to farmers at cheaper prices,
as well as to increase overall seed production in the country. We have
also strengthened our market network for agricultural produce by re-establishing
the Paddy Marketing Board to purchase paddy from farmers at a guaranteed
price.
”While focusing more specifically on agriculture and food production,
we are also implementing a Village Upliftment Programme - 'Gama Neguma'.
Through this programme we hope to see all villages of our country emerge
as micro centres of growth on modern lines while retaining the impressive
strengths and features of rural life. My government seeks to ensure
that our country's villages which produce food for our people will have
electricity, a common telecommunication system, drinking water, irrigation
water for the rice fields, access roads, infrastructure, schools with
adequate resources, electronic knowledge centres known as 'Nena Salas'
or e-libraries, health centres, market centres, paddy stores, fertilizer
stores, rice mills, pre-schools, play grounds, a village forest, and
other amenities and factories to generate off farm and non farm employment.
“We will continue to give the highest priority to increased agriculture,
dairy farming and fisheries to face up to the challenge of ensuring
adequate food for our people. Yet, being an island nation, we are faced
with the threats to food security from high oil prices and the changing
patterns of cultivation abroad – with bio-fuels made more attractive
than food crops.
“In the prevailing competition between food and fuel, Sri Lanka
is firm in the decision that no land that can be used for food will
be used for bio-fuel whatever the commercial attraction may be. It is
our belief that food for the people should have the highest priority,
and not the running of gas-guzzling vehicles.
“At national level therefore, even before the issue of global
food security had reached a crisis level, my government had already
launched an integrated drive towards ensuring our country's food security.
But while we act at national level, we need to recognize the fact that
in the highly interconnected world of today the causes of the world's
food crisis have to be confronted at regional and global levels as well.
“While focusing on specific issues relating to the food crisis,
we shall welcome the FAO to monitor - systematically and continuously
- the production of food in the world. By doing so, FAO will be able
to forecast shortfalls and price fluctuations well in advance so that
countries and regions can act well in time to mitigate their adverse
effects on the people, and a crisis is prevented from suddenly staring
them in the face.
“It is our considered position that a regional approach to food
security within a global framework is essential, since food habits and
production are region specific in nature. I would like to request the
FAO to initiate a global mechanism for developing regional buffer stocks
of staple food. We, in the SAARC region are home to nearly one fifth
of the world population. A regional buffer stock of staple food will
take pressure off governments in the SAARC enabling them to concentrate
on other issues such as reducing poverty and enhancing the quality of
life of their peoples.
“A regional buffer stock would also cushion individual countries
against the fluctuations in food production, caused by the uncertainties
of the weather made worse by recent climatic changes. And for regions
that may lack adequate financial capacity for such a project, international
support will be required. These buffer stocks could be maintained nationally
or by regional agencies but be funded internationally. We can explore
different options, including through instruments generated by international
financial institutions, for funding such mechanisms.
“In the midst of all these, I believe there are some countries
in the world which have been able to build a surplus of staple foods.
These countries are affluent and therefore should move towards helping
build the regional buffer stocks by contributing through supply at low
cost. That will be a good start and also will help to build a meaningful
global cooperation towards reducing the vulnerability of many small
developing countries.
“Creating a regional buffer stock would be meaningful only if adequate
food stocks could be moved to needy countries in a short time. In the
past we have witnessed instances where adequate shipping space or other
means of transport had been hard to come by. Low freight, minimal handling
charges and of course the waiving off of country specific Customs and
other duties when such emergency food stocks are being exported is crucially
important if we are to make this suggestion workable.
“I recognize that buffer stocks became an unpopular concept since
the New International Economic Order of the seventies. But the changed
global circumstances, in particular the grim fingers of hunger, require
changed approaches for the sake of humanity.
“As much as we are concerned about food security, attention must
also be given towards enhancing productivity in the entire agriculture,
fisheries and livestock sector. One impediment experienced by the farmers
in my country is the severe shortage of plant seed and other planting
material. As this is common to many other developing countries, it must
be remedied fast with the help of the international organizations. Establishment
of seed banks with state of the art technology is one solution to this
problem. In the fisheries sector, there is a serious concern because
our ocean’s harvest is being poached by foreign fishing vessels
thereby reducing the supply for our people.
“Most important of all, I strongly commend to the world leaders
gathered here to seriously consider the setting up of a Global Food
Crisis Fund that will have contributions from all countries and from
large business organizations that transcend geographical boundaries,
and from financial institutions, arms manufacturers and philanthropists
of the world, among others. The mechanics of such a fund will have to
be worked out in keeping with the goal of assisting countries faced
with serious dangers to food security and also in funding initiatives
for greater food production.
“We are also of the view that in addition to such a Global Food
Crisis Fund or working together with it, there should be Regional Food
Security Funds drawing the financial and technology resources within
a region to expand food production, improve storage and distribution
and also come to the assistance of regional neighbours that may need
help in the event of a food crisis as we see emerging today.
“In conclusion, let me thank the UN Secretary General and the FAO
for bringing this conference together and affording us an opportunity
to share our views and experiences across the globe. My country will
support you to develop a global action plan to face the crisis in the
short run while at the same time to prevent a food crisis of this nature
from recurring in the future.
“May the Triple Gem Bless You All!”
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