World Food Day and Telefood Celebration [Archives:2000/42/Health]

On the occasion of celebrating the World Food Day which falls on the 16th of October, the people of the world should be alarmed of the problem of food security. The motto for this year is a millennium free from hunger. But in practice we find lots of people satrving on a daily basis. Our question should be: will this motto come to reality and everybody all around the world no longer will feel hungry. On this occasion, I smail Al-Ghabery of the Yemen Times met with Dr. Mohammed Bazza, FAO Rperesentative interim in Sanaa and filed the following interview.

Q: Why the FAO celebrates this occasion?
A: The World celebrates the World Food Day and Telefood today of every year which coincides with the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1945.
It is an occasion to assess the results and outputs of the efforts made by the international community at all levels, to alleviate food shortage and its effects, particularly hunger, on the affected populations. At the same time, it is an opportunity for planning future activities and for readjusting policies and programs aimed at combating poverty and hunger. It is also a day of information and awareness creation about food insecurity, at all levels.
In 1996, FAO prepared and hosted the World Food Summit which was attended by more than 185 countries at the level of Heads of States; it is the largest and most important event on food security that the world has known. During this summit, the international community made a firm commitment to reduce by half the number of hungry people by the year 2015. At that time, it was estimated that some 800 million people go to bed without having had enough to eat; thus the goal set by the World Food Summit was to reduce this number to a maximum of 400 million by the year 2015. To attain this objective, affected countries agreed to elaborate and implement strategies and action plans aimed at combating poverty and improving the living conditions of hungry people. Similarly, developed countries committed themselves to assist low income, underdeveloped countries in this regard.
The United Nations considers access to adequate food a universal human right and collective responsibility. Food security is defined by FAO as acces by all people at all times to the food needed for a healthy and active life. It is achieved when the following three conditions are met: Sufficiency, Stability and Access. Sufficiency means that there is enough food for all the population, Stability means that food supplies are relatively stable and do not fluctuate much in time and/or in space, whereas Accessibility means that all those in need of food can obtain it.

Q: Kindly shed some light on the theme of this years World Food Day celebration?
A: The theme of this years World Food Day celebration is A Millennium Free from Hunger. With the start of a new millennium, the aim is to eradicate hunger and achieve the goal of food for all early in the millennium and to keep the wold free of hunger throughout the millennium. Through this celebration, and as stated in the Director Generals speech for this year, FAO is inviting individuals together with world leaders, civil society organizations, private corporations, foundations, farmers and other grassroots groups, to join the Organization in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
TeleFood is another program that FAO has developed during the past years which is linked to World Food Day. On the occasion of World Food Day, FAO organizes, with the help of celebrities, cultural activities aimed at raising funds that are used later for alleviating the burden of food shortage and hunger. The use of these funds is through small projects developed for and implemented by small communities of vulnerable people and with their participation, in work or in kind, to improve their living conditions.

Q: Could you outline the support the FAO offers to help Yemen fight Rift Valley Fever (RFV)?
A: Before talking about the RVF, it is probably worth mentioning that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has a very important program for combating transboundary animal diseases and ultimately eliminating them on the medium term. These diseases which include the Rift Valley Fever, rinderpest and several other infectious diseases can pose a serious threat to the economy and food security of a whole region as they can reach the epidemic form in a very rapid manner. Because they know no frontiers or political boundaries, these diseases can be controlled only if there is a very good coordination among neighboring countries of the measures taken. And of course, Yemen is involved in the program developed by FAO for the region.
Regarding the Rift Valley Fever, FAO has worked in close coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation to fight this dangerous disease from the very early stages of its start in Yemen. As soon as the early symptoms of the disease were observed in the field by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, FAO was informed and fielded immediately a very high level international consultant. The latter was incorporated into a large team established jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, FAO and other partners. The team elaborated an urgent action plan and started its implementation immediately. Activities included survey and reconnaissance of the infected areas, assessment of the importance of the infection, taking of blood and serum samples for laboratory analysis, spraying of products, and several others activities. The work of the team was in fact supervised by H.E. the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation in person who accompanied it for several days, during the onset of the disease.
Upon return to Sanaa early this week, the Consultant briefed Government officials on the situation which is very much under control now. He also made important recommendations on the need for assistance to overcome the consequences of the disease and on ways to prevent or at least reduce the risks of its coming back in the future.
This is an example of how good cooperation between two ministries and the assistance of two organizations of the United Nations system as well as other partners, can produce its fruits in a rapid manner and prevent catastrophe.

Q: Give us some ideas about the programs the FAO give to Yemen.
A: Let me first introduce FAO and its mission to those who are not very familiar with it. Created in 1945, FAOs aim is to improve the level of food production and nutrition conditions, to strengthen the capacity of member countries for agricultural production and to improve the living conditions of the rural population. Today, it is the largest and most important organization of the United Nations system specialized in the fields of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and rural development. Its member countries number 180 in addition to the European Union.
In Yemen, FAO has been active since the early fifties. During the past five years, the program of FAO in Yemen has been – and continues to be – one of the largest in the world. The Organization provides assistance to and works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, the Ministry of Fish Wealth and other institutions such as the National Water Resources Authority, etc. The program of FAO in Yemen encompasses a wide range of fields, particularly policy formulation and institutional building, agriculture, water resources, environmental protection, desertification control, fisheries, rural development, poverty alleviation, etc.
The aim of FAO is to strengthen the capacity of national institutions and organizations through the assistance it provides for elaborating policies, strategies and plans as well as for implementing projects and activities. Specific project areas where FAO is currently involved include:
– Water use in Agriculture. The aim is to improve the productivity of water used by farmers for irrigating crops, to induce water conservation and to reduce losses of this precious resource.
– Improvement of crop production and protection. The aim is to increase productivity of all food and forage crops through a variety of ways and means, particularly the introduction of new technologies adapted to the conditions of the country and the betterment of local technologies.
– Integrated watershed management. The aim is to develop integrated or holistic approaches to natural resources development, use and protection at the level of a watershed or hydrologic basin.
– Desertification control. The aim is to stop the degradation of natural resources and its ultimate stage of desertification from which it becomes quasi-impossible and cost prohibitive to return to normal. Sand dune stabilization is also another form of desertification control.
– Fisheries development. The aim is to develop sustainable fishing management and production as a source of food production.
– Poverty alleviation and the betterment of living conditions for rural population. The aim is to improve food production and security for the poor rural population.
– Several other areas.

Q: What are the priorities of FAO programs?
A: It is worth mentioning at this stage that some cross cutting issues are the concern of FAO and are at the forefront of its policy. In particular, the exploitation and use of natural resources in a way that ensures their sustainability for future generations as well as the protection of the environment are given priority. Food security and poverty alleviation is yet another issue that is incorporated in most if not all projects and activities. In this regard, vulnerable groups such as the extreme poor and women in rural areas are given priority both in the programs and in the advocacy by the organization for these groups.

Q: Any last comments?
A: I would like to thank the Yemeni Government in general and our partners in the endeavor of working toward improving food production and security in Yemen in particular. On behalf of FAO, I would like to express my thanks specifically to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation with all its institutions; the Ministry of Fish Wealth, the Ministry of Planning and Development, all other public institutions and organizations as well as non governmental and civil organizations with whom we share common aims and objectives.
The road to reaching our common, noble goals is long and tedious but not impossible. Together and armed with willingness, desire to do always better, confidence in ourselves and good faith in God we can make it.

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