Fighting global hunger tops agenda at high-level UN talks in Rome

(Oct. 12, 2010) Fighting global hunger was one of the main topics at high-level United Nations talks in Rome on Monday. Meeting against the backdrop of recent increases in food prices, the talks also focussed on issues such as land tenure, international investment in agriculture and food security during crises.
The current session is the first with an expanded group of stakeholders, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, UN bodies, the private sector and philanthropic representatives.
In his message to the delegates, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the expanded membership, saying the world required formal global governance on food security. “I welcome your efforts to debate and resolve some of the serious tensions that arise over food security, which often have deep political features. And I commend your decision to tackle these issues head-on, through negotiation and mediation, despite their difficulty. You have the full support of the UN system for your work,” Ban said in the message, delivered by his Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, David Nabarro.
“I look forward to watching the Committee evolve and address issues such as the support for small-holder farmers, land acquisition, the interests of women, nutrition, price volatility, climate change and, in particular, the establishment of food trading systems that work without destabilizing markets, said Ban’s message. “I am especially keen to see the right to food become the basis of all our efforts for food and nutrition security. This is one of the keys to halving global hunger, the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG), which in turn can have a multiplier effect across all our development goals,” the Secretary-General added.