World Food Day 2004 Highlights the Importance of Biodiversity to Global Food Security

WASHINGTON and ROME, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Biological diversity is one
of the keys to ending world hunger, Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization said today.
He was speaking at a ceremony marking World Food Day 2004, which falls on
the anniversary of the foundation of FAO in 1945 and is observed in Rome and
in some 150 countries around the world. This year's World Food Day theme is:
"Biodiversity for Food Security."
"Our planet abounds with life and it is this great diversity that holds
one of the keys to ending hunger," Dr. Diouf told high-ranking officials and
representatives from FAO Member States, international organizations, other UN
agencies, NGOs, civil society and farmers' groups.
In his address, he underlined the need to maintain biodiversity in nature
and on farms to ensure to all people a sustainable access to enough
diversified and nutritious food.
"But we are also raising an alarm," he added. "FAO estimates that about
three-quarters of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost
over the last century. Just 12 crops and 14 animal species now provide most
of the world's food."

A key to survival
"For many rural families, the sustainable use of local biodiversity is
their key to survival. It allows them to exploit marginal lands and ensure a
minimum level of food production even when faced with extremely harsh
conditions," Dr. Diouf said.
"Global food security depends not just on protecting the world's genetic
resources, but also on ensuring that these resources remain available to all,"
he pointed out.
"Preserving the world's agricultural biodiversity needs to be viewed as a
joint effort involving farmers, commercial plant breeders and the scientific
community," the FAO Director-General also said.
In his keynote speech, World Food Day 2004 special guest President Ferenc
Madl of Hungary said: "The international community should spare no effort to
implement the Millennium Development Goals for the benefit of all."
Mr. Madl called on all countries to "create conditions to facilitate
access to genetic resources for environmentally sound uses."
He also said that his country, which was among the countries that welcomed
and ratified the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture, is "a leading place in Central Europe to breed traditional
and new plant varieties."
The Treaty, which entered into force this year, is a binding international
instrument that secures the conservation and sustainable utilization of the
world's agricultural genetic diversity. It guarantees that farmers and
breeders have access to genetic materials they need and it also ensures that
farmers receive a fair and equitable share of the benefits derived from their
work.

Message from the Pope
A message on the importance of biodiversity from Pope John Paul II was
read by Monsignor Renato Volante, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to FAO.
The Pope stated that the World Food Day observances contribute to liberate
humanity from the scourge of hunger and malnutrition.
Statements were also delivered in succession, by Mr. Paolo Scarpa Bonazza
Buora, Italy's Undersecretary of State for Agricultural and Forestry Policies,
Mr. Edouard Saouma, former Director-General of FAO, and Mr. Mamadou Cissokho,
Honorary President of the Network of Peasant Organizations and Producers of
West Africa and of the National Council of Senegal for Dialogue and Rural
Cooperation.
Dr. Diouf awarded a special FAO Medal to his predecessor, Mr. Saouma, and
World Food Day 2004 Medals to the three first prize winners of the World Food
Day poster competition, organized by the United Nations Women's Guild.
During the same ceremony, Dr. Diouf introduced the newly appointed FAO
Goodwill Ambassador, Italian ballerina Carla Fracci, who is considered one of
the greatest classical dancers of the 20th century. Carla Fracci is now
Director of the Balletto dell'Opera of Rome.
FAO Goodwill Ambassadors are distinguished women and men of talent who,
through their work and in their daily lives, help to focus global attention on
the need to free the world from hunger and poverty.
A musical presentation followed. Internationally renowned Albanian
violonist Anyla Kraja performed "Schindler's list" by J. Williams, while
Angolan singer and dancer Tasha Rodrigues and her musical group performed two
songs from her last CD "Kyra Kyra."

Farmers' event
During World Food Day's observance at FAO headquarters, a farmers' event
also took place as well as a civil society forum. For the first time on World
Food Day, farmers from different parts of the world had a chance to speak
about their experience in enhancing biodiversity and increasing food
production in a sustainable way.
Elsewhere, various events were organized to celebrate World Food Day's
theme. In the United States, sponsored by the U.S. National Committee for
World Food Day, hundreds of WFD teleconference sites were set up at colleges
and at U.S. Embassies across the world. Some colleges organized a week-long
observance.
In Sweden, substantive seminars for parliamentarians, the media and the
scientific community were organized. A conference on the importance of
biodiversity took place in Stockholm and a scientific seminar on biological
diversity was organized today at the University of Agriculture, in Uppsala.
In India, essay competitions were organized in schools in Delhi. In
several European and Middle Eastern capitals, schoolchildren competed in
drawing contests on biodiversity and food security