22 Febbraio 2012

President Nwanze,

Madam Chairman,

Honourable Ministers and Governors,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to address the Governing Council of IFAD at a time in which food security is once again at the center of the global agenda.

In recent years, the global community invested a lot of attention and energy in the resolution of the economic and financial crisis. Yet, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are confronted with a much wider and deeper crisis, which is at the same time an energy crisis and a food security crisis. The rise in energy prices and the pressure on the global food system are a signal that we are putting unsustainable pressure on the world’s natural resources.

The 2007 food crisis, which had a dramatic impact on the world’s most vulnerable countries and populations, has preceded the economic and financial crisis.

While agricultural commodities prices have had ups and downs since then, the problems that led to that crisis have not gone away. The long term picture remains a reason of concern. The world will need to feed a rising population in the next decades. We need to find innovative and bold solutions to the conflicting needs of demographic change, job creation and environmental sustainability. Food security must remain a priority issue for the international community.

For Italy, food security is an obvious policy priority. Italy has an important agricultural sector and we are very much aware of the importance of sustainable agriculture for economic development, social cohesion and protection of biodiversity. This is why Italy is proud to host in Rome the United Nations agro-food pole.

Indeed, the theme of the 2015 EXPO “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” is an indication of our awareness that in this increasingly globalized world, the right of every individual to a healthy and nutritious diet must be guaranteed.