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On World Food Day, Cargill pledges to boost food security & end hunger
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Friday, 17 October, 2014, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Singapore
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fiogf49gjkf0d On World Food Day, Cargill called for coordinated action by governments, the private sector and civil society to ensure the continued improvement of food security across the globe.
The economic growth in China, India and Indonesia has pulled millions out of poverty over the past decade. However, according to the United Nations, the majority of food-insecure people still live in Asia.
Cargill is doing its best to support efforts towards a more food-secure world, including working closely with smallholder farmers and investing in research and development (R&D) in the agricultural and food sectors.
The company urged governments to work together to allow food to move freely between countries and create the domestic policy environment that gives producers of all sizes the ability and incentives to thrive.
Through seamless integration from farm to fork, people would have access to more affordable, more nutritious and safer food. Cargill opined that only governments could legislate, regulate and establish the trade rules to move food from where it is grown to where it is needed.
In addition, the market must be allowed to work and to provide clear price signals to farmers to incentivise the right amount and type of production.
“To reduce hunger in Asia, we look forward to additional positive changes adopted by all stakeholders,” said Alan Willits, corporate vice-president, Cargill Agriculture Supply Chain.
“We also hope for more policies that eliminate the factors that contribute to people going hungry because they do not have access, or cannot afford, the food they need,” he added.
“There is ample scope to increase food production and food trade. Today only about 16 per cent of the food produced globally crosses international borders,” Willits said.
“Creating a more food-secure world requires an open, fair and non-distorted trade system to allow more food to be transported from areas of surplus to areas of deficit,” he added.
“This would also help reduce price volatility by providing more supply when there are local shortages caused by factors like weather and natural disasters that can result in price spikes,” said Willits.
Trade agreements can help instill confidence and enable countries to resist the temptation to pursue costly self-sufficiency, restrict exports or overbuying when supplies are tight.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and six other economies together established the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in 2012, setting the stage for a free trade agreement (FTA) in Asia.
Research by the Asian Development Bank showed that if the agreement included agriculture and trade with non-member states, developing Asian countries would benefit by as much as $52 billion per year in economic welfare.
A part of free trade in agriculture would need to include reductions in non-tariff barriers.
In particular, policy makers need to urgently address the bewildering array of food standards that currently impede food trade, and focus on harmonising rules around internationally-accepted scientific standards.
Cargill locations across the region are playing their parts to fight food insecurity by conducting various employee-led activities.
These include collecting and distributing items for food banks, training for farmers to increase yields, providing livestock farmers the tools to be more successful, and helping rural farm communities thrive with new schools.
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