As we observe World Food Day on 16 October, we are reminded of all of those people in the Commonwealth and throughout the world who tragically experience frequent hunger.
As we observe World Food Day on 16 October, we are reminded of all of those people in the Commonwealth and throughout the world who tragically experience frequent hunger.
Food insecurity is one of the most pressing and difficult global challenges of our time, most keenly felt by the world’s poor and vulnerable, and a profound concern for the Commonwealth. Latest estimates indicate about 800 million people remain undernourished globally, with economic stress, conflict, extreme weather and climate change being contributory factors.
It is the most vulnerable countries in the developing world, including some Commonwealth member states, that feel most keenly the scourge of food deprivation. Population growth and urbanisation have an increasing impact on global food supply and demand.
In the 'Perth Declaration on Food Security Principles' issued from the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, our leaders reaffirmed the right of everyone to have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food, particularly in the context of national food security. It reflects the shared approach of Commonwealth Heads of Government to addressing the challenge of food security, particularly through the empowerment of women and young people to contribute in sustainable development, and acknowledging the role farming and fishing communities, civil society and the private sector play in driving climate-smart agriculture and the food security agenda.
Our Commonwealth family is well placed to work collaboratively to ensure greater food and water security through shared technical and practical solutions. The Royal Commonwealth Society, for example, uses its extensive network to promote greater dissemination of best-practice farming techniques and to help co-ordinate emergency assistance where a famine occurs.
In addressing food security, we must also recognise the need for sustainable management of oceans for livelihoods, particularly for our small islands member states in the Commonwealth. Their economic development is constantly threatened by climate change and global economic reverses which have exacerbated effects on the local economy.
For as long as there are factors creating an environment where people go hungry, the Commonwealth will be a voice for the vulnerable, assisting member governments with policy and technical assistance to develop sustainable economies and livelihoods.
