National policies will have to put the interests of poor and starving people first. The international community has an obligation to support national efforts. The failure by rich countries to fulfil the United Nations target of 0.7 percent of GNP for official development assistance is unacceptable. I appreciate that the Summit document underline that food security is far more than food production and food supply. Food security includes economic growth and sustainable management of natural resources, nutritional diets and access to productive resources, not least for the poorest segments of the population, and other important elements of food security.
Poverty is the major cause of food insecurity and offends human dignity.
Our inability to attain the objective of poverty eradication is a discredit to our common political record and undermines our credibility. At the same time, environmental degradation and population growth threaten to disrupt the balance between people and resources. It is imperative to enhance the crucial role of farmers and their organizations if we are to obtain food security. Hence, increased investment in agriculture is needed, not least in the poorest developing countries. We must implement sustainable rural development policies that ensure stable food supplies and food security for all.