Unfortunately, he was personally unable to come from Paris yesterday or today, so he asked me to deliver the speech on his behalf. I would like to congratulate very warmly the Director-General and his staff and all who have contributed to the success of the agreement on the Plan of Action up to now. The elimination of hunger is an achievable goal, but this will depend on how we order human affairs through policies, institutions and people's actions, in particular actions by farmers. I would like to offer you briefly four key messages based on the work of the organization and then identify some of its future contributions to our common goals. First, economic growth and development is a vital shared interest for all our countries.
Poverty lies at the root of food insecurity.
Sustainable global economic growth is, therefore, the first foundation for raising incomes and guaranteeing access to food. Micro-economic policies will need to focus on eliminating structural impediments to growth and employment. Third, policies must provide the right incentives for agriculture. Through the development of research and improved techniques, we can meet the growing demand for food while safeguarding the environment. But this dual goal will only be met if policies that distort markets are eliminated.