Today there are growing signs that unless commitments are made now at this Summit and unless they are followed through, the goals of sustainable food security may again elude us. The conditions for world food security have changed since 1974 due to political, social and economic factors but the need for improving food security has not changed. Food is the very basis for all living beings but today we have come nowhere near achieving the cherished goal of Food for All. Statistics do not reflect well on our situation. I think we can all agree that the root cause of food insecurity is silent poverty.
Poverty is the primary disease.
That is how we must think of it, confronting humanity as we approach the end of this millennium, yet this disease is not being combatted in proportion to its magnitude. We must look forward to the day when each and every citizen of our planet can go to bed without fear of hunger. We, who are gathered here, must resolve to make that day attainable by our actions, and by policies and programmes that are appropriate to our local conditions and situations. The emphasis may differ from region to region, from country to country and among individual households, but we must all share the same goal. This Summit may be the last in the series of these Conferences but it is being held at a critical juncture.