I think it is only fitting that the House be reminded of the historic role of a great Canadian, the Right Hon. In the last 50 years we have experienced dramatic increases in agricultural production. At the same time the world is faced with daunting population growth. If we are to succeed into the next millennium our efforts will have to be based on truly sustainable agriculture. This will be one of the challenges that ministers of agriculture of the 170 member countries of the FAO, their officials, industry representatives and non-government organizations from Canada and abroad will address when they meet in Quebec City next year.
Water is the source of life.
Everyday, on our blue planet, a third of the population goes hungry and every day, four out of ten people go thirsty or do not have access to proper drinking water. It is said that human beings can go without food for around 40 days as long they can drink. But without food or water, they die within four days. We are not taking very good care of this two per cent found in lakes, rivers, streams, clouds, glaciers, and underground springs. No later than yesterday I saw someone putting out a cigarette butt by throwing it in a toilet bowl and flushing it out.