Date: Thu Nov 20 14:45:39 2014
<http://www.madote.com/2014/11/eritreas-statement-at-second.html> Eritrea's
Statement at the Second International Conference of Nutrition
Nov 20, 2014 | 4:17 PM
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Statement by H.E. Mr. Arefaine Berhe
Minister of Agriculture
The State of Eritrea
During
THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUTRITION (ICN 2)
19-21 November 2014, FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy
Honourable Chairperson,
Your Excellencies Heads of Delegation
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me first to join previous speakers to express my utmost gratitude to
the organizers of this august forum for the warm hospitality accorded to us.
The Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) could not have been
convened at a more propitious time. Rapid advancement on agricultural
sciences and especially biotechnology and nutrition science, communication
technologies research and overall global wealth afford us, on the one hand,
substantial levers to marshal our collective resources as well as emulate
best practices and methodologies to eliminate hunger and malnutrition on a
global scale. I am not referring here to the abstract, aggregated, sense of
the term but to its tangible and more meaningful dimensions in terms of
eradication of hunger and malnutrition at the national and household levels
in all corners of our global community.
There are of course countervailing forces, including global warming that
risks wreaking havoc to global agricultural produce, morally reprehensible
global and national income inequalities, and other externalities that
continue to put impediments to the realization of the noble aspirations that
we all share and that have prompted the convening of this forum.
As aptly highlighted in the available literature of the main theme of this
Second Conference, nutrition security is crosscutting issue that has to be
approached in a holistic manner with the active involvement of all
stakeholders. In this respect, the participation today of senior members of
the executive and legislative branches of government, non-state actors and
other interested parties augurs well for enhancing vital unit of purpose and
action as we contemplate concrete plans of action towards achieving the
stated objective of the Conference in the period ahead.
Excellencies,
The Government of Eritrea has devoted much time, resources and energy to
implement core elements of the parameters that i have briefly touched upon
earlier. The attainment of food-security - both at the national and
household level - was taken as the country's top priority from 2005 onwards
and the necessary resources marshaled towards the achievement of this
objective in spite of substantial other challenges and constraints. Erratic
rainfall in an ecologically vulnerable geographic setting; outdated and
largely subsistence farming methods; nascent research institutions and
capabilities; investment and water infrastructure shortages that have
inhibited rapid mechanization and modernization of agriculture have all
combined to render the objective as work in progress to-date. Nonetheless,
much progress has already been made in terms of infrastructural
preparations, institutional set-up as well as professional training and
research work. In brief, in spite of various challenges, the country has
already gone a long way to address the supply side of the equation and to
ensure adequate harvest for domestic consumption as well as export of
high-value crops on a sustainable basis both during lean and bountiful
years. The national food security strategy also encompasses household
agricultural supplement programmes of micro credit extension for poultry,
honey production etc.
At the nutritional level, the Government has formed an inter-Ministerial
body that consists of the Ministers of Agriculture, Marine Resources,
Health, Trade and Industry as well as Standards Institute. The
Inter-Ministerial body is assisted by a technical committee that has experts
from all the Ministries cited above as well as relevant professionals from
the institutions of tertiary education and research centers in the country.
These bodies are working to coordinate the formulation of the necessary
policies, programmes and regulations to ensure availability of
micro-nutrient-rich foods on the supply-side at the national level and to
enhance awareness through continuous media outlets and other forums, at the
individual/house hold level.
In view of various constraints, it is clear that these objectives will only
be achieved fully in the long-term through gradual and incremental
milestones in the interim period. But, in the meantime and principally as a
stop-gap measure, the Government has prioritized the incorporation of
maternal health and nutrition activities as part and parcel of the Primary
Health Care Programme. In this respect, the priorities for improving
maternal nutrition have expanded coverage with iron/foliate supplements,
dietary counseling for pregnancy and lactation, as well as increasing
support from community and family members to reduce work-loads and improve
diets.
Excellencies,
Let the conclude by highlighting the following:
* The objectives we aspire to achieve will require global solidarity
and exchange of experiences and best practices. In this respect, it is
essential that resources and expertise continue to be provided by our
development partners under auspices of the FAO and WHO;
* Food production will not be sustainable if it is pursued, as indeed
was the case in some instances, at the cost of irreversible environmental
degradation. There is thus an urgent need to address this dichotomy in a
manner that would ensure long-term sustainability.
* Excessive volatility of prices of food and agricultural commodities
are negatively impacting food and nutrition security. This recurrent problem
requires continuous monitoring and the availability of practical packages as
cushion of its occurrence.
I thank you
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