Opinion
Financial crisis has deepened food crisis
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-16 16:14
Q: How has climate change affected the world food situation?
A: Apart from introducing (legendary gymnast) Li Ning as World Food Program's (WFP) ambassador against hunger, I'm visiting China also because this year is the 30th anniversary of WFP's ties with China.
What's more significant is that we are now asking China for help, and China has already intensified its support to our work in other parts of the world, mostly countries in Africa. Apart from the donations, which are most welcome, we think lots of lessons can be learnt from China on food security and we want to share that with other countries.
Q: What exactly can China share with other countries?
A: Agriculture is vital to governments, which should not only support farmers, but also improve infrastructure, training and the market. China's efforts in these areas have been tremendous.
We think it is very important that countries include agriculture as part of their security. They must make food accessible to babies and pregnant women, and provide teenaged girls and children with food in school as part of their agricultural plan. I think the big plan of agriculture is a big lesson China can share with other countries.
Q: How seriously has the global financial crisis hurt the worlds' food supply?
A: Many countries that we work with were already facing a food crisis, and the financial crisis has made it even worse. The food crisis has become a triple crises: Financial crisis, environmental crisis and food crisis. That's because many communities with vulnerable food security depend on money being transferred to them to buy food or grow food.
After the financial crisis struck, the money people in those regions previously had was not enough to buy food, which has led to an even deeper food crisis. Food prices may be stabilizing in some parts of the world, but in many African countries they have risen and stayed at a high level because of the financial crisis.
We are still seeing the effects of the financial crisis because its impact on the developing world is delayed. I think that in some countries the crisis has just begun.
Q: How has climate change affected the world food situation?
A: Apart from introducing (legendary gymnast) Li Ning as World Food Program's (WFP) ambassador against hunger, I'm visiting China also because this year is the 30th anniversary of WFP's ties with China.
What's more significant is that we are now asking China for help, and China has already intensified its support to our work in other parts of the world, mostly countries in Africa. Apart from the donations, which are most welcome, we think lots of lessons can be learnt from China on food security and we want to share that with other countries.
Q: What exactly can China share with other countries?
A: Agriculture is vital to governments, which should not only support farmers, but also improve infrastructure, training and the market. China's efforts in these areas have been tremendous.
We think it is very important that countries include agriculture as part of their security. They must make food accessible to babies and pregnant women, and provide teenaged girls and children with food in school as part of their agricultural plan. I think the big plan of agriculture is a big lesson China can share with other countries.
Q: How seriously has the global financial crisis hurt the worlds' food supply?
A: Many countries that we work with were already facing a food crisis, and the financial crisis has made it even worse. The food crisis has become a triple crises: Financial crisis, environmental crisis and food crisis. That's because many communities with vulnerable food security depend on money being transferred to them to buy food or grow food.
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We are still seeing the effects of the financial crisis because its impact on the developing world is delayed. I think that in some countries the crisis has just begun.
