ISLAMABAD: Describing agriculture as central to human survival, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday proposed a five-point agenda to end poverty and hunger from the world by investing in sustainable agriculture development, ensuring adequate and fair prices of food products, applying new technologies and rethinking patterns of food consumption and production.

“I further propose that a new strategy for sustainable food production and consumption should be considered and adopted at the Food Systems Summit next year,” he said while addressing the inaugural session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) held in Rome, Italy, in virtual format.

The prime minister, in his key-note address, also spoke on the adverse effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the economies of various countries, particularly the developing ones. He also shared with participants Pakistan’s efforts to mitigate sufferings of poor people, including the historic $8 billion relief package given by his government during the pandemic.

Proposing the five-point agenda to end poverty and hunger, the prime minister said firstly the governments should invest in sustainable agriculture infrastructure for facilitating production, transportation and distribution of agricultural inputs and food products. The Green Lanes created by China was a good example, he added.

Secondly, he said, the governments needed to ensure adequate and fair prices of agricultural and food products. The so-called magic of the market place should be balanced by the visible hand of the state.

Mr Khan said that farmers should not be left at the mercy of the corporations. At the same time, international agricultural trade must be rationalised.

Thirdly, Imran Khan said, the new and breakthrough agricultural technologies and techniques must be applied to enhance food production, ensure efficient usage of water and land and improve seed quality. The IFAD and the Food and Agricultural Organisation could play a major role in that context, he added.

Fourthly, the prime minister said, the adoption of digital technologies was as vital in agriculture as in other economic sectors. Ensuring internet and broadband access to rural areas would be vital for their integration into national and global supply chains.

“Fifth, and perhaps the most important, we must rethink our patterns of food consumption and production. We can eat better and many of us would do well to eat less. We can produce food with greater respect for nature. We can stop the pollution of our lakes, rivers and oceans. We can produce more with less water, and without dangerous chemicals,” he said.

He said the World Food Programme had warned of the danger of famine in some of the poorest countries and conflict zones. The world was facing multiple challenges in recovering from the pandemic and achieving vital first two Sustainable Development Goals — No Poverty and Zero Hunger, he added.

He said Covid-19 pandemic and climate crisis should drive home the message to all the rich and the poor, weak or powerful that their destinies were intertwined.

“We will perish or survive together. The concepts of geo-strategic adversaries, of regional or global domination, of the political advantages of foreign intervention and occupation and the oppression of peoples are outdated and will soon be seen as irrelevant,” he remarked.

The prime minister urged the need for having a common plan and strategy for global recovery and survival and prosperity of all humanity.

Mr Khan recalled that in response to the recession triggered by the Covid-19 crisis, he had proposed a Global Initiative on Debt Relief last April and said the debt suspension announced by the G-20 and the emergency lending programmes had provided some breathing space, but the latest estimates showed developing countries needed $4.3 trillion to recover from the pandemic and achieve Sustainable Development Goals, he added.

IFAD President Gilbert F Houngbo, President of Angola Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Luigi Di Maio also addressed the inaugural ceremony of the two-day 44th session of IFAD Governing Council.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2021