by
Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization 31^st Conference Plenary Session: State of Food and Agriculture
Rome, Italy
November 5, 2001

(As Prepared)

"Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen.

"It is an honor to be here in Rome and join you here at the 31^st plenary session of the Food and Agriculture Organization. I am proud to represent the United States of America as we review the state of food and agriculture and the mission of this organization.

"During the past two months, the United States has received an outpouring of support from countries all around the globe in response to the tragic events of September 11^th .

On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your kind words and your prayers.

"While these barbaric events occurred on U.S. soil, their impact reached around the world with the loss of innocent civilians from more than eighty countries who worked and conducted business in the World Trade Center.

"In the wake of September 11^th , President Bush has shown true leadership and is working with our allies around the world to build a strong coalition against terrorism. Together, we can rebuild and become stronger. And, together, we can make our world a safer and more secure place for all of our citizens.

"Despite the new priorities we face in battling the ugly face of terrorism, we must not forget the other important challenges our world confronts, including those that bring us together in Rome today -- ending poverty and hunger in the world.

"We need to wage a war to eliminate the world's poverty and hunger. As with the war on terrorism, success will require an international coalition united for collective action.

"A few months ago at the G-8 Summit in Genoa, President Bush committed America, 'to walking alongside leaders and nations traveling the hard but rewarding path of political and economic reform.'

"I reiterate that pledge to you today. The United States is committed to the goal of ending world poverty and hunger and will walk alongside any country prepared to travel the same path.

"We have the means to achieve this ambitious goal. New technologies, including biotechnology, will help meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population with a limited resource base.

"Global food security will be greatly enhanced by continued trade liberalization. And in emergency situations, food aid will remain an integral tool for providing humanitarian relief.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

"Technological innovation has played an important role in meeting human food needs since the dawn of agriculture. As we look forward to the new century, the benefits of the technological innovations of the last century -- mechanization, hybridization, chemical fertilizers and pesticides -- are beginning to wane.

"However, the technologies of the new century -- biotechnology and information technology - will reinvigorate productivity growth in food and agriculture production and to make agriculture more environmentally sustainable.

"Agricultural biotechnology, in particular, also promises much more, such as drought resistant crop varieties for Africa. It offers the opportunity of economic self-sufficiency for subsistence farmers in developing countries, as demonstrated by the farmers growing genetically enhanced cotton in the Makhatini Flats of South Africa.

"It promises nutrition and health benefits for the developing world, as demonstrated by the golden rice project, which could significantly reduce blindness related to Vitamin A deficiency.

"In the not too distant future, with biotechnology, vaccines, against cholera for example, could be administered through dietary staples such as rice and bananas, to overcome the many problems with mass inoculations.

"To take advantage of the potential benefits of biotechnology, developing countries face a challenge in establishing biosafety laws and regulations. Effective, science-based laws and regulations are still needed in many countries so field trials of products of particular interest to developing countries -- such as cassava and sweet potatoes -- can begin.

"Another essential condition for adoption of biotechnology in developing countries is confidence that their products will not encounter unfair trade barriers in developed countries. Developed countries have an obligation to establish science-based regulations that are not disguised trade barriers to products produced through biotechnology.

TRADE LIBERALIZATION AND FOOD SECURITY

"Food security is an issue of global concern. However, approaches to food security vary widely among countries. Trade liberalization must be a key component of food security. Trade liberalization assures all countries of equal access to world food supplies.

"FAO plays a crucial role in trade liberalization through the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the International Plant Protection Convention, which ensure the integrity of science-based decision-making on health and safety issues.

"A new round of trade liberalization talks, which we hope to launch next week in Doha, will help to put all countries on an equal footing with respect to food security.

FOOD AID

"As we have in years past, the United States is taking an active role in Afghanistan by providing humanitarian relief to the many people fleeing the suppression and impoverished economy of the Taliban regime.

"President Bush has made it extremely clear that the United States is not at war with the people of Afghanistan. We are one of the largest providers of food aid to that region. We are at war with those who harbor and support terrorism. And we must continue to provide strong leadership to these regions and provide humanitarian assistance to those people who are suffering.

"In addition to our traditional role in providing emergency food aid to needy people wherever they are, we also provide food aid to help achieve the goal of reducing by half the number of hungry people by 2015.

"To support this goal, the United States has initiated a Global Food for Education pilot program. The goal of this program is to feed children at school. This encourages children to attend school and provides needed nutrition. And, children will learn much better if they are not hungry. A better education will give them greater opportunities to succeed. We hope that many more countries will soon join the U.S. in helping these children through the Global Food for Education Program.

"In closing, I applaud the work of the members of the FAO toward the goal of alleviating poverty and hunger. We need to continue to work together, both within FAO and in coordination with other international bodies. The world needs much greater and more effective collaboration among U.N. partners on critical cross-cutting food security issues.

Working together we can break the crushing cycle of poverty and win the war on hunger. That is the goal to which we must commit ourselves as a global coalition."