by
Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman Regarding World Food Day
October16, 2002

"As people around the world today commemorate the 57^th World Food Day, we are reminded of the ongoing struggle to end poverty, hunger and malnutrition throughout the world. In the era of the Internet, cell phones and biotechnology, 800 million people still suffer from a lack of one of the basic needs of life -- food.

"This year's World Food Day comes at a time of heightened attention to the challenge of this global problem. In June, at the World Food Summit: Five Years Later, I represented President Bush and re-committed the United States, along with 181 other countries, to the goal of reducing by half the number of hungry people in the world by the year 2015. A few months later, the World Summit on Sustainable Development focused on breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger by improving the ability of those in need to feed themselves.

"In the meantime, the famine in southern Africa and the crisis in Afghanistan are a tragic reminder of the urgency of our mission. President Bush views the alleviation of hunger and poverty throughout the world as "a moral imperative" - those are his words.

"To rise to the challenge of this moral imperative, the United States, in partnership with other donor countries and with developing countries, is working toward three top-priority objectives: increasing agricultural productivity; ending famine and improving nutrition.

"Technology is one of the most powerful tools we have to achieve these goals. Those that have been left behind by the great tides of human development powered by the industrial revolution, the communications revolution and the biological revolution, can leapfrog ahead if they have access to the scientific and technological breakthroughs now underway.

"Current and emerging technologies have the potential to increase farm yields; improve the nutrient content of foods; deliver inexpensive, edible vaccines; improve distribution; reduce food waste; reduce the use of chemicals; and offer new marketing opportunities and income sources for farmers. This is the power and promise of science and technology.

"Around the world, scientists are working to develop new varieties of crops that can resist pests, use less water and generally thrive in less than optimal growing conditions. Hand-in-hand with scientific research, countries must adopt policies that allow their farmers to take advantage of new products being developed through research. Government policies should encourage the safe use new technologies, not cause farmers and consumers to fear it.

"The United States is fully committed to the ambitious goal of feeding the world's hungry - not only through aggressive relief, but also through empowering those in need to gain access to and utilize the wonders of modern agriculture to feed themselves."

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NOTE: View the multimedia web cast of Secretary Ann M. Veneman's remarks on World Food Day at http://www.ocav.usda.gov:8080/ramgen/secy/wfd.rm .