 |
| (Photo: ANP) |
As Dutch
humanitarian organisations rally to highlight the plight of victims of the East
Africa drought disaster, former agriculture minister Gerda Verburg sets off to
Rome to join the UN’s food security team. She will be the Netherlands’
permanent representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Her
mission is to spread Dutch agricultural expertise to local farmers in Africa,
Asia and Latin America.
The FAO’s
first and foremost task is to tackle the food problem in the world. But,
concedes the ex-minister, “the food situation has actually worsened recently.”
The prospects seem disheartening as Millennium Development Goals lag behind
their 2015 deadline, famine threatens East Africa and food prices reach untold
peaks.
Ms Verburg
feels the Netherlands should play a more active role in tackling global food
security, citing breakthrough innovations of the Agriculture University in
Wageningen – a university dedicated to food production in a healthy environment
- as examples. Researcher Siemen van Berkum:
“Dutch
agricultural practices enjoy a well-established reputation in the world and are
known for their production efficiency. We have advanced knowledge on how to
produce food efficiently - which could be used to improve and support global
food security.”
Train the
farmers
Ms Verburg
stands behind this idea and recalls some success stories in Ethiopia during her
term as minister: “You’ll see that if you apply very basic farming principles
there, you can triple or even quadruple the yield per hectare, without using
extra soil or exploiting the environment. And it’s more sustainable to boot.
Just send in a Dutch farmer who can produce six or seven times more in a
sustainable way. It’s that simple – educate the farmers (very often women). And
give them a chance to organise some credit to buy supplies and sell their
produce. That way you’ll achieve more in the long run.”
Sour milk
Knowledge
shouldn’t stop with production, says Ms Verburg. Setting up a production and
supply chain is crucial: “Suppose a farmer in the tropics has ten dairy cows.
At the end of the day, he can throw away his sour milk if it isn’t processed in
some way.”
The new FAO
representative knows that Dutch businesses would invest in agriculture in
developing countries if there were realistic opportunities. She thinks
collaboration between Dutch universities, businesses and local farmers is key.
No magic
wand
But the FAO
is in need of some self-evaluation itself. They’re often accused of being
sluggish and functioning too much as a platform for political interests. The
criticism is justified, says Ms Verburg:
“No-one can
afford not to take criticism on board. Three international themes are going to
be in the spotlight in the coming years – water, food and energy. If the FAO
doesn’t carry out the task it has been set up to do, then you’ll have to
question whether its existence is justified.”
She has
hope. With the arrival of the Brazilian José Grazino da Silva, the FAO will be
able to focus on its chief task – ensuring food security for all. Gerda Verburg
is setting off for Rome with her sleeves rolled up, ready for the challenge
ahead. “But there’s no magic wand,” she says.
 |
| Rob Baan uses four colours in LED-lighting (Photo: RNW) |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.