network of research and training centres and programmes
Issue 27: September-October 2003
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UNU Update | |
| The newsletter of United Nations
University and its network of research and training centres and programmes |
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Issue 27: September-October 2003 |
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Hunger in Africa must Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter urged industrialized nations to help African countries improve their agricultural output by sharing technical know-how and by cutting their agricultural subsidies, the Japan Times reported.. Delivering the annual U Thant Distinguished lecture at UN University Centre in Tokyo, Carter said: "Half the people (in Africa) are suffering from malnutrition . . . and the crucial elements are foreign assistance, development assistance and to let African people improve their production of their own food." While international attention is focused on conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East, as well as on North Korean's suspected nuclear program, Carter stressed that industrialized nations also need to focus on alleviating hunger in Africa. Carter, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, has lent his support to increasing food production in Africa through programs launched by the Carter Center, which was founded in 1982. While acknowledging that health, education and economic development are important in eradicating poverty in Africa, Carter maintained that agricultural development plays a crucial role, not only because half the population suffers from malnutrition but also because 70 percent of Africa's working population are farmers. To help African nations improve their food supply, Carter said sharing the latest farming techniques, rather than simply donating food, is essential. He said there are already programs of this kind under way, including Japan's New Rice for Africa project, in which Japan teaches planting techniques for certain types of rice that grow well in the region's climate. He also warned that agricultural subsidies distributed among farmers in Japan, Europe and the U.S. are damaging the competitiveness of African farm products. "America has made a few modest steps toward reducing subsidies, but not enough. Europe and Japan are unwilling to make any changes. "Subsidies do not help the developing world and do not help the consumers even in the countries where subsidies are given to the farmers." |
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