Barroso benadrukt verband tussen voedselveiligheid, klimaatverandering en globale veiligheid (en)

MEMO/09/504

Brussels, 14 November 2009

President Barroso i to stress the link between food security, climate change and global security at the FAO Summit in Rome

President Barroso will call for a science based early warning system for food security at the FAO Summit starting on Monday 16 November in Rome. In his address to the leaders, he will stress the links between food security and global security as well as the fight against climate change. EU Commissioners for Agriculture, Marian Fischer-Boel, and for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Karel De Gucht i, will also attend the Summit.

President Barroso said: "A world where one billion people are hungry is not just a deep stain on our collective conscience: it is a growing threat to our collective global security. Like the battle against climate change, the fight against hunger cannot wait: we must deliver on our MDG targets to cut hunger in half by 2015. And we need to provide for food security what the Inter-Governmental Panel has given to the battle against climate change - a science based early warning system for the planet. This conference needs to address three important, and inter-woven issues - food security, cli mate change and bio-diversity. These are important and difficult challenges, and I am determined to tackle them in the next mandate of the European Commission".

President Barroso's participation at the FAO Summit is consistent with Commission's strong engagement with food security and increased support to developing countries, which are also the f irst and most affected by the consequences of climate change.

The EU is by far the largest donor to the FAO. And the Commission, which is a full member of the FAO, is the largest extra-budgetary donor. The FAO was one of the main beneficiaries of the EU's €1 billion Food Facility proposed by President Barroso and approved in December 2008 by the EU Council.

Earlier this week, President Barroso met with the Director General of the FAO, Mr Diouf, and underlined that sustained funding and targeted investment are needed to improve long term food security. But investment - he stressed - must be complemented by sound governance. Furthermore, the co-ordination of international organisations is crucial to complement and reinforce existing multilateral and bilateral efforts to tackle food insecurity.