Minister Oda Reaffirms Canada’s Food Security Strategy on World Stage

ROME, Italy - The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, today concluded her participation in the World Summit on Food Security in Rome. During her visit, Minister Oda stressed the importance of the international community working together in a coordinated and effective approach to alleviate problems in developing countries caused by the high cost of food and food shortages.

"No single country can address these problems on its own," Minister Oda said. "The urgency of the food security situation calls for an integrated and comprehensive approach. We will need to work collaboratively to develop a functioning, accountable food security structure."

Minister Oda also underscored the fact that greater investments are required to increase agricultural production and productivity. She noted that supporting sustainable agricultural development is one of the three priority areas of the Canadian International Development Agency's (CIDA) recently announced Food Security Strategy.

"In the poorest countries, up to 80 percent of the world's poor depend on farming, and the 2008 World Development Report confirms that sustainable agriculture is two to four times more effective in reducing poverty than other sectors," Minister Oda said.

Canada's Strategy also focuses on Food Aid and Nutrition to provide more flexible, predictable and needs-based funding for emergency and development food assistance; and Research and Development to broaden and deepen publicly available research that makes significant improvements to food security outcomes. Food security is a major focus of CIDA programming, and it is delivering on Prime Minister Stephen Harper's commitment to more than double investment in sustainable agricultural development with an additional $600 million in funding over three years.

More than 150 heads of state, ministers and representatives from international organizations attended the summit to discuss the effects of the ongoing global economic crisis and the recent food security crisis on the world's most vulnerable people.


Information:

Jessica Fletcher
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: 819-953-6238

Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: 819-953-6534
E-mail: media@acdi-cida.gc.ca