BRIC cooperation on global food security, climate change

Vinay Shukla
Moscow, Mar 26 (PTI) The BRIC nations--Brazil, Russia,
India and China--on Friday agreed to cooperate in ensuring
global food security by providing food to the vulnerable
layers of population and jointly working towards mitigating
the effect of climate change on the farm sector.

After their maiden Moscow session, BRIC farm ministers
singed a joint declaration in which they have agreed to set up
an experts group to oversee groups' cooperation. The joint
declaration also agreed to create an information data base,
develop a general strategy for ensuring access to food for the
most vulnerable sections.
The BRIC experts group would also take comprehensive
adaptive measures to mitigate the negative impact of climate
change on food security and adaptation of agriculture to such
changes.
In this context they have urged the developed countries
to offer technical and financial assistance on climate change
to the developing countries, while developing countries should
actively take all measures to promote sustainable growth and
make their due contribution to counter climate change.
The experts group will prepare specific proposals and
report to BRIC farm ministers at their next meeting in 2011.
Addressing a joint press conference, Indian agriculture
minister Sharad Pawar said, "BRIC cooperation in the field of
agriculture holds considerable potential as it directly
impacts nearly 40 per cent of the global population living in
them as well as indirectly much more."
This was the first-ever meeting of the agriculture
ministers of the four fastest emerging economies that ended
here today.
Pawar empahsised the lack of access to affordable food is
the root cause of the ongoing civil wars in at least 13-14
countries and the interaction of BRIC would help to resolve
the issue of food security on a global scale. He also
underscored the need for the speedy completion of the Doha
Round on the basis of fairness and non-discrimination.
Their joint declaration said ensuring food security
requires a well-functioning world market and trading system
for food and agriculture based on the principles of fairness
and non-discrimination. "In this regard, it is of paramount
importance to accelerate the Doha Round of talks," the joint
declaration added.
Chinese farm minister Han Changfu said BRIC nations are
already ensuring the stability and food security through their
individual efforts. "The world's most populous nations - China
and India-- are feeding themselves and this itself is a great
contribution to the global food security," Han pointed out.
Russian farm ministers Elena Skrynnik and Brazilian
Guilherme Cassel said their governments are drafting policies
and guidelines, which could open access to foreign investments
in their agriculture. Russia and Brazil have the world's
largest arable land masses. PTI VS
SDE


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