Afp, Rome, 01 June 2008, The Daily Star

 

Dozens of non-governmental organisations and small farmers’ groups plan a forum in Rome next week to coincide with an international summit on food security hosted by the UN food agency.

The Terra Preta (Portuguese for “black earth”) forum will not counter the Food and Agriculture Organisation summit next Tuesday through Thursday but run “parallel” to it, organisers told a news conference.

Indeed, FAO Director General Jacques Diouf will open the forum, and its conclusions will be presented at the summit on Thursday, they noted.

While the FAO has come under widespread criticism for inefficiency, Antonio Onorati, head of the Italian section of the Food Sovereignty movement, said the group has never criticised the Rome-based agency, which he said is “essential and needs to be strengthened.”

He warned however that some governments would use the FAO summit to call for further liberalisation of the global agriculture sector.

“We are prepared to work with committed governments and United Nations organisations that share our concerns and are dedicated to end the food emergency and develop food sovereignty,” the forum’s organisers said in a statement.