World leaders in agriculture are set to celebrate the co-operative themed World Food Day in Rome later this month. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is set to convene the Committee on World Food Security at its Rome headquarters from 15-20 October, which will include the recognition of World Food Day. For 2012, the FAO has dedicated the day (October 16) to highlight the work of agricultural co-operatives. The official theme, 'Agricultural co-operatives – key to feeding the world', has been chosen to highlight the role of co-operatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger. The Committee on World Food Security includes representatives from the UN, government and NGOs such as the World Forum of Fish Harvesters & Fish Workers and World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous Peoples. The World Bank and International Agri Food Network is also represented. During the week-long session of meetings, participants will host a round table on food security and climate change. It will also look at the adoption of the first Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition, which will be a set of principles to promote investments in agriculture that contribute to food security and nutrition. Speaking on a visit to Australia last month, Paul Hazen, Executive Director at US Overseas Co-operative Development Council, which runs food-related initiatives globally, believes Africa is the key to solving problems with world hunger. He said: "What we have in Africa are smallholder farmers who have a hectare of land. If we're going to deal with food security, we have to get them organised into some type of collective action; and that is a co-operative. "Farmers joining together to maximise and utilise the efficiencies of the group business. So it might be as simple as getting a group of farmers together to buy their seeds at a better price. It might be as simple as organising them into a processing co-operative where they process what they grow and the co-operative ships it to the market. So we have to connect those smallholder farmers to the market and that is a co-operative." In a recent meeting with French President Francois Hollande, the FAO's Director-General José Graziano da Silva, who will be speaking at Co-operatives United on October 31, voiced his support for convening a meeting of the G20 agricultural ministers on October 16. The proposed meeting, an opportunity presented by the fact that some ministers have already confirmed their presence for the World Food Day Ceremony, would allow a review of the progress made towards better governance of food markets since the establishment of AMIS. The FAO is also using World Food Day to connect with youth around the world, to highlight both the co-operative model and global issues about the importance of food. Hundreds of people aged between 5-17 have designed posters for the Day to show people working collectively, sharing materials and being a part of a team. Engaging youth around issues such as food security and co-operatives is important for the future, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has said the co-operative model enables young people to create and manage sustainable enterprises. He commented: “Expanding opportunity through youth entrepreneurship is one way to address this challenge. Through their distinctive focus on values, cooperatives have proven themselves a resilient and viable business model that can prosper even during difficult times.” Picture: A poster by Hagamoslo Juntos, Mexico, looks at the collaboration of an entire country to ensure adequate food supply.
