Deventer, The Netherlands,
20 November 2003 --
- Ismail Serageldin addressed the 75th meeting of the International Conference
on Agriculture and Development. Before a packed audience he articulated his views
about the problems of international trade and agriculture in relation to the needs
of developing countries. He also highlighted the issue of vulnerability and pointed
out that population pressures in some key developing countries, especially India
and China, will generate enormous demands for increased food production. India
and China must generate enough food of an additional 700-800 million persons in
the next 30 years, largely on the same land and water. Success in these endeavors
is essential if these countries are not to become importers of grain, which would
have a major effect on world prices. This in turn, would have a very negative
impact on the poor food importing countries of Africa. Addressing these issues
will need a combination of novel approaches and techniques in food production,
and special treatment for agricultural issues in international trade.
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