Chairperson,
Mr. President of IFAD- Dr Kanayo Nwanze
Distinguished Governors,
Heads of UN Agencies based in Rome
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen

 

Firstly, let me also take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as the chair of this session and welcome the new Bureau and thank the old one.

Chairperson,

I would like to join others in expressing our deepest condolences to the government and people of Haiti.  In this respect, I would like to echo the words expressed by Mr Joanas Gue, Minister of Agriculture of Haiti that ‘the international community must now move from compassion to action’.  South Africa supports this clarion call to action and stands ready to assist the Haiti post disaster reconstruction process.  South Africa also supports the coordination efforts of the Rome based UN institutions through the establishment of the Task Group on the Post Assessment Process in Haiti.

My government will keenly support all efforts aimed at facilitating cancellation of Haiti’s existing debts, including those of IFAD.  Let us free Haiti from all constrains that may hamper her development at this stage. 

Excellencies,
The message of this Governing Council,  “from summit resolutions to farmers’ fields: Climate change, food security and smallholder agriculture”, is not only timely and relevant but captures the critical features of the crisis of agriculture and food security today.  The challenge before us is daunting.  We need to implement decisions and act on our promises.  The time is now.

Let us join the victims of hunger, food insecurity and poverty and assist them with the necessary resources to survive in the short term in order to build sustainable livelihoods in the long-term. To this end, we urge IFAD to continue to play a leading and decisive role in insuring that the MDG 1 is achieved; the 20 billion L’Aquila pledge is actualized and the Five Rome Principles for Sustainable Global Food Security adopted by Heads of States and Government during November 2009 World Summit on Food Security are be implemented.

The 2008 World Development Report indicates that  the GDP generated by agriculture is up to four times more effective in reducing poverty than growth generated in other sectors of the economy.  In this context, smallholder farmers will continue to play an important role in developing countries’ economies where about 80 million of them provide up to 80% of agricultural production and 70% of rural employment. 

Chairperson,
The majority of these farmers are women who constitute the backbone of rural farming and society.  Women farmers are key decision makers in families, they are an important part of rural society.  It is a known fact that despite being responsible for producing most of the world food, they are a majority of the world’s poor.  It is important that they are recognised and supported through gender responsive agricultural and rural development policies.  Policies that would assure them security of tenure, facilitate better access to rural financial services, appropriate technologies, education and training and farming systems that would make them less vulnerable to climate change.    

South Africa values the tireless efforts and support that IFAD has provided to Africa, especially the multiple capacity building support programmes provided to smallholder farmers.  We need to strengthen these efforts further through greater support towards country led initiatives and regional programmes.  We applaud IFAD support to CAADP implementation in various parts of Africa. It is our strong belief that CAADP support in the short to medium term will lead to full realisation of hunger free Africa and sustainable development. 

In conclusion, we urge the donor community and member states to strengthen IFAD mandate of supporting rural smallholder farmers, especially in Low Income Food Deficit Countries through investments that will support ecologically sustainable agriculture and prepare them to respond better to climate change.   

I thank you

17 February 2010