3
June 2008: Lennart Båge, President of the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), told the High-Level Conference on World Food Security, at
its 3-5 June 2008 meeting in Rome, Italy, that “complacency” with food
surpluses has led to underinvestment in agriculture, for which the world is now
“literally paying the price.” Drawing attention to the under-utilized capacity
of smallholder farmers, he called for investments in rural agriculture,
including: improved access to essential inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer;
microfinance institutions; rural infrastructure; market linkages and access to
market information; and food processing.

Noting
that the current trend in rising food demand will require a sustained,
long-term and well-coordinated response, he urged countries to support IFAD in
scaling up its activities by significantly increasing their contributions to
IFAD’s upcoming replenishment. [Statement]
[FAO
Conference website] [IISD RS
coverage]