Rome, 22 mar (EFE).-the Secretary general of United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon, said today that only with a good use of the water is can be successful in the fight to combat hunger.
Ban today submitted a statement which was read out at the beginning of the ceremony of the world 2012 water day held today at the headquarters, in Rome, the UN food and Agriculture (FAO) Organization.
“unless we increase our ability to use water wisely in agriculture, we will not put an end to hunger and will give way to a series of different, including drought, famine and political instability problems,” warned Ban.
Also, Ban Ki-moon said to produce sufficient food for a population in rapid growth requires the international community to ensure a sustainable use “of the greatest limited resource” in the world: water.
The UN Chief warned that “water scarcity is increasing and the rate of growth of agricultural production has slowed down” and that this, of course, affects above all “to poor farmers in the low-income countries, which are the most vulnerable and the least able to adapt”.
“Ensuring sustainable food and water security for all will require the transfer of appropriate water technologies, the promotion of small food producers and the conservation of essential ecosystem services”, said Ban, who then urged to make “policies that promote the right to water for all”.,
“water will play a key role in the construction of the future we want”, concluded Ban, who indicated that in “the next Rio+20 Earth Summit, the international community will need tying up between water and food and nutrition security in the context of a green economy”.
On the other hand, the director-general of FAO, the Brazilian José Graziano da Silva, said that for a better use of water must be made “a sustainable intensification of agriculture” to produce the food that the world needs, using water more intelligently and changing the way in which we eat, reducing losses and waste, and promoting healthier diets.
“Do so require, investing in people, infrastructure, education and awareness, and find incentives to small farmers adopt good practices, strengthen their capacity to improve their productivity,” added Graziano da Silva.
According to FAO annually wasted approximately 1.3 billion tons of food and a reduction of 50% in losses and waste of food worldwide would save approximately 1,350 km3 of water annually. EFE
