The Hindu Business Line : FAO moots tripartite pact with India, China to wipe out hunger

THE Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has mooted a tripartite agreement between India, China and the organisation to expand the scope of its existing programme of South-South co-operation to eradicate hunger in the world within the next 10 years.

Delivering the 2006 Coromandel Lecture on the occasion of the 93rd Indian Science Congress on `Asian science and agricultural development: Challenge and opportunity in Africa and the developing countries' here, Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAO, said the tripartite campaign would be supported by donor countries.

"It is not simply a dream. It is a possible, feasible and operational objective if we have the vision and the will to do what it takes," he said.

He called on the scientists attending the ISC to share their skills and energies with developing nations to make the partnership a meaningful one.

The President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, presented the Borlaug Award of Coromandel Fertilisers Ltd to Dr R.S. Paroda, former Director-General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, for his outstanding contribution to agriculture at the function.

Mr Daniel Gustafson, the FAO Representative in India and Bhutan, elaborated the organisation's plan with regard to the tripartite arrangement.

Talks would be held with OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) to contribute to the programme. Preliminary talks were on. The idea was to help the poor countries in Africa and Asia by using the models developed in India and China in the areas of dry land farming, management of land and water resources, marketing initiatives to increase the incomes of the poor.

The FAO was hopeful of implementing the programme by mid-2006.

On the issue of avian flu, he said it was a big concern for the organisation.

It had initiated a project to support the vulnerable countries in putting in place surveillance mechanism and contingency plans.

On the association with IIM (Ahmedabad) in connection with organising a nationwide competition for business schools on finding a marketing model for agricultural produce, he said, the results were likely on January 14.