GFFA: Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2013

Berlin / DE. (gffa) By 2050 the world´s food supplies will need to sustain around nine billion people. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in order to meet this goal annual investment totalling 83 billion Dollars is required. To this figure must be added secondary funding to support research, education and the infrastructure. At the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) 2013, under the heading of «Responsible investment in the farming and food industries – a key factor in food security and rural development», discussions will take place on strategies for responsible investment. What is needed is a concerted global effort by governments, industry and society to face up to the challenges of combating hunger.

Structural, institutional and democratic frameworks must be put in place in order to enable public and private investment and their existence must be secured by national governments. In particular, this concerns property and ownership. Improving the financial infrastructure, transport and communications systems, as well as providing advice and education opportunities creates a favourable climate for investment and encourages the accumulation of capital, in particular by local farmers, the most important investors.

Increasing productivity and competitiveness, combating poverty and stabilising rural areas facilitates investment and creates additional opportunities. At the same time one must avoid alienating farmers and small-holders and the resultant negative social and ecological impact.

Taking place from 17 to 19 January and beginning parallel with the International Green Week in Berlin, GFFA 2013 will draw public attention to the importance of investing in farming areas in emerging and developing countries and will gather the relevant players and interested members of the public at discussions and meetings. Various organisers will be holding panel discussions, open to the public, which will discuss the latest developments and experiences. For the first time the BMELV has invited the OECD, FAO and African Union to hold open working sessions, which will take place on the afternoon of 18 January. At these meetings, ministers of agriculture and leading representatives of every group involved will have an opportunity to develop their ideas for solving problems together with international organisations. High-ranking members of these international organisations will reveal the results at the Berlin Agriculture Ministers´ Summit.

On 19 January Federal Minister of Agriculture Ilse Aigner (BMELV) will host the International GFFA Panel Discussion. Leading figures representing the financial industry, international agricultural research, NGOs, industry and politics will be taking part in this meeting in the ICC Berlin.

Afterwards, at the fifth Berlin Agriculture Ministers´ Summit 2013, approximately 60 ministers of agriculture from around the world will look at how to facilitate investment in order to combat hunger, malnutrition and poverty in rural areas. The results of this meeting will also form part of the negotiations due to be held by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) on the principles of responsible investment in the farming sector …