Food security: France seeks international support for its Farm initiative

Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Ministers were in Rome, Tuesday, April 12, to evoke with the Food and Agricultural Agencies with the possible measures against the war-related food crisis in Ukraine .

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They came to Rome to seek the support of international agencies on agriculture and food: a delegation of France and the European Commission met on Tuesday, April 12, representatives of the World Food Program (WFP), of the United Nations Organization of Agriculture and Food (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The objective of these meetings: to rally these institutions at the French Farm initiative (for “Food and Agricultural Resilience Mission”, “Mission of Food Resilience and Agricultural”) to prevent a World Food Crisis in Ukraine. Failing to formalize a partnership, the UN agencies have expressed interest, WFP for a joint press conference with France and the European Commission.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, two major exporters of cereals and oleoproteags, by disrupting global markets, threatens the ability to feed on populations already weakened by two years of pandemic due to Visc- 19. “It’s a perfect storm adding to a perfect storm,” summed up the director of WFP, David Beasley, while food insecurity has been growing since several years, under the combined effect of conflict and global warming. “Faced with this crisis in the crisis, we have to think outside the executives, which is why I am happy to see France and the European Union take leadership,” continued Mr. Beasley.

Announced by Emmanuel Macron on March 24, the FARM initiative is still in the process of definition. It is for the time supported by the European Union and has received a favorable echo of the G7, but it must be specified. Three pillars have been defined: a commercial axis to improve transparency on stocks and stop speculative phenomena that grow food prices at record levels; a component of solidarity towards the vulnerable populations affected by the cessation of grain exports from Ukraine; and a third long-term pillar, helping the development of agricultural sectors in countries today importers, particularly on the Mediterranean and Africa afternony.

Other approached instances

If the initiative is directly driven by the Elysée, it is the Foreign Ministers, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and agriculture, Julien Denormandie, who were dispatched to Rome. “Our goal is to achieve a coordination mechanism before the end of June and the French Presidency of the European Union,” said Drian. “Each of the agencies certified us to support the Farm initiative, Mr. Denormandie. FAO to support transparency on stocks, IFAD to invest in countries that may have difficulties, and finally WFP, strongly committed to prevent a food crisis, for the solidarity component. “

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/Media reports.