Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I wish the Minister of State every success with his new responsibilities and I appreciate his reply. The question I tabled contains two basic elements. First, I entirely support what the Minister of State said about increasing technical and practical assistance under the UN World Food Programme, particularly to Ethiopia where millions of people are threatened. The second element concerns a food security strategy based on appropriate agricultural production models. In its 2007 report, the World Bank acknowledged that its approach to agriculture has been unsuccessful. In fact, the word "failed" is used in the text. It neglected agriculture in the context of competing economic models in Africa in particular. One model, which has failed, involves supplying increasing agricultural output based on markets created by migration to cities. A different model exists in West Africa where 80% of the increase in agricultural production has been brought about by people working on small plots with a hoe.

There are three reasons for such a conference to discuss options to respond to the food crisis. One is that the European Union supplies 48% of all the aid in the world. Second, Ireland is a lead country in the debate, not just on emergency food aid but also food security. Third, intellectual and practical NGO and State involvement is needed in a debate on the various models of food security, particularly in Africa.

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