Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The point is very well made. Part of the problem regarding the declining capacity of many developing countries to produce their own food is the increasing fragmentation of small holdings. That is a major problem. Allied to that are problems with establishing proof of legal tenure, including that of women who comprise, surprisingly, 80% of all farmers in Africa. This figure is borne out in the report. Their rights to own land and to develop that land for productive agricultural purposes are diminishing because of fragmentation. That is a very real issue which we must address. It is an extremely complex issue and varies from country to country. In Mozambique, for example, all the land is owned by the state. In other countries nobody knows who owns the land and the system goes back perhaps to early stages of feudal ownership such as we had in Ireland.

The Deputy's point is well made. The key, however, as identified and recommended in the report, is that international foreign aid and development should be focused upon increasing the productive capacity in agriculture. We have lost focus on that, not only in Ireland but right across the world. The report takes a leadership role in the international community.

I conclude with one point. The report on food hunger, which was welcomed across the House, shows Ireland taking an outstanding leadership role in the world. This report was launched on the floor of the United Nations, in the presence of the UN Secretary General and to wide acclaim in the international community. Ireland is at the cutting edge, taking a leadership role on this issue and Irish people should be proud of that.

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