April 20, 2008
Global Food Crisis Could Hit
Caribbean's Millennium Goals
Georgetown (Guyana)
Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo has said global food crisis
spurred by rising demand for bio-fuels and food grain shortages
could hinder the Caribbean nations' efforts to achieve the UN
Millennium Development Goals.
"This has the danger of creating severe dislocations and reversing
much of what we have gained as a region," Spain's EFE news agency
quoted Jagdeo as saying Saturday.
He made these comments while briefing the media on the launch of the
Regional Agriculture Investment Forum (RAIF) scheduled June 6-7 in
Guyana.
Jagdeo said: "The Millennium Development Goals are at risk which
means more poverty and hunger. It is a major problem to the
Caribbeans."
The UN in September 2000 had set 2015 as a target for countries
across the world to achieve eight development goals, which among
others include reducing poverty, halt the spread of HIV/AIDS and
providing universal primary education.
RAIF will bring together government officials, private-sector
representatives and bankers, who would discuss ways to maximise
agricultural production through free movement of goods, capital and
people under a unique scheme.
The Caribbean Community (Caricom) member nations have been affected
by the rising costs of fuel, rice, flour, milk and other basic
commodities despite tariff reductions on a range of food items which
are imported from countries outside the bloc.
The governments of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago have been urging
investors to set up farms in Guyana and export the produce to fellow
Caricom countries so as to reduce the region's food import bill,
estimated at more than $3 billion.
Caricom hopes that its Regional Agricultural Transformation
Programme would attract more fund and support from Europe, the UN,
agricultural development organisations in the Caribbean and
financial institutions.
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