3 July 2008
Luanda — The Council of Ministers of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific and European Union (ACP/EU) expressed concerns for additional development challenges with the hike of food and fuels prices and food security due to climate changes.
Meeting at the joint 33rd session held on June 08-13 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in which Angola was represented by the deputy minister of Industry, Abraão Gourgel, the council defends that there should be developed, in short term, actions and strategies aiming at replacing food aid with the production of foodstuff.
Such strategies might also grant subsides for crops like maize, guarantee reasonable prices to purchase seeds and fertilizers for production and invest in storage infrastructures and in new technologies.
The ministers predict that durable food production is a long term solution to food crisis. However, the ACP/EU Cabinet suggests the pursuit of the common efforts, aiming at reinforcing the productions capacity in the member states, who should be engaged in the strengthening of farming policies at national and regional levels.
The document recommends that agriculture must be considered a priority sector and it should receive financial resources from 10 to 15 percent from States budget.
The European Union will give funds and other aids to national and regional policies and strategies on agriculture, in the framework of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), according to the council.
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