Press Release
Address by H.E. Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, Prime Minister of Japan
On the Occasion of the High-Level Conference on World Food Security: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy
Embassy of Japan
On June 3, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda delivered a speech on the occasion of the High-Level Conference on World Food Security: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy.” The following is an excerpt from the speech.
As all of you gathered here are aware, the fundamentals of supply-demand balance of food are gradually becoming more and more unstable. Cultivatable land barely increases anywhere in the world, climate change continues to develop, and conversion of food for energy use is increasing; nevertheless, the world population is continuing its growth. It is estimated that over 100 million people are newly at risk of hunger as a result of this threat, and we find ourselves confronting the possibility that our efforts thus far to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) may be hindered. In brief, we must share a common recognition of the gravity of the situation, thoroughly analyze its causes, and undertake fully in concert comprehensive and coherent measures ranging from emergency responses to medium- and long-term efforts. [Emergency and short-term response measures for this crisis] We must extend the hand of assistance to people who are, at this very moment, suffering from food insecurity or hunger, as there is simply no time to lose. It was from this perspective that Japan announced an emergency food aid package of roughly 100 million US dollars to be disbursed by July of this year, to add to the approximately 85 million dollars of food aid Japan has already distributed within 2008. If it should be that the current food market situation has resulted from market speculation or other factors un-related to real demand, it is imperative that we demonstrate the strong political will to monitor these factors. Furthermore, we must consider the creation of some sort of mechanism to secure this political will. In addition Japan would like to call upon countries to refrain from instituting restrictions on agricultural exports and other measures. [Medium- to long-term measures] If we are to resolve the issue of soaring food prices fundamentally, each country must maximize the use of its own potential resources and achieve greater agricultural production. Improving agricultural productivity and the production capacity of African nations and other developing countries are also an urgent task.
With regard to the soaring food prices that we are currently confronting, new factors not seen in food crises of the past, have been pointed out, such as linkages to the rising fuel prices, climate change, and relations with financial markets and energy markets. First, we must earnestly engage ourselves in measures for the mitigation of global warming. At the same time, measures are needed to enable the agricultural sector of developing countries to adapt to the impact of climate change. Secondly, we need to ensure that biofuel production is sustainable by carrying out such undertakings as to accelerate research on second-generation biofuels, which do not require food crops as feedstock, in order to bring them into practical production, so that global food security does not suffer on account of biofuel production. [Toward the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit] At the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit to be held next month, taking into account the discussions and outputs of this High-Level Conference, we will undertake full-fledged discussions on markets, trade, development, climate change, and energy, which are indeed the combined factors underlying soaring food prices, and then translate that into action.
The transcript of the entire speech is available at: http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/pm/fukuda/address0806.html
[Related links]
*Decision on Emergency Food Aid in Response to Rising Food Prices (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s website)
*Dispatch of letters from Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on rising food prices (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s website)
* G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s website)
*The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in Yokohama (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s website)
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