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5 June 2008

Rome, Italy: Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has today, 5 June 2008, concluded her two-day visit to Rome, Italy, where she attended the World Food Security and the Challenges of Climate Change and Bio-energy Conference.

The high level conference was attended by more than forty Heads of State and senior government officials from all over the world.

Convened by the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon and FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf, the conference aimed to address the soaring high food prices within the context of bio-energy, climate change and food security, particularly in developing countries.

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka called on world leaders to deal with the existing structural faults in the global economy that have largely resulted in unfair competition, inefficient markets and a biased trading regime. She also called for the speedy conclusion of the Doha Development Round in the context of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Round of negotiations.

The Deputy President also informed the meeting on how higher food prices impact negatively on the purchasing power of poor households.

"The government (South Africa) has established an inter-departmental committee to address the root causes of the problem, and these include the rising cost of fuel," said the Deputy President.

"The government will also expand its programmes that support the poor, especially women and children, and will include social welfare grants, starter packs for household vegetable production, support to family gardens, school feeding schemes as well as work for food projects under the public works programme," she said.

"In addition, Cabinet is considering proposals on the zero rating of chicken, sorghum meal and selected baby foods," said the Deputy President.

The Deputy President also said "government has embarked on a private sector mobilisation project to ensure effective mechanisms for donating food and addressing costs of agricultural inputs, such as fertilisers, seeds which impacts heavily on farmers. Further, we will ensure that programmes for wheat, maize, soya and milk and livestock production are intensified."

"The long-term strategy for agriculture is to invigorate agricultural production and improve investment in agriculture and science and technology for agricultural research and technology transfer and by deepening our policy reforms to speed up our land and agrarian development programmes. The initiative of 'Masibuyele e masimini' and massification of food production will be promoted," said the Deputy President

The outcomes of the conference included:

* An action plan that outlines the immediate actions as well as the medium to long-term plan.
* A draft Declaration of the Food World Security challenges for climate change and bio-energy was also adopted by the Heads of State, where they resolved to use all means to alleviate the suffering caused by the current crisis to stimulate food production and to increase investment in agriculture, to address obstacles to food access and to use the planets resources sustainably for present and future generations.
* A further commitment to the elimination of hunger and to secure food for all today and tomorrow.

The Deputy President was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture and the Deputy Minister for Finance and senior government officials and will participate in the World Economic Forum's Interactive Session at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on her return to the country on 6 June 2008.

Issued by: The Presidency
5 June 2008