Statistics show that about one-third of all the food grown globally every year is either wasted or lost due to spoilage. When it is considered that almost 800 million people do not regularly get enough to eat, this seems almost criminal.
The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is taking steps to rectify this situation in one region of North Africa. A new three-year project, launched at the 41st Session of the FAO Conference in Rome at the end of June, will attempt to cut losses in fig, apple and date farming in Morocco’s oasis systems by 15%, as well as providing sustainable management techniques for the area’s natural resources.
In addition to looking at Morocco’s situation, the conference covered the state of food production and agricultural issues from several member countries worldwide, and approved a new policy, prepared by out-going Director General José Graziano, that will control the food chain in order to lessen industrialised farming practices and promote sustainable agriculture and development.
Monaco has been a member of this organisation since 2001, and this year has been elected to the FAO Council, a posting that runs for a four year term. Along with other commitments to the FAO, the Principality is involved with the newly launched Decade on Family Farming. The Decade “aims to inspire the international community to generate a refreshed political commitment supporting family farmers and crafting pro-family farming policies.”