CIC Holdings launches conference on food and nutrition security

Monday, 8 October 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shanuka Tissera

A day-long conference sponsored by CIC Holdings Plc on ‘Global Food and Nutrition Security; Challenges and Opportunities for Sri Lanka’ will take place on 17 October in Colombo.

The event will bring together scientists, food nutritionist, policymakers, academics and agri-business firms for the first time, to debate and discuss the way forward to secure food nutrition and security in Sri Lanka.

Most countries today are looking into developing sustainable food sources. With increasing food prices, diverse weather patterns and shrinking natural resources, the challenge becomes how we as a nation can feed the country.

One possible solution to ease the increasing food prices and limited supply is too open trade for GMO foods. A scientific argument arises with respect to additives and genetic modifications however, it solves the issue of feeding the masses versus no food.

“At the moment, we do not know if any of the food being imported contains GMOs because the Government has not provided the technical equipment to test for GMOs,” said University of Peradeniya Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Buddhi Marambe – Prof. in Crop Science.

It is estimated that rising food prices have pushed 44 million people across the world in extreme poverty. A further billion people go hungry each day due to limited access or resources to secure food supplies. With world population tipped to cross nine billion by 2050; developing countries in particular, face a daunting challenge of meeting its food needs.

Commenting on the situation in the country, Ministry of Agriculture Additional Secretary Dr. D.B.T. Wijeratne stated: “Sri Lanka has reached an important milestone in agriculture last year, by being self sufficient in our staple food and main feed commodities, rice and maze respectively. Although caloric malnutrition is not prevalent in Sri Lanka, we still face the daunting issues related to nutritional security, especially protein and micro-nutrient deficiency.”

There is a need to address the issues of low productivity, high postharvest losses and poor profits of growers. Improved availability and affordability of agricultural commodities can be achieved only through the usage of technological advanced inputs.

CIC Holdings PLC Managing Director Samantha Ranatuga said: “Our per capita income has crossed the $ 2,000 mark, yet 20% of households are food insecure. Malnutrition levels are about 22% for the under five population and the situation is no better in former conflict areas than in the estate sector.” To reduce the import burden and meet some degree of self-sufficiency, the Government has taken a number of initiatives such as offering fertiliser subsidies, guaranteed farm prices, etc., under the island wide Divi Neguma program. The conference hopes to raise issues surrounding the present global food and nutrition security crisis, its implication for Sri Lankan and potential local and global challenges. The organisers hope the event will identify short and medium term challenges and opportunities for strategic action.

Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe