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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Monday, October 15, 2007 – It's World Food Day today Tuesday, October
16th and all countries are being called to take heed that the right to food is
an inherent human right. This right is being highlighted this year via the
theme: “the right to food.”
Some of the critical issues which surround food and food security today are
leading causes of human suffering, starvation and death of thousands of people.
Deputy Director of Agricultural Services, Mr. Eden Compton says such a scenario
should not be the case.
“This theme has brought to light the fact that there are over 800 million people
who are either under-nourished or malnourished which shouldn't be the case. The
theme also brought a certain degree of synergism between the ministry of
agriculture and the ministry of health. Both agencies are currently working
together towards celebrating World Food Day in Saint Lucia because there is a
link between what is produced to be consumed by citizens of a nation and also
the health of the people of that nation.”
Mr. Compton says importantly, emphasis will also be placed on food security. “As
far as the Ministry of education is concerned, we are also very concerned about
the food security situation in Saint Lucia and we are moving towards
implementing or investing in a number of projects which will take care of our
food security needs over time.”
Among these projects to boost Saint Lucia's food security, Mr. Compton says - a
Tissue Culture Laboratory will be be built at Union as well as an Aqua -.culture
facility. An eco-touristc park already in the pipeline.
At a time when food security is on the table as a global issue, Saint Lucia's
food import bill weighs approximately US $95 m.
This is cause for concern among agricultural officials, who have been working
with government to bring on board projects that will make the country more
agriculturally vibrant, thereby raising local production to cut back on the high
level of importation.
Deputy Director of Agricultural Services Eden Compton named some of the projects
designed to achieve that objective . “ An abattoir and the redevelopment of the
Beausejour Liivestock Station, in Vieux Fort. There's also the national
greenhouse project which is aimed at reducing the importation of selected crop
commodities over a period of three years by 25 % in the first instance.”
Mr. Compton reiterated the importance of consuming what is grown at home as one
way of ensuring local food security.
“As far as households are concerned we have to try as much as possible to look
at what we eat, the nutritional content of what we eat and at the same time, we
have to try and eat what we produce. Because not only in developing countries
but in some of the economically developed countries you have problems regarding
malnutrition and under nutrition.”
On October 16th the Derek Walcott Square came to life with activities hosted in
observance of World Food Day by the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands , Fisheries,
and the Ministry of Health.
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