PM urges world community to stop politics with food

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the international community to stop war and politics with food and reach food to all as over 800 million people go to bed hungry globally, which are getting worsened due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

"I plead to the international community to stop war, stop politics with food, and stop wastage of food. Instead, please ensure food supply to areas of food shortage, and famine. As human beings, we must believe everyone has right to survive with food and have a decent life,” she said.

The prime minister said this while virtually presenting the keynote paper in the inaugural session of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) World Food Forum-2022 held in FAO's headquarters Rome, Italy from her official Ganabhaban residence here, reports BSS.

She added: "If, on the other hand, a fraction of the money invested on manufacturing weapons was spent on food production and distribution, no one would go hungry in this world."

Expressing happiness to attend virtually the forum, she said the forum is taking place at a time when the global food system is reeling from the Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions and counter-sanctions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the droughts across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle-East.

"I hope it will foster dialogue among key stakeholders to advance important solutions for agri-food system transformation," she said.

Mentioning that more than 800 million people or 10% of the world's population regularly go to bed hungry, she said things have now become worse with the Ukraine war, and subsequent sanctions and counter-sanctions, which have disrupted global food supplies and raised the cost of food.

"This deprivation is most unfortunate in our world of abundant resources which is boosted by remarkable contributions of science and technology," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said in real sense, there is no dearth of food on our planet, adding that the scarcity is simply man-made.

"Politics and business interests with food, challenges of climate change, and pest and disease attacks are all putting pressure on our agri-food systems", she continued. The prime minister said she desires such a world free from hunger and poverty.

Mentioning that Bangladesh is now an attractive destination for foreign direct investment due to its liberal policies that included tax benefits, incentives for exports, and other inputs as technology and competitive labour and laws conducive to investment, she called upon the foreign investors to invest in its agro-sector.

"Bangladesh has good potentials for agro-processing industries. I would especially like to invite foreign investors to invest in this agro-sector," she said.