ROME Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said relations between Iran and FAO have developed and strengthened in the framework of their common commitments to ensure food security to the poor and vulnerable groups.
Dr. Jacques Diouf, a Senegalian Muslim, told IRNA in an interview that FAO, through its decentralized policy, has repositioned more experts to the field, thus improving its capacity to deliver promptly and effectively assistance to Iran and has also been able to act as a window to the outside and an effective vehicle for technology transfer in favor of Iran agricultural development.
Examples include; introduction of modern greenhouse technology, intensive aquaculture management, techniques for shrimp production, new water harvesting techniques for rain-fed orchards, new varieties of planting materials such as sugarcane, tea, olive, new species of tropical fruits, as well as genetic material for silkworm breeding and new tea processing techniques, he said.
FAO director general believes Iran, because of its positive evaluation of the capacity and impact of FAO, has entrusted the organization with unilateral trust funds from the World Bank or government sources for the implementation of projects in various fields.
Diouf said, "Regarding Iran, being a disaster prone country, FAO has readily provided assistance to small farmers in case of disasters, such as earthquakes, floods or drought. FAO consequently is presently fielding an international livestock expert to participate in a UN interagensy drought assessment mission.
FAO is also responding to two special requests from Iran, one for assistance to Afghan refugees in Iran and the other for emergency assistance to drought -stricken farmers of 18 of the country's provinces".
He added that there are three other ongoing FAO emergency projects in Iran: one for strengthening preparedness for eventual control of foot and mouth diseases and other serious communicable animal diseases in the region; the second for guaranteeing the supply of wheat seed to drought-affected rain-fed farmers in Saqez district of Kurdestan Province; and the third for emergency assistance to flood-affected farmers in the Neka River basin in Mazandaran Province.
In 1999, Diouf said, under the auspices of FAO projects and other activities, a total of 87 Iranian nationals and in the year 2000 so far 80 more have been sent abroad, adding that in 1999, thirty international consultants came to Iran to work on projects and non-project activities.
In reply to a question on Iran's agriculture, he noted that agriculture is one of the main priorities in Iran's national development plans and the annual increase in irrigated land over the 15 years from 1978 to 1993 was 3.8%, which was accompanied by a 4.4 % annual increase in agricultural water supplies. He said the second national five-year plan (1995-2000) provided for an increase of 500,000 ha in irrigated land area and an increase of 10 km3/year in agricultural water supplies.
These figures are taken from the aquastat database that FAO has established to record and monitor the rural water use in all countries. The database also makes possible an analysis of the main problems facing irrigation in a specific country.
Diouf said in Iran a big gap exists between water delivery from the main canals and water application in the field and compared to the major investments in water resources development, not enough has been done to improve irrigation water use at farm level.
Meanwhile Diouf said FAO will also play a greater role in responding to crises' related to quality and safety of food products and the impact of biotechnology and other new agricultural techniques.
The FAO/WHO codex alimentarius commission is the highest international body on global food standards. The codex commission will continue to prepare guidelines and codes of conduct and determine international standards and regulatory frameworks.
As the liberalization of trade continues, FAO will redouble its efforts to help member nations and their farmers take advantage of the opportunities offered by globalization while avoiding the pitfalls, he said, adding that FAO will assist developing countries and countries in transition in improving their capacity to participate effectively in multilateral trade negotiations.
Noting that hunger remains widespread', he remarked that food production in low income countries needs to be increased both as a means of generating the required supplies and increasing the incomes of poor farmers. He stressed that investment in support of agriculture development and food security has to be increased in particular through policies that create a favorable enabling environment for investment by the farmers themselves and for external financing.
Public investment in rural infrastructure, in education and health services for human development, in agriculture extension and farmer-responsive research, is essential to break the vicious circle of hunger and rural poverty, he said.
"In order to reduce food insecurity, economic growth is needed in those places where the poor and hungry live and work. In developing countries most of the poverty and food insecurity is in rural areas. So it is essential that greater emphasis be given to these areas both in terms of national priorities and resources, and also in terms of foreign assistance," FAO general director said.
(IRNA)