Colombo, September 24 (newsin.asia): Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa batted for organic agriculture at the Virtual Plenary of the UN Food Systems Summit on Thursday. He stressed that it is essential to transform global food systems into a more sustainable one with the accent also on the promotion of a healthy population.
“All stakeholders should work together in this regard,” the Lankan President said.
The UN Food Systems Summit commenced in New York yesterday (23) in parallel to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres made the keynote remarks of the Summit organised under the theme ‘Accelerating Action for the Future We Want.’
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in global food systems and that it will only get worse with climate change.
Sustainable food systems are part of Sri Lanka’s rich socio-cultural and economic heritage, the President said and added that the ban on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and weedicides that led to adverse health and environmental impacts, was part of State policy to promote sustainable and healthy development.
The President pointed out that changing the mindset of farmers long accustomed to using chemical fertilizers was difficult. The production of sufficient quantities of organic fertilizer domestically was also challenging. Therefore, Sri Lanka welcomes technical assistance and bilateral support in this regard, he added.
It is essential to enhance market-oriented inclusive food value chains in order to reduce rural poverty when fostering organic agriculture, he pointed out.
“Through such improvements, I am confident Sri Lanka will be able to sustainably transform its food system and ensure greater food security and better nutrition for its people,” the President said.
He appreciated the technical assistance given by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program to Sri Lanka, and thanked for the support of other global organizations and scientific bodies in this regard.
President Rajapaksa said that it should be the aim of all State leaders to ensure a better future for our people and our planet, and that everyone must work together to find solutions to the universal challenges we will have to face in the future in this matter.
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