Sargent Marks World Food Day

Minister Sargent said that: "The aim of World Food Day is to raise awareness about hunger and poverty in the developing world. A specific theme is dedicated to World Food Day and this year's theme is 'the Right to Food'."

With the sponsorship of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Gorta (the Freedom From Hunger Council of Ireland) is hosting Ireland's annual World Food Day Conference. Minister Sargent stated that "The choice of 'the Right to Food' as the theme for 2007 World Food Day demonstrates increasing recognition by the international community of the important role of human rights in eradicating hunger and poverty. The right to Food will also be impossible to guarantee unless we stabilise climate chaos." The 'Right to Food' concept also presents a significant challenge to Governments worldwide to ensure communities are self reliant in food production especially with world human population growing by 85 million per annum and the impending reality of peak of oil production worldwide.

Minister Sargent stressed that 'the right to food must be realised for all'.