To discuss steps to makefarming economically-viable in the era of WTO regime, athree-day World Agriculture Forum Congress will be organisedhere from November 4-7 next year.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate theCongress, being held for the first time in Asia, which has thetheme "Re-shaping agriculture for a sustainable future ofsmall and marginal farmers".
An agricultural trade fair will also be organisedconcurrently. As a prelude to the Congress, a meeting was heldhere today to discuss the agenda and related issues.
World Agriculture Forum Chairman Kenneth M Baker, WAFAdvisory Board chairman and former Prime Minister of NewZealand James B Bolger, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N KiranKumar Reddy, Agriculture ministers -- Kanna Lakshminarayana(AP), Ramkrishan Kusmariya (Madhya Pradesh) and D PrasadMishra (Odisha) attended the meeting along with others.
The primary objective of the Congress was to discusswithall key stakeholders like farmers organizations,industry,government and scientists the steps for "re-shapingand re-positioning" small farm-holder agriculture to makefarming economically-viable in the era of WTO regime, WAFChairman Baker said.
Speaking on the occasion, Bolger noted that thechallenge was to feed nine billion people in the world in thenext 40 years, up from seven billion now.
"About 800 million to one billion people are left hungryeveryday now, out of the world's population of seven billion.
We have to feed not only these people but also an additionaltwo billion people in the next 40 years. We need to produce 70per cent more food in the next 40 years," Bolger pointed out.
The task, therefore, in front of agriculture sector was"immense". Its not a question if it is possible but its aquestion of the will. The world can feed itself better ifthere is a political will, the former Prime Minister observed.
"We need to use all the safe sides to reach the goal offeeding all," he added. Stating that the WAF was trying to reach out to theworld, Bolger said the WAF Congress was for the first timebeing held outside the US.