"Fight Against Hunger Needs Greater Investment from Private Sector"

“There can be no freedom from hunger – there can be no food security – without the active participation of all sectors of society, including the private sector,” said FAO’s Director-General, José Graziano da Silva.

Speaking at a high-level conference in Istanbul focused on promoting private agricultural investment and trade from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, Mr. Graziano da Silva said that apart from important investments, financial and in-kind contributions, the private sector can make another important valuable contribution, namely political support to food security.

There can be no freedom from hunger – there can be no food security – without the active participation of all sectors of society, including the private sector.

“We need to build consensus and mobilize all stakeholders towards this goal. With the private sector on board, national and international efforts to fight hunger have added legitimacy,” he told the gathering of leaders in agribusiness and top level policy-makers.

The Director-General and his counterpart, EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti, stressed that the fight against hunger can only be won in partnership between governments, civil society and farmer organizations and the private sector. They also called on governments to create an enabling policy environment that fosters private sector investment.

Sir Suma said he was impressed by the positive response by all the companies that were invited to the conference. “It shows that the private sector is concerned about food security. This meeting is another step forward to helping the private sector to enhance production and employment, using the expertise of the EBRD and FAO in the food and agricultural sectors,” he told the conference.

The conference explored ways to improve the trade conditions between transition countries and the southern and eastern rim of the Mediterranean, according to a news release issued by FAO. It also discussed different models to develop farming and maximize the efficiency of food chains.

Since the start of their partnership in 1994, FAO and the EBRD have implemented over 90 technical assistance projects, totalling about $12 million, which have helped to address institutional and regulatory bottlenecks, as well as improve transparency and efficiency along the whole food value-chain in the countries in which EBRD operates.

Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42881&Cr=food+security&Cr1=#.UFmZwbIgeAk

HUMAN WASTE TO LIGHT UP BIO-TOILETS DEVELOPED BY DRDO

HUMAN WASTE TO LIGHT UP BIO-TOILETS DEVELOPED BY DRDO

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Kolkata, July 4, 2012: Methane gas generated from human waste could be used to light up bio-toilets developed by scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Acting on suggestions made by the Union minister for rural development, Mr Jairam Ramesh, the premier research agency is now working to provide lighting solution for the convenience of those who will use bio-toilets in darkness.

“We are finding out the means to do it as the rate of production of methane gas will be very small and it will be difficult to concentrate it at one place,” DRDO's head of research and development Dr W Selvamurthy said.  Mr Ramesh had recently inaugurated DRDO's project at Odisha's Dhamra coast where they are installing 1,000 bio-toilets to prevent open-defecation.

The minister had also asked officials there to increase the width of the eco-friendly toilet, named 'E-LOO' by DRDO, and also provide cross-ventilation.  “We will immediately incorporate these two changes in our external structure,” the scientist said.

The rural development ministry has announced plans to install these eco-toilets in 1,000 gram panchayats with a budget of Rs 400 crore. The bio-toilets use bio-digester technology wherein a bacteria feeds upon the fecal matter inside the septic tank, through anaerobic process which finally degrades the matter and releases methane gas and water.

“You can use this water for irrigation. We have demonstrated this by cultivating vegetables,” Dr Selvamurthy said, adding they have found the water to be safe even for animals. (Source: PTI)