World Food Day 2004
12 October 2004
Speech of Karen Serres, President of the women farmers' committee of IFAP
Dear friends,
Please, first of all, let me introduce myself. I am a French farmer, born in Denmark, grown up in Nigeria. I have been elected to represent my counterparts at national and international level. I am an active member of the French farmers’ organisation FNSEA and I am also the new President of the Committee on women farmers of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers. IFAP is the world farmers’ organisation representing 100 national organisations of family farmers from 71 countries.
Thank you for giving the floor to a farmer an on top of it to a woman farmer. After all, when it comes to food and the fight against hunger: that is what being a farmer is all about.
I am pleased to be with you today. As you may know, the World Food Day is preceded by the World Rural Women’s Day which is celebrated each year on the 15th of October.
IFAP women farmers decided this year to harmonize the WRWD and the WFD themes. Thus, 2004 WRWD will be celebrated on “Biodiversity for food security: women farmers are ready!”
The support of FAO to IFAP women farmers in the framework of these celebrations is highly appreciated around the world as it has facilitated the collaboration of FAO local representatives with women farmers’ organisations at grass root level. This collaboration is already put into concrete in Argentina, Ivory Coast, Sweden or Nepal, between others.
Women farmers asked me to underline at the occasion of the WFD Exhibit that they are on the front line when it comes to preserving the diversity of crops, animal breeding and the wealth of the environment.
Women farmers account for 50% of the world food production, and up to 80% in developing countries, despite the difficult conditions under which they exercise their agricultural activities. Can you imagine they own a very small percentage of the land compared to their contribution to agriculture?
Women farmers are central to implementing good agricultural practices while carrying out their daily work. They are fully aware that respecting biological diversity contributes to the equilibrium of ecosystems and long-term food security for the population worldwide. Whatever the policies and plans drawn up to protect biodiversity, women farmers must be taken into consideration as players of considerable influence.
For too long, women farmers and farmers have been expected to preserve biodiversity on their own. As long as their families will go to bed hungry and struggle to survive, protecting biodiversity will remain a basic necessity difficult to afford.FAO claimed that biodiversity is our best ally in the fight against hunger. If so, women farmers and farmers are the first row’s fighters.
Women farmers have the will to preserve biodiversity but it is absolutely necessary to support their action and give them the means to ensure their crucial roles of family feeders and custodians of the worldwide biodiversity.
It is high time for leaders, both national and international, states and NGOs to get down to action and to provide financial means to women farmers, particularly in developing countries. It has become urgent for women farmers to have access to the appropriate tools and appropriate technical training that would enable them to modernise their farming methods in order to produce more efficiently and under the best conditions. It is essential to end the hard conditions in which women farmers are working.
Farmers are committed to work to produce enough food for everyone while protecting the environment. Resource allocation is badly needed. Are world leaders ready to support us?
Access to new production techniques, scientific knowledge and training is crucial to guarantee a positive development for these workers of the land. In the present context, the responsibilities are shared between producers and political leaders, but what role should be assigned to women farmers? Can we sit back and allow the future of 80% of the food production in developing countries to be mortgaged?
United in our diversity, We women farmers will with your support ensure a better future for the generations to come.
But please keep in mind that there is nothing romantic about a woman farmer and her family going to bed hungry because they use animal-driven plough and can’t afford buying efficient farming tools.
Thank you.