30/05/2008
FAO is satisfied with Venezuelan food policy

The President of the United Nations for Food and Agriculture Organization in Venezuela, Fracisco Arias Milla, expressed his satisfaction with the food policies implemented by the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías.

“Venezuela adopted some time ago a number of measures to avoid a food crisis like the one being undergone today by several countries around the world, specially in Africa, Asia and some Latin American countries”, he said.

The FAO official underlined the attention paid to the economically most vulnerable classes, who are the most affected by this type of crisis.

“The Government, basically following a strategy similar to the one proposed by the FAO, supported the classes that are most vulnerable to foodstuffs insecurity, but in the long term it becomes necessary to support and develop the capacity of farmers in the country to produce the foodstuffs required by the population,” he added.

As to the imports to meet the domestic demand, Arias Milla said that such policies lessen the impact of the price increase and, in his opinion, the Government has created social security networks for the most vulnerable population.

He likewise stressed the good ideas of President Chávez’s government in terms of food policies, among which the creation of Food Through Community Kitchens outstand. This initiative has been of great assistance to sectors that were subject of exclusion in the past.

The high-ranking FAO official also spoke about the program kicked off by the People’s Ministry for Agriculture and Land to increase the production of Corn and keep the supply of that product to meet the domestic demand.

For Venezuelans, Corn is the most important cereal. It deserves special attention, because most of the population consumes this item under all its forms,” he added.

He also said that the high price of fuel represents a heavy burden for farmers all over the world, thus impacting the price of commodities such as corn. He expressed his satisfaction because Venezuelan farmers are not affected by the rise of fuel prices