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Cultivating our Futures:
FAO/Netherlands Conference on the Multifunctional Character of Agriculture
and Land |
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Participants at the Conference on the Multifunctional Character of Agriculture and Land (MFCAL) met in Plenary on Monday for a general introduction and to discuss issues raised in the conference documents. |
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Conference Chair Hans Alders said the objective of the conference is to identify new policy options, practical methods and the necessary enabling environments for MFCAL with particular emphasis on raising awareness. The principal tasks of the conference are to review progress toward realizing the Rio Principles and identify the main issues to be addressed in the future. |
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Louise Fresco, Director of the FAO Research, Extension and Training Division, outlined the method used in preparing for this conference, which was uniquely inductive, empirical and participatory and involved extensive peer review. |
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Michel Griffon, Director of the Economics Policy and Markets Programme, International Center for Agricultural Research and Development, introduced the Issues Paper, which outlines concepts, issues and policies relevant to MFCAL. |
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Eric Smaling, Professor of Soil Science, Wageningen University and Research Center, introduced the Stock-taking Paper, explaining that it reviews recent contributions that the multifunctional character of agriculture has made to improving the sustainability of agriculture and related land use while maintaining its primary role of providing food security. |
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A participant from Cuba highlighted the need to implement
agricultural policies that address poverty and to provide access
to appropriate technology and credit on reasonable terms to developing
country farmers.
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A Canadian delegate said he doubted whether the MFCAL approach
would provide a useful new paradigm to promote sustainable agriculture
and expressed concern that engaging in debate on the concept could
distract from the key concern of world hunger. He said MFCAL and
multifunctionality need to be clearly defined.
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A speaker from Uruguay objected to the suggestion that discussions
at this conference be separated from those in other fora, as the
concept of multifunctionalism discussed in the WTO and of MFCAL
are not different. He called for reforms to move toward free market
prices and then to prices that reflect the full costs of production.
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A US representative said the many functions of agriculture
need not be realized through trade-distorting practices, but can
both encourage continued production of non-food objectives and
achieve agreed national commitments to reduce trade-distorting
policies and practices.
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An Australian representative questioned whether MFCAL represents
progress beyond the SARD approach in agricultural policy. He said
MFCAL is seriously flawed when put forward as a concept and added
that the conference background papers failed to provide consistent,
practicable and cost- effective proposals. He said delegates must
ask if the MFCAL approach benefits developing countries.
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A speaker from the Popular Coalition to Eradicate Hunger and Poverty
called for urgent action to: redress the inequitable distribution
of wealth and insufficient participation of the poor; reform macroeconomic
policies that adversely affect the poor; and overcome barriers
preventing land tenure reform.
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View from the back of the Expo Foyer, which serves as the conference's plenary hall. |
| Via Campesina's Paul Nicholson sitting beside Alex McCalla, Director of Rural Development for the World Bank |  |
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Henri Carsalade, Division of Sustainable Development at FAO, responded to questions regarding conference documents, stating that the conference summary report would set out the Chair’s conclusions, which will summarize the work of the conference, reflect the views expressed and be clearly identified as an FAO report. |