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The world must grow more food, but at the same time reduce the impact of farming on the environment.
That was the message coming from a landmark meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, co-chaired by Canadian agriculture minister Marie Claude Bibeau and her counterpart in New Zealand, Damien O’Connor.
Agriculture ministers and representatives from more than four dozen countries agreed to redouble their efforts and implement better practices to feed the growing world population, fight climate change, and ensure that farmers and workers can make a successful living from agricultural production.
Bibeau said the co-chair appointment highlights Canada’s leadership in sustainable agriculture.
“Our farmers are committed to feeding the planet while taking care of their land and their animals,” she said. “These meetings allow us to showcase Canadian leadership, as external factors continue to have a growing impact on production. Canadians and our economy benefit from a strong, sustainable agriculture sector.”
The two-day conference has resulted in a new Declaration on Transformative Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems.
That document and a shorter summary,outlining future changes to global farming practices, can be found at https://www.oecd.org/agriculture/ministerial/statements/
The Declaration commits countries to a wide variety of changes to farming practices in order to ensure global food security, reduce global warming and biodiversity loss, and provide better opportunities for farmers and agricultural workers.