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Official delegations from the member nations of Latin America and the Caribbean are coming together this week to discuss important issue related to Food Security, Natural Resources, Economic and Rural Development in the Region.
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 Eliminating hunger in the Region is possible (more information available in spanish)
"The Region as a whole produces 30 percent more than what it would need to adequately feed its entire population. This means that there is no problem of production in general terms, although there are zones that produce less than what is consumed. The Region has the human resources needed to carry out this process in the given timeframe." In the following interview, the Coordinator of the "Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Hunger" initiative analyzes the possibilities of eradicating hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Bolivia: 200 New Micro-Orchards in the Poor Districts of El Alto (more information available in spanish)
The municipal government of El Alto, in Bolivia, began the installation of 200 new "people's" orchards distributed throughout the 11 districts of that city. To date there are more than 700 tents that benefit low-income families with high infant mal-nutrition in order that they have access to fresh, ecological and clean produce with high nutritional value. The surplus production is sold to neighbors and the community. The orchards are part of the FAO project "People's Micro-Orchards of El Alto".
Public Forestry Policy, Reflections on Latin America (more information available in spanish)
"Several years ago in FAO we organized a study on forestry policies in South America and the Caribbean to support national forestry programs. One of our main objectives was to understand the basis of the orientation of the policies which came to dominate the countries in the region and to find the mechanisms which allowed their effective application." In the following editorial, FAO Forestry Office Carlos Marx Carneiro analyses the main forestry policies in Latin America.
Convocation: Identification of Urban and Periurban Forestry Experiences (more information available in spanish)
FAO and the Peruvian non-governmental organization IPES (Promocion del Desarrollo Sostenible) seek to document experiences with urban and periurban forestry in Latin America and the Caribbean. These studies would serve as inputs for the elaboration of a larger study covering the entire Latin American and Caribbean region. The convocation is directed to municipalities, institutions and organizations that carry out reseach, programs, projects, policies and other actions related to urban and periurban forestry.
Development of Database and Food Composition Tables for Argentina, Chile and Paraguay (more information available in spanish)
In Santiago, Chile, a meeting took place of the project which aims to develop a database and food composition tables covering Argentina, Chile and Paraguay, as a support to international trade and a safeguard to consumers. The general objective of the regional project is to update the national databases for these three countries as a starting point to updating a regional database covering all of Latin America.
FAO Auctions Jerseys Signed by Spanish League Players (more information available in spanish)
On Friday April 4th the Internet auction site e-Bay will hold an auction of more than 60 "futbol" jerseys signed by players from the teams of the Spanish professional league as part of the campaign, "One Seed for a Big Harvest". The campaign was introduced by the footballer and FAO Ambassador Raul Gonzalez last October 16. The proceeds of the auction will benefit some 36 FAO projects dedicated to fighting hunger.
 New FAO Representative for Chile presents her credentials to the Minister of Agriculture
Ms. Margarita Flores of Mexico met with the Minister of Agriculture, Marigen Hornkohl, to officially present her credentials. Ms. Flores has been named Deputy FAO Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the Representative to Chile. During the meeting, the minister and the representative discussed various areas of ongoing cooperation between FAO and Chile, as well as the main challenges facing the country.
Are Bio-Fuels the Cause of Increased Food Prices? (more information available in spanish)
"The increase in food prices appears on the whole to affect poor countries more than rich ones. In rich countries, the proportion of household expenditure dedicated to food is only 10 percent, whereas in developing countries this can reach as much as 60 percent. This percentage masks differences within each country, as the homeless spend nearly all of their meager income on food and there are still millions of people who die each year from hunger."
The 2008 Cycle of Training Begins at IMARK (more information available in spanish)Santiago, Chile: The Foundation for Agrarian Innovation of Chile (FIA) and FAO marked the official start of a new cycle of training sessions on the management of electronic documents in digital libraries - oriented towards the agricultural sector - in which, for the first time, a version for the Metropolitan Region of Santiago which allows profesionals and functionaries of information units linked to the agricultural sector in Chile an opportunity to learn about processes and technologies for the creation, management and dissemination of digital information.
 The Potato: A Key Ally for Food Security
The United Nations declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. This humble tuber is the world’s fourth staple food, after corn, wheat and rice, with a production of more than 323 million tons in 2005. In the ten main producing countries, accounting for two thirds of the world-wide production, the total value of the potato harvest was estimated at around $40 billion dollars.
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Updated: 14 Aprilr 2008
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