Fertilizer industry representatives attend the UN Committee on World Food Security

Rome: 15 October 2015 – A fertilizer industry delegation led by Chairman Abdulrahman Jawahery and Director General Charlotte Hebebrand attended the 42nd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in Rome this week.
The mission included a meeting with FAO Director General Graziano da Silva. During this meeting, Dr. Jawahery reiterated the industry’s commitment to increasing access to inputs and technology by smallholders “We believe that it is of utmost importance to continue developing a broad range of practical programs to improve smallholder access to inputs. This includes financing, of course, but it also comprises services to farmers in form of technologies and knowledge transfer.”
Mr. da Silva commended the private sector for playing a crucial role in achieving zero hunger and combatting malnutrition. The private sector’s commitment was also highlighted by the unprecedented attendance of over 140 delegates.
The IFA delegation had several bilaterals with country actors and participated in two side-events/ Charlotte Hebebrand spoke in a side-event on nutrition organized by the World Food Programme and the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement. Hebebrand presented several case-studies on micronutrient fertilization concluding that “Micronutrient fertilization is a simple, affordable and sustainable solution to contribute to eradicating deficiencies globally. This makes it a viable program which can be tailored to regional and national needs and implemented worldwide.”
In another event organized by the International Year of Soils Steering Committee, Hebebrand spoke to the merits of integrated soil fertility management and highlighted that “Soil testing is important so farmers can learn exactly how much of each nutrient is required to ensure balanced fertilization using locally available organic nutrients and mineral fertilizers. “
The voice of the fertilizer industry was also heard in Plenary where Dr. Jawahery delivered a compelling statement on Action on Food Insecurity in Protracted Crises. He stressed that “The private sector, is the biggest engine of poverty reduction and economic growth in the developing world and thus stands ready to contribute to securing food availability for people living in protracted crises”.

The IFA Chairman also hosted the High-Level Dinner which brought together business leaders and ambassadors, which provided a vibrant forum for discussion among private and public actors. IFA and its members have been actively engaging in the CFS through the Private Sector Mechanism. Moreover, IFA has developed a longstanding relationship with the Rome-Based Agencies and currently sits on the Steering Committee of the International Year of Soils.