Press release
14 November 2007
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Agriculture plays a key role in eradicating poverty and hunger
"In order to reduce poverty in the world there needs to be major investment in agriculture in many developing countries. In this context, it is important to see the major role that women play in agriculture and to support their efforts to lift themselves out of poverty. By doing this, we can be effective in promoting both poverty reduction and gender equality," says Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson in a statement ahead of her attendance at the launch of the World Bank's annual World Development Report today. This year's report focuses on the important role of agriculture in combating poverty.
"As the World Development Report clearly points out, it is very important to have freer trade and reduced tariffs on agricultural products, as well as to make it possible for the poorest farmers to benefit from increased access to international markets," says Ms Carlsson.
World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development tries to answer the questions of where, when and how the agricultural sector can be a motor for economic development. The key message of the report is that agriculture plays a very important role in the realisation of the UN's millennium goal to halve world poverty and hunger by 2015.
Contact
Niclas BengtssonPress Secretary
+46 70 353 78 22
email to Niclas Bengtsson, via the senior registry clerk
