FAO praises country’s biodiversity

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
HUMANS are the world’s largest polluters and more needs to be done in every country to mitigate this, an official says.
Food and Agriculture (FAO) PNG office head Bir Chandra Mandal said human activity was causing climate change as well as impacting biodiversity.
“This planet is our only home and humanity must safeguard its finite resources,” he said.
He said much damage had already been done on a global scale over the past century through growth, expansion and new advances that natural resources were becoming scarce in many parts of the world.
Mandal said, however, that Papua New Guinea had maintained a rich biodiversity and had sustainable food production that went back thousands of years.
He said PNG could be an example for the world to follow.
“I believe that the world should learn from PNG and support the continuity of such sustainable practices,” Mandal added.
The agricultural specialist also said the country’s social circumstances were rapidly changing.
He said two factors that put intense pressure on the country’s ecosystems identified by FAO were high population and economic growth.
He said the latest technologies and global experience should not replace traditional knowledge and sustainable agriculture systems but should only strengthen them.
Mandal said FAO had been supporting PNG’s efforts on biodiversity and addressing climate change through numerous projects funded by various donor partners.
“We are committed to continue supporting the country in addressing environmental issues.”
As the specialised agency of the United Nations leading International efforts to defeat hunger, he also urged Papua New Guineans to grow and consume locally produced food.