Ila’ava: Start food day preparations

By SOLDIER BURUKA
DEPARTMENT of Agriculture and Livestock acting Secretary Dr Vele Pat IIa’ava is calling on all stakeholders to start preparing for World Food Day celebrations on Oct 16.
Ila’ava urged all stakeholders, government departments, agencies, provincial administrations, agricultural industries, farmer groups and others to organise activities to observe the international event.
The department has already started to disseminate information on World Food Day.
The theme for this year is “Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world.”
This is in line with the Food Agricultural Organisation declaring 2012 as International Year of Co-operatives.
Ila’ava said the FAO had chosen that theme to highlight the role of cooperatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger.
He said this was an important message for the country as many farmer co-operatives had been established whose aim was to improve food security and reduce poverty. He said the celebrations would be a boost to their efforts.
This year marks the 67th anniversary of the organisation’s founding, and the 32nd observance of World Food Day.