Indonesia is among the 38 countries being recognized by the FAO for its success in halving hunger.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia receives an award from the United Nations` Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for its consistency in reducing hunger and malnutrition as mandated by the Millennium Development Goals, a press release received from the Coordinating ministry for the Economy here on Monday said.

"Indonesian government will continuously try to create a conducive environment to support the eradication of poverty, hunger and malnutrition in the country," Minister Hatta Radjasa said when receiving the award last Sunday (June 16) during the FAO`s 38th meeting in Rome, Italy.

He explained the government is currently focusing on the development of agriculture sector and the empowerment of people living in the village.

Among efforts made to support the plan are extension of bank loan facility for small and medium enterprises, increase social service for the poor, promote food diversification as an effort to tackle possible food scarcity.

Based on FAO`s data, Indonesia is considered as successful in reducing hunger and poverty as mandated by the MDGs. Hunger level in the country is decreasing from 19.9 percent from the period of 1990-1992 to be 8.6 percent in 2010-2012. The number surpasses the MDGs target of hunger level at 9.9 percent.

Indonesia is among the 38 countries being recognized by the FAO for its success in halving hunger. The other 37 countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Djibouti, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Honduras, Jordan, Malawi, Maldives, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Togo and Uruguay.

"To each and every one of you, I want to say that you are living proof that when societies decide to put an end to hunger, and when there is political commitment from governments, we can transform that will into concrete action and results," FAO`s Director-General Jos' Graziano da Silva said.

"FAO is proud to work with all our Member Nations, developed and developing, to reach our common vision of a hunger-free and sustainable world," he added.

The Director-General pointed out that there were 928 days until the 2015 MDG deadline, but he urged countries to go beyond that and aim for the complete elimination of hunger.

"We are the first generation that can end hunger, which has plagued humanity since the birth of civilization. Let`s seize this opportunity," he said.

Graziano da Silva said strong regional commitments were supporting national anti-hunger efforts. He also thanked the international donor community for helping to initiate and scale-up successful hunger-fighting actions in numerous countries.

The FAO chief also pointed out that 15 developing countries already had hunger rates below 5 percent dating back to at least 1990: Argentina, Barbados, Dominica, Brunei Darussalam, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013