Concerns from Brazil and South America about fertilizer export sanctions will be brought to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) next week. As president of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture, Minister Tereza Cristina will present the topic to be discussed during the FAO's Round Table on Sustainable Agri-Food System Insums for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems,which takes place on March 16.

The meeting will be attended by FAO Director General Qu Dongyu, Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Food Systems, Agnes Kalibata, and Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero. According to the minister, the goal will be to promote frank and open exchange on the main challenges that arise to the agricultural sector of the countries of the Americas in the current economic and geopolitical context of the post-pandemic.

"The imposition of unilateral sanctions on the export of fertilizers seems to us serious, as it poses a threat to global food security, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Fertilizers cannot suffer sanctions, because if the cost of production increases, so does the price of food produced. And those who suffer the most from this inflation are the nations that, for climatic, geographical or economic reasons, cannot produce much of the food they consume", argues Tereza Cristina.She argues that, like food, fertilisers should be free of commercial sanctions in order to ensure food production itself. 

On Thursday (10), the minister invited the members of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS) to participate in the virtual meeting. "I believe that our region should take the initiative and head the debate on these issues so that we can explore courses of action and joint solutions to minimize risks to global supply.

Southern Agricultural Council

Tereza Cristina made her last participation in CAS today as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil. She highlighted the group's advances over the past three years, such as joint actions to address the pandemic, which have ensured the trade flows working in the region.

Another highlight was the elaboration of a common position of the Americas regarding the United Nations Summit on Food Systems. "We reaffirm the centrality of local realities in the pursuit of sustainability, strengthen science as a basis for public policies related to food systems, and reinvigorate the role of agriculture as part of the solution to achieve global food security and sustainable development," the minister said.

CAS is a ministerial forum for consultation and coordination of regional actions, formed by the Ministers of Agriculture of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

FAO*

Source: Agrolink