Geneva, 4 July 2007

Mr. Chairman,

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to take part in this breakfast meeting co-hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to discuss the topic of "Food, nutrition and agriculture: Working together to end hunger". This befitting topic not only reflects the theme of the current ECOSOC session but also underscores the importance of agriculture in combating poverty.

      Three quarters of the world's impoverished population live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Agricultural development is of great significance as it contributes directly to easing food shortage and malnutrition among the poor, raising farmers' income and lifting large numbers of people out of poverty. Statistics show poverty incidence will drop by 7.2% with every 10% increase in agricultural productivity. The international community should take agricultural development as a major instrument in poverty alleviation and give greater attention to agricultural and rural development.

      China endorses the recommendations of the Secretary-General in his report. We share the view that elimination of hunger and poverty requires effective participation of the rural population. We should increase the input in agriculture and rural areas by fully mobilizing domestic and international resources. The international community, its developed members in particular, should increase official development assistance to the developing members for agricultural and rural development, capacity building and technology transfer.

      As a major agricultural country, China has made huge efforts in agricultural development to improve its rural areas and alleviate poverty. Let me share with you some Chinese experience in poverty reduction in rural areas. The Chinese Government has put forward a scientific thinking on development featuring comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development and started to build a new socialist countryside. The Development-oriented Poverty Reduction Program for Rural China (2001-2010) and other guiding documents have been formulated to incorporate rural poverty alleviation into the overall national development strategy. A number of concrete measures have been taken by the Chinese Government to support and bring benefits to farmers, such as abolition of agricultural tax and exemption of tuition and miscellaneous fees for rural students in compulsory education. All these measures are designed to create a sound policy environment for rural and agricultural development and to give a full play to the initiative of farmers. The Government also works to reduce poverty with a sectoral approach by improving agricultural mix and encouraging the development of agriculture-related tertiary sectors. Efforts will be made to support sectors that can help absorb surplus rural labor while boosting farmers' income.

      Through years of hard work, the Chinese Government has accomplished a great deal in promoting rural development and eliminating poverty and hunger. We are feeding 22% of the world's population with less than 10% of the world's arable land. By the end of 2006, the number of impoverished rural population in China shrank to 21.48 million and national poverty incidence dropped to 2.3%. China accounted for 55% of global poverty reduction over the same period, thus contributing greatly to the global cause of poverty reduction.

      Admittedly, we still face some challenges in rural development and poverty reduction. For example, it is increasingly difficult to consolidate our achievement in ensuring adequate food and clothing for low-income rural population, and the cost of helping people out of abject poverty is growing. In its endeavor to build a harmonious socialist society, the Chinese Government takes it as a top priority to address the remaining problems for agriculture, rural areas and farmers, reduce poverty and ensure social justice.

      While working on poverty reduction at home, China is also active in international poverty relief cooperation and exchange. The FAO, WFP and IFAD have their respective strengths in international food policy, assistance projects and fund raising. They have played an active role in promoting agricultural development in various countries and meeting poverty reduction targets. Through South-South cooperation programs of the FAO and the WFP, China has shared with other developing countries its successful experience in rural development, such as microcredit, poverty alleviation through development and women's participation. We have sent experts and technicians to other developing countries and provided them our sincere assistance. As China's economy grows and our cooperation with international organizations enters a new stage, we are exploring new models of cooperation. China is ready to strengthen exchanges with other countries, share experience in agricultural development and poverty reduction and work together to end hunger and poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals in common development.

      Thank you.