FAO denies risk of food shortfall in Bolivia during drought

The representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bolivia, Crispin Moreira, said Thursday that the country would not suffer a severe lack of food during the current severe drought.

At a coffee festival in La Paz, Moreira spoke about how the government had stockpiled reserves in recent years and applied public policies to guarantee food security.

"Bolivia is not at risk (of a lack of supply) as it has various instruments through public companies, public policies which guarantee the supply of foodstuffs, and a regulation of prices," said Moreira.

The FAO representative also highlighted the country's early warning system, which gives farmers and food producers between two and four days of warning prior to severe weather conditions, such as flooding, rain or snow.

He said this has allowed families and communities to better protect their crops against the effects of climate change.

Additionally, Veronica Ramos, the Minister of Productive Development, said that expected deficits in wheat and maize due to the drought would be counter-balanced by help of the state-owned Emapa, which assists with food production in times of need.

Ramos explained that, since 2008, Bolivia has been boosting its strategic reserves of wheat and maize to avoid food shortages during drought.

According to government data, the drought has already affected 206,000 hectares of crops and around 132,000 families in 131 municipalities. Enditem