Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo on Friday put forward a four-point proposal on strengthening food security at an outreach session at the G8 summit.

Addressing a food security meeting, Dai, on behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao, recalled that soaring food prices in the first half of last year severely damaged the growth of many developing countries and posed a grave challenge to the UN Millennium Development Goals.

A food crisis, once it happens, would not only affect poor people, but also undermine developing countries' efforts to deal with the global financial crisis and promote economic recovery, he said.

To prevent that, Dai proposed that the international community set up a food security guarantee system featuring early warning, macro control, and emergency rescue, and also initiate a comprehensive food security strategy.

First, food supply and demand need to be balanced, he said.

In handling the global financial crisis and accelerating world economic recovery, each country needs to increase its agricultural production and enhance cooperation, Dai said.

"We should vigorously conduct scientific research, make a technological breakthrough in increasing food production to secure food supply and strike a balance between food supply and demand," he said.

Second, the relationship between agricultural development and assistance needs to be balanced.

Taking full account of their own conditions, developing countries should continue their efforts to improve their agricultural productivity and self-sufficiency, Dai said.

Developed nations and international organizations, he said, should increase agricultural assistance to the developing countries, especially the least-developed nations, under the principle of respecting the sovereignty of the recipient countries.

They should also provide more funds and loans and step up their technical support for the developing nations, he said.

Third, the relationship between one's own interest and common interest needs to be balanced.

"We must ensure the security of domestic grain supply and promote the development of domestic agriculture. Meanwhile, we also need to oppose protectionism and improve trading environment for global agricultural products," Dai said.

Developed nations need to show greater sincerity in the Doha round of WTO negotiations and demonstrate more flexibility in reducing agricultural subsidies, he said.

Fourth, the relationship between energy security and food supply needs to be balanced.

The development and utilization of bio-energy is closely related to food and energy security. The overdevelopment of bio-energy will result in a huge increase in grain consumption. However, the underdevelopment of it may exacerbate the energy crisis, Dai said.

"While safeguarding global food security, we need to ensure that the use of bio-energy neither steals food from people's mouth, nor steals land from grain growing to strive for a sustainable development and utilization of bio-energy," he said.

Dai also said efforts should be made to promote the development of African countries because the negative impact of the financial crisis to Africa is deepening.

The international community should improve the external environment for Africa's development, he said. Peace and stability should be safeguarded in Africa, while the establishment of a fair, just, inclusive and orderly international financial system could provide momentum for the economic development of African nations.

In addition, developed countries should realize their aid commitment to Africa. He said developing countries also should expand and deepen their cooperation with African nations.

Dai said the consensus reached at the G20 Summit in London, including debt relief and favorable loan projects, should be implemented to help developing countries, especially those in Africa.

In the final analysis, Dai said, African nations should basically rely on themselves for development. The international community should integrate their aid to Africa with capacity building to strengthen African countries' capacity for self-development.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2009)