World Food Day: FAO promotes the establishment of agricultural cooperatives

The celebration of this year’s World Food Day was officially launched on October 11, 2012 by the interim representative of FAO in Madagascar, Alexandre Huynh, in the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture. The celebration was launched under the theme, “Agricultural cooperatives feed the world”. In fact, cooperatives help farmers to strengthen their negotiating skills, to improve their competency and education. And once well-organized and solid, agricultural cooperatives and other associations of farmers can face different obstacles and help mitigating the negative impacts of socio-political crises such as food crisis.

Various events are being organized in Manakara, in the Vatovavy Fitovinany region, where the celebration of the World Food Day 2012 is held. According to the FAO representative, the goals to be attained during the celebration is to promote the importance of establishing associations among farmers so that the latter could expand their cultivated areas, reach quality products and reduce expenses at the same time. The effort of promoting cooperatives among farmers leads to sustainable development and to more secure platforms capable of resisting to different crises.