17 Feb 2011

UN / FRANCE FOOD PRICES

France’s Minister of Agriculture Bruno Le Maire said that the risk of food riots in the world, “is a real one” because of the increase in global food prices. UNTV

Posted at: February 17, 2011 6:49 pm

Duration: 02:27

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / FRANCE FOOD PRICES
TRT: 2.27
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 17 FEBRUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

RECENT 2011, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

17 FEBRUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Agriculture of France at press auditorium
3. Cutaway, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Agriculture, France:
"We are all convinced that we have to provide specific solutions to this problem of the volatility of agricultural commodities to prevent food riots and also to fight against the problem of hunger in the world. I had the opportunity to say this in Rome a few days ago. I am confirming it today that the risk of food riots in the world is a real one because of the increase in global food prices."
5. Cutaway, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Agriculture, France:
"It is crucial that we provide more specific assistance to the development of agriculture in the most underprivileged countries in the planet, the less developed countries of the planet must have independent agriculture and this of course means that we have to respect the commitments that were undertaken Aqualum at the G8 summit in financial terms but it also means that a more thorough discussion on the needs of developing countries when it comes to agriculture and I'm thinking research in climate change, I'm thinking about aid and providing storage capacity in a certain number of developing countries which would make it possible to face a possible shortage of food and therefore I think we have to get into more detail in all of these issues."
7. Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (French) Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Agriculture, France:
"When the agricultural production is low, when there is a strong demand and the fact that we have so little information on the actual reality of the stocks, that increases prices volatility and se we want to set up a statistical mechanism which would make it possible to have better information on the reality of stocks and also to have an exchange of information among the major producing countries on global stocks, namely grains."
9. Cutaway, journalists
10. Wide shot, Bruno Le Maire leaves journalists behind

STORYLINE:

France's Minister of Agriculture Bruno Le Maire said that the risk of food riots in the world, "is a real one" because of the increase in global food prices.

Speaking to journalists today at United Nations (UN) headquarters following a meeting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the General Assembly (GA) to introduce his country's proposals for fighting against the volatility of agricultural prices, he said that President Sarkozy wanted this issue to be "at the very core" of the G20 meeting, which takes place tomorrow in Paris.

He also said that all GA representatives were convinced of the need to provide specific solutions to this problem in order to prevent "food riots" and also to fight against the problem of hunger in the world.

Le Maire said that besides proposing to re-launch investment in global agriculture, it was crucial to provide more specific assistance to the development of agriculture in the most underprivileged countries on the planet.

He also said that the second line of discussion was about the transparency of global food stocks, adding there was no reliable data on the reality of global food stocks.

Le Maire said that France wanted to set up a statistical mechanism which would make it possible to have better information on the reality of stocks and also to have an exchange of information among the major producing countries on global stocks, namely grains.