U.N. FAO head, E.U. development commissioner discuss nutrition, food security with Malawi president

Mar 7 2013

"During a visit to Malawi [on Tuesday], the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Union (E.U.) development commissioner highlighted the need to address malnutrition and food insecurity in the African country, while pledging to work together and support the government in its efforts to this end," the U.N. News Centre reports. FAO Director-General Graziano da Silva and E.U. Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs met "with President Joyce Banda to discuss the country's challenges on nutrition and food security, and to underline ongoing E.U. and FAO support in this area," the news service writes. "While Malawi has made progress in the fight against hunger, malnutrition remains endemic in the country, with over 47 percent of children suffering from stunting. This affects their development and also causes increased vulnerability to diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis," according to the U.N. News Centre (3/5). Following the meeting, da Silva said, "FAO is ready to increase its assistance to develop agriculture, improve food security and increase the income of poor families in Malawi. Linking agriculture to social protection and empowering gender are ways to consolidate and build on the gains so far," an FAO press release states (3/6).