I congratulate the Commission for emphasizing on technological developments, finance for R&D
and Transfer of Technology.
Chairman, farmers, who account for 99 to 50% of population in all developing countries are
indire need of technology and capacity building to face the changing climates, markets and
consumption patterns on the one side and depleting resources on the other.
Farmers' needs and access to resources and knowledge of their optimum use - including land,
water, planting material have become the sheet anchor of sustainable development. Examples
are watershed and catchment management according to sound ecological principles as
agriculture uses 70% ofwater resources, carbonsinks in the watershed/catchment must include
native and endemic plant species, Aforestation/reforestation and forestry management must
move towards the goal of increasing indigenous plant species and the richness of endemic
vvegetation in the catchment areas.
Unless this is recognized as the most critical strategy neither the millennium Development Goals
to eradicate poverty or wipe out hunger for food and energy can be achieved.
Farmers should be given incentives for preserving global agro-biodiversity.
It is also important to learn to act and work in an integratedand coordinatedfashionby including
farmers and other service providers in all real situations, beyond using these terms only in
documents.
Thank you.
Sarala Gopalan
