Slower
output growth is expected to be a feature of agricultural production in
both the developed and developing countries’ agriculture sectors in the
coming decade.
Slower production growth : Global agricultural
production for commodities covered in this Outlook is projected to grow
at 1.5% annually, on average, compared to 2.1% in the previous decade.
This slower growth is expected to be exhibited by all crop sectors and
livestock production. These trends reflect rising costs, growing
resource constraints, and increasing environmental pressures, which are
anticipated to inhibit supply response in virtually all regions.
Developing countries increase output :
Higher
production growth is expected from emerging economies which have
invested in their agricultural sectors and where existing technologies
offer good potential for closing the yield gap with the advanced
economies, although yield/supply variability may be higher. The share of
production from developing countries continues to increase over the
outlook period.
Emerging economies will capture much of the trade growth, accounting for the majority of exports of coarse grains, rice, oilseeds, vegetable oil, sugar, beef, poultry and fish. The OECD area share of trade will continue to decline while remaining the major exporters of wheat, cotton, pig and sheep meat and most dairy products.
The Agricultural Outlook, 2013-2022, is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organisations and input from collaborating member countries to provide an annual assessment of prospects for the coming decade of national, regional and global agricultural commodity markets. This year’s edition contains for the first time a chapter on world cotton markets.
Chapter 2 has been prepared with assistance from the Agricultural Information Institute (AII) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Government of China. However, responsibility for the information and projections contained in this document remain those of the OECD and FAO, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AII or of the MoA
.
The baseline projection is not a forecast about the future, but rather a plausible scenario elaborated on the basis of specific assumptions regarding the macroeconomic conditions, the agriculture and trade policy settings, weather conditions, longer term productivity trends and international market developments. The projections of production, consumption, stocks, trade and prices for the different agricultural products described and analysed in this report cover the years 2013 to 2022. The evolution of markets over the outlook period is typically described using the annual growth rate or percentage changes for the final year 2022 relative to a three-year base period of 2010-12.
The individual commodity projections are subject to critical examination by national country experts of OECD, other collaborating countries and industry experts prior to their finalisation and publication in this report. The risks and uncertainties around the baseline projections are examined through a number of possible alternative scenarios and stochastic analysis, which illustrate how market outcomes may differ from the deterministic baseline projections.
The fully documented outlook database, including historical data and projections, is available through the OECD-FAO joint internet site www.agri-outlook.org
Think. Eat. Save. Reduce your foodprint.
That's the theme of World Environment Day 2013, to be celebrated on the
5th of June in Mongolia.
World Environment Day is a yearly event held
to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental
action. Known as WED for short, it is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and is really a climax of environmental
activities being undertaken all year round by UNEP and other
organizations and individuals around the world.
It's time to spread the word about the importance of the environment, and you have the power to do it!
Go to http://thndr.it/121qxS0 , select your Twitter or Facebook account, and support World Environment Day 2013 by sending the message below through Thunderclap on 5 June.
“Today is World Environment Day. Join me and take one action to support our planet! #WED2013 http://thndr.it/16UHezT”; World Environment Day trended across social media
platforms in many nations in 2012. That year on 5 June it was one of
the top ten ‘most talked about’ topics around the world.
World Environment Day, 5 June, is an annual event that is aimed
at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive
environmental action. The theme for this year’s WED celebrations is
Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss
campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint.
Cigarettes are smoked by over 1.1 billion people. While Smoking rates have leveled off or declined in developed nations, in developing nations Tobacco consumption continues to rise at a rate of around 3.4% per annum.
° Interventions at the population level ° Interventions to help smokers and other tobacco users to quit ° Interventions to prevent tobacco use ° Interventions to reduce harm in people who use tobacco ° Other reviews managed by the Tobacco Addiction Group
This is WHO's message to governments on World No Tobacco
Day 2013, celebrated on 31 May. A comprehensive ban of all tobacco
advertising, promotion and sponsorship is required under the WHO
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Yet, only 19 countries,
representing 6% of the world's population, have comprehensive national
bans. Tobacco kills nearly six million people every year, of which more
than 600 000 are non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
On this International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers,
observed annually on 29 May, the world body honoured 111 peacekeeping
personnel who died last year and paid tribute to the some 3,000 others
who have fallen in the line of duty since the first peacekeepers
deployed 65 years ago.
SECRETARY-GENERAL'S MESSAGE FOR THE 2013 OBSERVANCE
This year’s International Day of Peacekeepers is an opportunity
to raise awareness about new developments in the field while honouring
those who lost their lives over the past year serving under the blue
flag.
United Nations peacekeeping is increasingly called on to deploy
multi-dimensional operations to help countries transition from conflict
to peace, with a significant focus on protecting civilians, including
the most vulnerable among them: women and children.
To meet emerging threats and rise to new challenges, United
Nations peacekeeping is adapting its policies to better fulfil its
mandates to bring lasting peace to war-torn countries.
We see one example of a new approach in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC), where the Security Council has authorized the
deployment of an “Intervention Brigade” as well as unarmed, unmanned
aerial vehicles to improve our ability to operate in this vast region.
Peacekeepers in Mali will operate under tough conditions marked
by armed groups that threaten national and regional security. The
mission will help stabilize the country, foster national reconciliation
and protect civilians.
UN peacekeeping is also working to help reform national rule of
law institutions. By strengthening the police, courts, and corrections,
UN peacekeeping forges trust in local authorities. A fair and
predictable rule of law system contributes, in turn, to stability and
sustainable development long after our troops leave.
While we welcome these advances, we acknowledge that peacekeeping
will always carry risks. Unidentified assailants have recently
ambushed and killed peacekeepers in the DRC, Sudan and South Sudan,
while blue helmets serving in the Middle East have been detained.
One hundred and eleven peacekeeping personnel died last year,
and more than 3,100 have lost their lives during the UN’s 65-year
history of peacekeeping. We salute their bravery and mourn their
passing.
On this International Day, let us pay solemn tribute to those
who have fallen, support the more than 111,000 serving soldiers and
police from 116 countries, and continue adapting our operations to
better help civilians who need protection and support.
Ban Ki-moon
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE 67th SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers recognizes the
selfless contribution made by men and women who have served across the
world as Blue Helmets under the UN flag.
I join in solemn remembrance of the 101 peacekeepers who died in
2012. They made the ultimate sacrifice in the discharge of their duty.
Collectively, we should celebrate the nobility, integrity and courage
with which they dedicated their lives to the UN.
I would also like to pay tribute to the over 110,000 military,
police and civilians who continue to serve in 15 peacekeeping
operations in some of the world’s harshest environments. They are truly
in the front-line of the UN’s global operations, never far from harms’
way.
The presence of the United Nations on the ground in troubled
areas is an indispensable instrument of peace. For many decades, it has
greatly contributed to reducing hostilities between belligerents,
while helping create an atmosphere more conducive to the settlement of
disputes by peaceful means.
The preamble of the UN Charter states that one of the aims of
the organization is to “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in
the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men
and women and of nations large and small.”
Through their dedication and professionalism, the colleagues we
are honoring today embody and personify the aims of our august
gathering of nations. They have defended the aspirations of the United
Nations towards peace and security, development, and human rights,
values that we all hold so dearly.
The General Assembly is proud to have established the
International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers following a resolution
adopted in 2002. As President, I remain committed to strengthening the
role of UN peacekeeping.
I continue to engage with Member States on how we can more
decisively support those who serve under the UN flag in conflict-ridden
areas throughout the world.
New York, 25 May 2013 - Secretary-General's message on Africa Day
This year’s celebration of Africa Day has special significance as
it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the
Organization of African Unity, the continent’s first regional
organization and forerunner of the African Union.
As Africans
pay tribute to the giants and visionaries of the 20th century who
worked for Africa’s sovereignty and unity, we also look forward with
hopes for an era of prosperity and peace.
The past decade saw
unprecedented progress. The launch of the AU’s New Partnership for
Africa’s Development and Peer Review Mechanism has helped to advance
economic, social, political and institutional reforms. Similarly, the
African Union is playing an increasingly more dynamic leadership role in
preventing, managing, and resolving Africa’s conflicts through its
revamped Peace and Security Architecture. Many countries have also
sought to energize the private sector.
As we celebrate
Africa’s achievements, we know numerous and serious challenges remain --
including conflict, environmental degradation, and the need for
strengthened infrastructure and institutions. We must accelerate
efforts towards the Millennium Development Goals, from maternal health
to HIV/AIDS, and keep Africa’s needs and aspirations front and centre in
discussions on the post-2015 development agenda.
As
Africans write a new narrative for the next 50 years and beyond, the
United Nations will proudly continue to work in partnership with the
African Union and the peoples of Africa to help build a continent of
opportunity and hope for all. Statements on 25 May 2013
Vesak Day is a celebration for Buddhists worldwide and an
opportunity for all members of the international community to benefit
from their rich traditions.
This year’s observance, falling at a time of widespread strife
and misery, is an occasion to examine how Buddhist teachings can inform
our response to prevailing challenges.
Confronting the troubling problems facing our world is consonant
with Buddhism. The Buddha himself, as a young prince, left the safety
of his palace to discover the four sufferings of birth, sickness, old
age and death.
While such painful realities cannot be avoided, Buddhism offers
insights into how to cope with them. Its history is replete with
inspiring examples of the transformative power of Buddhist philosophy.
The legendary King Ashoka, a conqueror who presided over a
brutal reign in India some three centuries after the Buddha’s passing,
ultimately converted to Buddhism, renounced violence and embraced
peace.
The values that King Ashoka espoused, including human rights,
democratic governance and respect for the dignity of life, are common
to all great religions. The fact that he was able to embrace them after
years of brutal war offers proof that the goodwill of individuals can
end widespread suffering.
Now more than ever, we need the spirit of non-violence to help inspire peace and quell conflict.
I offer my best wishes to believers celebrating Vesak Day, and
my sincerest hopes that we may all draw on spiritual ideals to
strengthen our resolve to improve our world.
