Plant more trees – Shaw urges Jamaicans

Hon. Audley Shaw (left), Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, in discussion with University of Technology (UTech) student at the commemoration of the annual World Food Day held at UTech in Papine, St. Andrew, on October 16, 2018. At right is the President, Professor Stephen Vasciannie. World Food Day was celebrated under the theme ‘Our Actions are our Future: A ZeroHunger world by 2030 is possible’ with a tree planting ceremony as well as presentations on Food Security and Nutrition: The Regional/International Perspective, Food Security and School Feeding in Jamaica and the Potential of Agricultural Research to Impact Food Security in the Caribbean.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Hon Audley Shaw, is urging all Jamaicans to plant more trees as part of the country’s food security strategy.
The Minister made his appeal on World Food Day 2018 at the University of Technology (UTech) Papine campus as he delivered the keynote address to the national commemoration of the United Nations Food and Agriculture designated day, held this year under the global theme, Our Actions are Our Future. A #ZeroHunger world by 2030 is possible.
Stating that food security was at the “epicentre of the movement from poverty to prosperity”, Minister Shaw said under the National Food Tree Planting Project that was announced during his sectoral presentation earlier this year, the thrust was to make the planting of food trees a part of the Jamaican culture and way of life.
“Little steps, a simple thing such as planting a tree, can go a far way towards helping to solve hunger and poverty, “Minister Shaw said.
“If every Jamaican plants at least one food tree, for example, on their birthday each year, that would be 2.7 million food trees planted each year. Even if we manage to only do a half of that each year, it would still be a major achievement,” he urged.

The Minister said, further, that planting a tree would solve “nine needs with one deed” and listed:
• Your food tree will not only produce fruits for you to eat but that can also be sold in the fresh fruit trade, providing a source of income
• Your fruit tree will provide raw material for agro-industry, creating further employment opportunities.
• Your food tree will produce fruits, which can be exported to our Diaspora to earn foreign exchange
• Your food tree will support our overall thrust for food security for the future
• Your fruit trees will also have additional environmental benefits such as protecting the environment by reducing soil erosion, reducing the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere and assist with climate change, produce more oxygen for you and create a microclimate to facilitate rainfall.
Minister Shaw outlined the tree planting benefits in keeping with his focus on the theme Food Security and Poverty Alleviation in Jamaica.
The Ministry, along with the FAO, collaborated with UTech to celebrate World Food Day 2018 under the theme Advocating Food Security, Good Nutrition and Poverty Alleviation through Education, as part of a 2-day international conference and exhibition, marking World Food Day on October 16 and International Day of Poverty Alleviation on October 17.

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