MTFONGWANENI - Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Gamedze says the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Parliamentary Assembly is very worried about food price volatility as well as the functioning of global agricultural markets and its impact.
He said such emanated from the standing committee on economic development, finance and trade. He said the committee was also worried about the impact on food security in ACP countries.
Gamedze recently led a Swaziland delegation to the 26th session and the 22nd session of the ACP-European Union (ACP-EU) joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA), held in Lome, Togo. The MP was accompanied by Philile Masuku, First Secretary to Brussels Mission.
“A number of issues pertaining to price volatility and the functioning of global agricultural markets were highlighted, like the current situation of agriculture and food security in ACP countries. Also highlighted was the role of the agricultural sector as well as possible measures to reduce price volatility and to improve food security in countries,” he said.
Gamedze said the meeting further deliberated on the reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013 and its impact on ACP countries. He said the discussion addressed the following issues; Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), the issue of Cotton, the EU’s agriculture subsidies, transfer of agricultural technology; measures to protect ACP smallholders.
He said the meeting also appraised the potential consequences on ACP countries of the European Commission’s decision to abolish Regulation No. 1528 as from 31st December 2013.
“This regulation is the legal provision that enables ACP countries to export duty-free and quota-free products to EU Member States. All ACP countries, with the exception of Least Development Countries (LDC) which benefit from the regime, will be adversely affected by this decision,” he said.
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