JUNIOR agriculture minister Errol Ennis says the worst cases of poverty could be eradicated in a relatively short period, not by long-term charity, but by enabling poor individuals to help themselves.

Ennis said that these individuals, by their own efforts, would be able to reasonably sustain themselves and eventually be less reliant on public assistance for their daily existence.

The junior minister was addressing Tuesday’s launch of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) International Alliance Against Hunger Committee in Jamaica, held at the FAO’s Lady Musgrave Road offices in Kingston.

“No society can afford to carry more than a certain level of poverty in its midst,” Ennis stated.

“We have to make a decision as to what are the kinds of individuals that the country will require to put it on a sustainable course of economic and social development, and if we understand that clearly, then it means that there must be a commitment to reduce the level of persons who are unable to contribute to their own welfare . We have to increase the education level of people who can produce the resources to reduce the level of poverty. This is something that we have to commit ourselves to,” Ennis said.

Ennis pointed out that even highly developed countries in the north still had their share of poverty, even though it was less than that of developing countries.

He said Jamaica should strive to quickly and adequately address the needs of its indigent, if it hoped to catch up with those countries.

“It requires a certain level of dedication and commitment to do certain things and the commitment to eradicate poverty is something that is not beyond us,” Ennis said.

He also suggested that all the efforts of organisations such as the FAO must be geared “towards a self-sustaining development of the individual”.

The FAO representative in Jamaica, Hannah Clarendon, said the committee was named after the theme for this year’s World Food Day, which was recognised on October 16. Included in the series of events, which culminated in an international food fair and exhibition, were the collection of items and non-perishable food for the needy.

These along with monetary donations were presented to various charities at the launch, including the Jamaica National Children’s Home, Thicketts Basic School, Missionaries of the Poor and the Salvation Army. In addition, a poster competition saw Kemar Gray of Camperdown High winning first place, Donovan Gouldbourne of Prospect High placing third, while Calvin Shepherd of Kingston Technical High won third place.

The occasion was also used to launch the FAO Jamaica website, which features links to and information on projects, publications, country information (Belize and the Bahamas), vacancies, global site, contact information, world food summit and other critical events, country profiles and mapping, and information on the international alliance against hunger.

Clarendon said the FAO in Jamaica facilitated the work from the organisation’s head office and sub-regional offices. The office works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) and the Scientific Research Council, among other key partners.

The office also collaborates with national correspondents in Belize and the Bahamas. She pointed out that quarterly meetings were held with the ministries to update them on new programmes, strategies and interventions from the FAO head office, and to discuss with them how their objectives could be achieved on the ground.

Clarendon said, too, that it was the FAO’s policy orientation framework for 2000-2015 that guided the 2000-2005 programme.

“The strategy framework was developed to illicit an agreed view of member countries’ role in helping them to achieve global goals — access by all people at all times to sufficient nutritionally adequate and safe food; reducing the number of chronically undernourished people by half no later than 2015; the continued contribution of sustainable agriculture and rural development, including fisheries and forestry, to economic and social progress and the well-being of all; and the conservation, improvement and sustainable utilisation of natural resources,” she said.