Zero Hunger Challenge in Timor-Leste

An international program namely Zero Hunger Challenge just recently launched by the Prime Minister at National Parliament, in Dili. Timor-Leste became the first pilot country of this program. Zero Hunger Challenge” is coordinated by the United Nations and has with the support of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Committee for Asia and Pacific and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. The main goal is to defend the right to good nutrition and ensuring that food systems are sustainable and solid. http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=9593&lang=en&n=1

The Campaign of this Zero Hunger Challenge is much required to alert the government and institution concerned to ensure the livelihood of Timorese people. In this connection, agriculture is the main key to be measured. Mostly of Timorese people are farmers just a few are engaged in the office affairs. Farming productivities are necessary to be improved for ensuring the food security. Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery should work smarter and harder to improve the products. Timor-Leste still imports agriculture merchandises from other countries such as; rice from Vietnamese & Thailand, potatoes, onion & garlic from Singapore and China. Timor-Leste has potential source of agriculture; paddy field, extensive plantation and forestry. Unfortunately, agriculture is still not matured enough to be an industrial but actually the farming is the major trade not just oil and gas. There are some humidity areas in the country which have a fertile of soil and likely for cultivation of various plantations. Thus, importing good (agriculture) are not likely to totally depend to.

The Zero Hunger Challenge is a kind of motivation for Timorese government to seriously encourage and strengthen the policy of farming so that the production can be increased in term of quality and quantity. By this increasing, the relevant ministries, agencies and organizations (UN, international & local) should coordinate together for the sustainability of the produces for the life of people. Food security can be ensured with the strategic plan and appropriate policy by relevant organizations. Agriculture is the greatest industry in Timor-Leste, with the organic food; billions of dollars can be saved for the revenue of the state.
People in rural areas are starving because of the food shortages and those also experience lack of the nutrition, especially women and children but they are truly rich in them, just because of tradition and less of appropriate practice, they have to suffer due to malnutrition and also affected to high mortality rate.

It is expected that this campaign just not a slogan but a real action to introduce a prosperity life or at least people are easily to access food and live secure with no worry of food shortages.