World Food Day is celebrated on Monday 16 October around the world. In this context, the Ministry of Agro-industry and Food Safety organized a symposium. A working meeting under the theme of ‘the evolution of agriculture in Mauritius‘. The event was organized at the Rajiv Gandhi Science Center in the presence of the minister of agro-industry Mahen Seeruttun. who recalled the need to reduce the use of pesticides in our agriculture.

The Minister recalled the need to reduce the use of pesticides in our agriculture. Growing food in a sustainable way means adopting practices that produce more with less in the same area of land and use natural resources wisely. It also means reducing food losses before the final product or retail stage through a number of initiatives including better harvesting, storage, packing, transport, infrastructure, market mechanisms, as well as institutional and legal frameworks.

The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security will also organise mini agri-tech fairs and exhibitions at regional levels; open days at the Mauritius Cane Industry Authority and experimental farms of the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute; talks and conferences on the agricultural sector; and trails and nature walks in national parks during the period November 2017 to February 2018.

Why this theme?

The world is on the move. More people have been forced to flee their homes than at any time since the Second World War due to increased conflict and political instability. But hunger, poverty, and an increase in extreme weather events linked to climate change are other important factors contributing to the migration challenge.