International Agri-Food Network wants stronger voice for farmers in the UN: Hakan Bahceci

Hakan Bahceci has been elected the Chairperson of the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM) at the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in Rome.

He is CEO of Dubai-headquartered Hakan Agro Group with processing and logistics facilities in 26 different locations around the world. He also serves as President of International Pulse Trade and Industry Confederation (CICILS-IPTIC) since 2010.

Bahceci recently took on additional responsibility as Chairman, International Agri-Food Network (IAFN), at the same time and will lead the network to bring together international agricultural associations, representing over 10,000 businesses worldwide. IAFN works on a variety of issues including providing the focal point for the CFS.

In an exclusive interview to Business Line, Bahceci shares his thoughts and plans for IAFN and CICILS-IPTIC. His keen desire to promote food and nutrition security particularly in developing economies is well known. Excerpts

What does the Network stand for; what are its major achievements so far; and what are your plans for the Network during your tenure?

The International Agri-Food Network was formed in 1996 as a coalition of agri-food associations. This is the first time CICILS-IPTIC with focus on pulses has chaired the coalition. Of late, the network has been co-ordinating private sector input into the UN Committee on World Food Security.

The focus of the work has been on encouraging the UN to consider the breadth of the value chain and its role in food security, right from what is needed on farms to grow food, all the way through the food traders and processors. During my two-year term as chairman of the Network, I would like to see a focus on talent development in the UN CFS.

It was a great honour to see the UN respond positively to the private sector proposal to focus on the knowledge, skills and training for promoting agriculture. We will be holding our first event on the topic October 10 in Rome.

‘Responsible agricultural investment, biofuels, food waste, and investing in smallholder agriculture’ are four major issues for IAFN to grapple with. What guidance do you propose to provide on these issues?

The thing that strikes me most with all these issues is the challenging role that the agri-food sector must play in meeting growing demand, evolving consumer needs, while also providing livelihoods for the rural communities and adapting to climate change. One of the things we’ve been saying regularly is that we need diverse diets, robust nutrition programmes, a diversity of farming systems, and a respect for businesses of all scales-small, medium and large.

For instance, in looking at responsible agricultural investment, one investment can create jobs and provide a local school or good medical care. This is helping food security because it gives people incomes and helps the community. Another investment can increase agricultural production to get more cash income for farmers. Another can be focused on local markets.

All of them are positive and have a contribution to make. We need to offer as many solutions as possible to tackle the challenges of feeding a hungry planet. In that diversity lie stronger, more resilient systems.

We are hopeful that the outcome of the deliberations on investing in smallholder farmers will help to address some of the unique inequities that those farmers face; and would like to think we’ve helped to include infrastructure, reduction of post harvest losses, and the need for agricultural extension into the debate.

Agriculture plays a crucial role in many developing economies for generating employment and income. In most cases, smallholders dominate. Does IAFN have specific plans for agrarian economies?

IAFN is comprised of international associations for various sectors in the agri-food chain. Almost all of them have national structures in India and other countries around the globe. One of the things we’d like to see is a stronger voice for the businesses and farmers in the UN in Rome and New York.

As a Turkish, I knew the importance of agriculture and that agricultural policy matters. Getting the policy right can create a path that supports better livelihoods, more equitable treatment of women, improved intergenerational transfer, and many other benefits. By the same token, getting it wrong can stifle innovation, destroy trade, and lead to food insecurity in a country.

You have had a highly successful two years as President of CICILS-IPTIC. What are your plans for strengthening the global pulses industry and trade in the next two years?

I believe we managed to put the pulse industry on the agriculture map. We work closely with all our member countries and their associations on transforming our industry from basic staple food into food ingredient sector.

The usage of pulse flours must be encouraged in snacks, protein bars, biscuits, muesli, etc. due to its high nutritional values. The increase of pulse flour usage in food sector shall certainly increase the consumption of pulses. It then becomes easy to increase the pulse production when there is sustained demand.

So efforts on pulse innovation, pulse breeding, creating awareness, increasing production, increasing consumption shall be our focus. Our efforts to declare 2016 as UN International Year of Pulse has finally brought results and we are on the right track.

Anything else that you may wish to convey to our readers.

For decades, agriculture has chugged along producing more food per hectare year after year. The vast majority of the poor live in rural areas and are themselves farmers. But now the disinterest in agriculture has come home even to consumers.

It is not just a matter for rural areas, because as population grows and productivity growth slows down, we really are struggling to keep up with the demand for food. FAO says we need to produce 70 per cent more to feed the global population in 2050.

In many developing and least developed countries, population growth (2%) outstrips production (1.5%). This means that countries are not producing enough food for their people. Agriculture requires immediate investment and an enabling policy environment.

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