DHAKA: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) organized a conference in Rome to promote social business.
Nobel Laureate Professor Yunus was chief guest at the event tiled ‘Social Business for Zero Hunger’.
Director General of FAO organized the event to bring together the top executives of food industry to discuss the role social business can play to achieve zero hunger, says a press release.
Professor Muhammad Yunus gave the keynote speech at the conference. He pointed out food security was going to be a major challenge in the coming years.
“Not only providing food everybody will be the issue, it is also important to ensure nutrition for all. We need to find ways to encourage the rural young people to turn themselves into entrepreneurs through social businesses in collaboration with food companies.”
Exodus of young people can slow down and stopped ultimately by making rural economy an agro-based economy through intervention of social business, he added.
FAO director general Jose Graziano addressed the event and highlighted the role of social business in achieving zero hunger.
Italy agriculture minister Maurizio Martina, Italian Parliament Vice President Maria sereni, and Italian Farmers Confederation president Dino Scanavino also addressed the gathering and talked about the role of social business in ending hunger on a global level.
The opening session was followed by high level panel discussions on social business.
The first panel was on the role of food industry to reach zero hunger through social business and included the president of leading Italian food company Ferrero, CEO of McCain Europe, Senior Advisor of Mars company, Professor Yunus, and moderated by Marcela Villarealz, Director of Partnerships at FAO.
Second panel was on the role to be played by banks in furthering social business to achieve zero hunger.
Top executives of MasterCard, Rabobank of Netherlands, Grameen Credit Agricole and other European banks spoke in the panel.
Moreover, in the evening IDLO secretary general Irene Khan held a reception in honor of Professor Yunus attended by Italian Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and the under secretary of state for foreign affairs of the Italian government.
BDST: 1929 HRS, MAY 11, 2016
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