Yangon, Sep 24 (IANS): Myanmar President U Thein Sein Wednesday called on ASEAN member states to take sustainable agricultural development, food security and nutrition as the main national duties.
"ASEAN member states must work hand in hand to meet the objectives of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) with the aim of zero hunger by 2025," U Thein Sein told the 36th Meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) in Nay Pyi Taw.
He said that global population is increasing annually and it is expected to increase from 7 billion to over 9 to 10 billion by 2050, Xinhua reported.
Warning that at present a total of 850 million people are facing food security and malnutrition, he called for doubling the food production.
The 10 member political and economic bloc is comprised of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.