BANGKOK: An APSA Secretariat delegation was among more than 100 esteemed guests representing key agricultural, trade, research and diplomatic bodies who joined a ceremony this morning (October 16) to mark the 37th World Food Day.
The ceremony was held at the Food and Agriculture Organization's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific on Phra Athit Road in the Thai capital's historic Rattanokosin quarters of Phra Nakhon district.
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HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn pictured (center) with Kundhavi Kadiresan (far left) FAO's five Model Farmers (2nd left-to-right: Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal and Thailand), along with Keynote Speaker Prof Bina Agarwal (2nd right) and Mr. Kim Jong-Jin, FAO Deputy Regional Representative (far right). Photo: FAO[/caption]
Presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn – who last year agreed to represent the FAO as
Special Ambassador for Zero Hunger – the event was also attended by Privy Councillor, Jaranthada Karnasuta; Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Permanent Secretary, Mr Lertviroj Kowattana; Secretary-General of the Chaipattana Foundation, Dr Sumet Tantivejakul; as well as Ambassadors from Bhutan, Canada, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Bangladesh, Brazil, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Qatar.
Reinforcing this year's World Food Day theme,
"Change the future of migration – Invest in food security and rural development", inspirational addresses were given by HRH, as well as FAO's Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Khundavi Kadiresan, followed by a speech from keynote speaker, Ms. Bina Agarwal, an award winning Professor of Development Economics and Environment at the global Development Institute, University of Manchester in the UK.
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Bina Agarwal delivers her speech. Photo: FAO[/caption]
The ceremony concluded with an awards ceremony in which five "Model Farmers" from across the region – four women and one man – from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal and Thailand, were awarded certificates by Her Royal Highness, on behalf of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
For more details on the theme, speeches and farmers,
click here:
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APSA's delegation was represented by Suchada Yansarasin (left) and Mike Kingpayom (right), posing here with FAO's Linda Barrios Muangsombut, who was one of the founding pioneers of APSA more than two decades ago. Photo: FAO[/caption]
