WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Apr 19, 2013) - As part of Canada's commitment to achieve global food security and improved nutrition, the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Cooperation, helped bring together international leaders today to discuss how to reduce undernutrition in children while boosting the economic potential of developing nations. Minister Fantino co-hosted the "Investing in Agriculture for Nutrition" event, with Mr. Joe Costello, T.D., Ireland's Minister of State for Trade and Development, held today on the margins of the spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC.

"Canada welcomed today's discussion on how we can better leverage agriculture sector investments to help achieve food security and improve nutrition around the world," said Minister Fantino. "Canada's investments in nutrition-either through direct nutrition interventions, such as vitamin supplements, or through indirect interventions, such as more nutritious crops or agricultural research-lead to healthier children and mothers, reduces poverty and improves economic growth in developing countries."

"Better-nourished populations are more productive: they innovate, they earn more and they invest more. They are the future producers and consumers," said Joe Costello, Ireland's Minister for Trade and Development.

Minister Costello shared the key messages from the Hunger-Nutrition-Climate Justice conference, which he co-hosted in Dublin earlier this week under Ireland's Presidency of the EU.

"Addressing the links between hunger, nutrition and climate justice has been a clear development priority for Ireland's EU Presidency. We learned some very important lessons during our international conference in Dublin. I am committed to bringing the voices of the smallholder farmers and community representatives, who shared their experiences of growing food in a world impacted by climate change, to international policy discussions," Minister Costello said.

The Government of Canada's focus on poverty alleviation was affirmed in the Economic Action Plan 2013 The creation of the new Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development will tackle poverty by supporting improved nutrition for those most in need around the world. The amalgamation will help the Government of Canada achieve greater efficiency and accountability for its international development assistance.

For more information on how Canada is increasing nutrition, saving lives and reducing poverty, please visit the Nutrition page.

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Canada Works to Improve Nutrition in Developing Countries Through Innovative Partnerships With the Agriculture Sector