The Issue of Food Security Draws Many Développement international Desjardins
Partners to Québec City

Experts from twenty different countries study the contribution of microfinance to providing food security

LÉVIS, QC, Oct 4 /CNW Telbec/ - In the context of the food insecurity which threatens many developing countries, Développement international Desjardins (DID) and its partners will examine pathways for solutions to the problem during a seminar held October 5-6, at the Château Laurier Hotel in Québec City.

Entitled How can microfinance contribute to providing food security?  the seminar will draw experts from twenty different countries for lectures and panel discussions to share their experience and their hopes for resolving the problem through microfinance.

Topics on the agenda include the contribution of microfinance to sustainable development, the vulnerability of women in relation to food security and how innovative ideas may help in dealing with the issue. To examine these crucial concerns, DID has called on microfinance sector practitioners from Mali, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Zambia, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Québec.

"This is the fourth year that DID has organized this international seminar. The issue of food security affects numerous countries and the problem of hunger throughout the world is far from being curtailed. That is why DID and its partners decided to examine the issue and the contribution that microfinance can make," said Anne Gaboury, DID President and Chief Executive Officer.

Opening addresses by CIDA and the World Bank
High-profile speakers will start the event. Hau Sing Tse, Senior Vice-President of the Geographic Programs Branch at the Canadian International Development Agency, will present the point of view and experience of the Canadian government on the issue of food security, one of the three priority themes on Canada's aid effectiveness agenda.

The World Bank, which is highly active in addressing food security, will also be represented. Renate Kloeppinger, Rural Finance Advisor at the World Bank, will outline the action undertaken by the international financial institution to address rural finance and the subsequent impact on world food security.

Finance in the service of food security
This event will highlight the contributions made by microfinance institutions (MFIs) to food security through the development of innovative products such as warehouse receipt credit, crop insurance and credit products designed for fair trade products.

For DID and Proxfin, an international study and discussion network of thirty community finance institutions which includes DID, the goal of the seminar its to shed light on the contribution of microfinance to providing food security and help develop pathways to solutions for dealing with the issue. "The international seminars organized by DID are valuable for the partners. The discussions that take place during the seminar enable us to share our knowledge and experience. In the end, all the members benefit," said Proxfin chairman Sigitas Bubnys.

About DID
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Développement international Desjardins (DID) is a component of Desjardins Group that provides support for the set up, development and strengthening of financial institutions in twenty countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe. Specializing in technical support and investment in the field of community finance, DID draws on the extensive and varied experience acquired through its collaboration with numerous partners, in addition to the 110 years of experience of Desjardins Group, the largest cooperative financial group in Canada. DID is a partner of the Canadian International Development Agency, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and other multilateral organizations.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada and the sixth largest in the world, with assets of more than $173 billion. Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Québec and Ontario, and its subsidiaries across Canada, it offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.8 million members and clients. Desjardins specializes in Wealth Management and Life and Health Insurance, in Property and Casualty insurance, in Personal Services, in Business and Institutional Services. As one of the largest employers in the country, Desjardins is supported by the skills of its 42,200 employees and the commitment of over 6,200 elected officers. For more information, visit www.desjardins.com.

For further information:

Source(for journalists only):
Caroline Phémius
Advisor, Media Relations
Desjardins Group
514 281-7000 or 1 866 866-7000, ext. 7646
[email protected]