12th October 2009. The 14th Brussels Development Briefing highlighted the role of Media in Rural Development. This Briefing examined the need to mainstream media in development and increase donor’s attention to media as well as the challenges the journalists and media specialists face when addressing agricultural and rural development issues in their work.The participants tried to find more on how media can better serve rural communities in ACP countries. This Briefing is part of the 25th Anniversary events of CTA. Prominent policy-makers and media specialists shared their experience and views on these issues.
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) wants to see agriculture covered as a regular topic in the media because they have no choice as agricultural productivity must be boosted in order to feed the world’s population which is predicted to reach 9 billion people by 2050.
“Agriculture has a major role to play to provide food and bio-fuels but also employment and income and this has to be achieved in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way,” said Dr Hansjorg Neun the Director of CTA. He added that most journalists are not agricultural specialists and that CTA would like to assist them in better understanding of key agricultural and rural development issues to help facilitate their work. Through collaboration with journalists all development stakeholders can benefit from their public and journalistic skills.
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