A/RES/65/178 Recognizing also the important role played by indigenous peoples and local communities, and their knowledge and practices, in the preservation, conservation and sustainable use of traditional crops and biodiversity for present and future generations as an important contribution to food security, Recognizing further the importance and positive role of smallholder farmers, including women, cooperatives and indigenous and local communities in developing countries in the implementation of development goals in such fields as employment policy, social integration, regional and rural development, agriculture and environmental protection, Recognizing that agriculture plays a crucial role in addressing the needs of a growing global population and is inextricably linked to poverty eradication, especially in developing countries, and stressing that integrated and sustainable agriculture and rural development approaches are therefore essential to achieving enhanced food security in an environmentally sustainable way, Reaffirming the right of everyone to have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, so as to be able to fully develop and maintain his or her physical and mental capacities, Stressing the importance of the preservation of the natural resource base for food security, Expressing concern that the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger surpasses one billion, which is an unacceptable blight on the lives, livelihoods and dignity of many of the world’s people, mostly in developing countries, and noting that the effects of long-standing underinvestment in food security, agriculture and rural development have recently been further exacerbated by the food, financial and economic crises, among other factors, Reiterating that the multiple and complex causes of the global food crisis and its consequences require a comprehensive and coordinated response in the short, medium and long terms by national Governments and the international community, and remaining concerned that volatile food prices and the ongoing effects of the global food crisis pose a serious challenge to the fight against poverty and hunger and to the efforts of developing countries to attain food security and to achieve the objective of reducing by half the number of undernourished people by no later than 2015, as well as other internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, Remaining deeply concerned that domestic prices and price volatility remain high and that poorer people are particularly affected by fluctuations in the price of food as well as in the cost of inputs and transport, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 18 17F Welcomes the note by the Chair of the Committee on World Food Security 2. on the reform of the Committee and on progress made towards implementation of the reform, 19 and urges Member States to strongly support the reform process and the aims and endeavours of the Committee; 18F _______________ 18 19 A/65/253. See A/65/73-E/2010/51. 3