FAO calls for renewed digital push in Small Island Developing States

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu called on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to tap the power of innovation and digitalization in order to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The call came during the opening of the SIDS Solutions Forum on 30 August, a two-day virtual summit co-hosted by FAO and the Government of Fiji, which saw the launch of the SIDS Solutions Platform. FAO is committed to building a world free from hunger and malnutrition, "where no one is left behind, regardless of land size, population and geographic location," the Director-General noted in an address to the opening session. Today's meeting is an "example of how innovation and digitalization bring opportunities in the face of challenges,” he added.

Small Island Developing States have been seriously affected by COVID-19, not only in terms of health, but also from a nutritional and economic perspective. Prior to the pandemic, SIDS faced numerous recurrent challenges, including the effects of climate change, frequent natural disasters, strong dependence on small-scale agriculture, and high levels of non-communicable diseases. The SIDS Solution Forum offered governments, entrepreneurs and representatives of the private sector, civil society and small-scale farmers, including women and youth, the opportunity to share best practices for addressing these common challenges.

The new SIDS Solutions Platform will enable actors to share examples of innovation and digitalization and to acquire inspiration from shared knowledge. The platform places the spotlight on home-grown solutions that aim to develop better agriculture, improved nutrition and health, strengthened adaptation to climate change and greater resilience.

Brussels-based organizations, such as the European Union and the Organisation for African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) also took part in the Forum. Secretary General of the OACPS Georges Pinto Chikoti stressed the strategic aspect of the initiative. The OACPS “aspires for greater cross-fertilization of ideas to support more focused interrelated approaches and mechanisms to promote the interests of SIDS,” said Chikoti. “We stand ready to engage in actions that will mitigate the negative impacts resulting from high levels of dependence on imported foods, and SIDS’ extreme susceptibility to external economic shocks.”

Leonard Mizzi, European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) Head of Unit for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries, underscored the importance of greater collaboration among stakeholders and across different sectors, to ensure more effective management and find better, smart solutions. “The SIDS Solution Forum needs to create collaborative networks of the best brains to unleash the full potential of intra-regional trade and investment,” he observed.

The meeting agreed that science, innovation, technology and digitalization were of utmost importance to achieve the SDGs and to address challenges in the post-COVID-19 context, and that cooperation and knowledge sharing are also crucial prerequisites for building more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems.

You can read more on FAO's work on digital agriculture here.