Achieving SDG 2 without breaching the 1.5 °C threshold: from a global to a regional view.

FAO's recently released report Achieving SDG 2 without breaching the 1.5 °C threshold: A global roadmap underscores that while progress is evident in recognizing the potential of agrifood systems in climate action, more collective efforts and finance for agrifood systems transformation are needed if the world is to reach food security and nutrition goals while contributing to the 1.5 °C agenda.  

The report's regional presentation in Brussels marked the first of its kind since the official launch of the Roadmap at the twenty-eighth United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) held last December.  

The event, organized by the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels as part of a series of events and activities to present the Roadmap in Brussels, drew participants from the European Union institutions, the regional governments of Belgium, and civil society, academic and private sector organizations. It provided an opportunity for a lively exchange on the priorities and initiatives that need to be implemented to ensure effective climate and food security strategies.  

‘’The Roadmap is designed to avoid ‘doomism’ and provides actionable pathways that can benefit all now and, in the future,’’ stressed FAO Director of the Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, David Laborde, while presenting key findings of the report. He then highlighted several pivotal domains for immediate action. These include sustainably increasing production, minimizing food loss and waste, restoring degraded areas, and preserving the remaining natural habitats. He underscored the importance of contextualizing these solutions. 

His Excellency Luc Jacobs, Ambassador and Special Envoy for Climate and Environment at the Belgian Presidency of the Council, highlighted how the FAO Global Roadmap can equip stakeholders with an impressive toolbox for integrated action. 

Joke Schauvliege, Vice-President of the Flemish Parliament and Member of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), stressed the pivotal role of local and regional authorities in implementing the actions outlined in the report.  

The call for global support and action towards agrifood systems transformation was further emphasized by Andrea Alfieri, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships, who underscored the “need to collectively rethink agrifood systems and cultivate sustainable solutions to ensure a resilient future for agriculture and the planet”. 

Further stressing the importance of smallholder farmers and their role in achieving sustainable development, European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) Secretary General, Marion Picot, remarked that “ensuring farmers equal access to social services and care, bridging the gap between rural and urban areas is key to reaching our collective ambitions for SDG 2 without breaching the 1.5 threshold”. 

The event concluded with a lively Q&A session with the audience, demonstrating the engagement and interest in advancing agrifood systems transformation.  

While closing the event, Angélica Jácome, FAO Director of the Office of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries, seized the opportunity to reiterate FAO’s commitment to transform agrifood systems and the importance of non-state actors’ role in driving this transformative change. 

You can access the Global Roadmap Achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5 °C threshold here.