H.E. Dr Hean Vanhan addressing during a high-level discussion took place at the beginning of a three-day Asia-Pacific symposium (5-7 October 2022).

05/10/2022 – Bangkok – Five delegates from Cambodia led by H.E. Dr Hean Vanhan, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) took centre stage today during a high-level conference in Bangkok, Thailand to highlight Cambodia's experiences in moving forward on a vital agrifood systems transformation, which the region and the world has committed to, in order to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The Asia-Pacific Symposium on Agrifood Systems Transformation, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has brought together ministers from across the region, private sector, academia and other stakeholders to map out a massive acceleration to transform the agrifood systems, or risk worsening malnutrition and further environmental degradation in the world's hungriest and most populous region.

Rising food prices, floods, drought, water scarcity, increasing climate-related disasters, the global pandemic and conflicts near and far, are driving food insecurity across the Asia-Pacific region. These challenges directly impact the most vulnerable people of this region, including smallholder farmers and others who depend on the land for their livelihoods. Urban poor are also directly affected.

According to a recent UN report, there are about 2.5 million severely food insecure people in Cambodia, approximately 15 percent of the total population.

Asia-Pacific region first out of the gate following UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS)

Last year, caught in the grip of a global pandemic, world leaders pledged to transform their agrifood systems to make them more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

Cambodia has pledged to transform the food systems focusing on four priorities: a) promoting a healthy diet for all; b) empowering young people and the most vulnerable to take part in transformation of food system; c) strengthening the resilience of the smallholder farmers; and d) strengthening governance for a more inclusive food system through improving coordination and dialogues with stakeholders to ensure responsiveness to the need of consumers, the marginalized and indigenous people.

Speaking at the beginning of a three-day Asia-Pacific symposium, the world's first since the UNFSS, H.E. Dr Hean Vanhan, said that to accelerate the transformation of Cambodia's food system, under the leadership of the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), significant progress has been made to increase awareness and understanding of food systems among different actors ranging from national to sub-national levels. Cambodia also completed a review of the national food control system, with support of FAO, which will assist the government in building stronger institutional capacity for improved food production and safety.

"Looking to our region, as Cambodia is the Chair of the ASEAN in 2022, Cambodia will continue to set an example in the region for delivering better outcomes for food and nutrition security, calling on the support of the international community in addressing our shared challenges to improve food systems for the sustainability of people, planet and prosperity," emphasized H.E. Dr Hean Vanhan.

H.E. Sok Silo, Secretary General of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development and the National Convenor for UNFSS, will also address the symposium about how Cambodia addressing bottlenecks in the implementation of food system transformation pathways.

In his remarks, H.E. Sok Silo noted that Cambodia does not expect critical food shortages, as the country is a net food exporter, amid the shocks caused by the COVID-19, the five 'Fs' (lack of food, feed fuel, fertilizer and finance) poses new threats to food systems. Lack of resources (budget and capacity), the need to include different voices, including consumers, youths, women, and vulnerable, greater investment in climate action, reductions in food loss and waste, improved food safety, diversity and quality are some of the challenges to be collaboratively addressed by Cambodia to achieve sustainable and resilient food system.

He further emphasized that, "advocacy, awareness raising and developing understanding of Cambodia's food systems, while encouraging inter-sectoral and multi-stakeholders' coordination and the continued support from all stakeholders, especially for capacity building and financial investment from local, regional and global communities is needed for Cambodia to implement the priorities as listed in the Cambodia's National Roadmap for Food Systems for Sustainable Development 2030 launched last year."

FAO's Director-General, QU Dongyu, said, "the region's transformation needs to focus on outcomes that result in better production, better nutrition, better environment, and a better life for all – ensuring no one is left behind."

Asia-Pacific region dangerously backsliding on SDGs

An UN report revealed that Asia and the Pacific is so off course, it would need until 2065 to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals – a delay of 35 years.

The reason for some of the more recent setbacks is clear. Droughts and floods, the highest food prices in decades, armed conflicts and the fallout and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted supply chains, lives and livelihoods. Together, these have resulted in the present crisis of five 'Fs', and a prediction that there could be reductions of cereal output next year due to fertilizer shortages in some countries in the region.

However, the backsliding predates the pandemic, as successive annual reports of FAO's flagship publication, the State of Food Security and Nutrition, were warning the fight against hunger and malnutrition was failing in this region. In 2021, more than 400 million people in Asia-Pacific were malnourished, most of them in South Asia, with 40 percent of all inhabitants unable to afford a healthy diet.

In Asia and the Pacific, now is the time to accelerate the agrifood systems transformation – to leave no one behind

More than 80 percent of the world's smallholders and family farmers live off the land in this Asia-Pacific region, and their interests and livelihoods must be safeguarded, the Symposium was told. Social safety nets and reskilling programmes to improve employment prospects should form an important part of this transformation.

"It's time that all stakeholders in this region made bold moves toward this transformation of our food and agriculture systems," said Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. "Governments must act through leadership. Asia-Pacific's private sector must broaden its customer base to provide affordable solutions to the region's smallholders. Civil society must work more proactively with policymakers and the private sector. Academia must accelerate its research, while resource partners must make this transformation their top priority. FAO is here to help our Members and all partners achieve this."

For more information, contact:
Ms Tet Chann, FAO Communications Officer, FAO Representation in Cambodia
Tel: (855) 11 276 775
Email: [email protected]