FAO Conference 43: High-level dialogue focuses on the nexus between agrifood systems and One Health initiative
Rome - To achieve agrifood systems transformation that ensures the production of safe and nutritious food in a sustainable manner, we must recognize that the health of humans, animals, plants, soil, water and the environment are deeply interconnected - and agrifood systems are the common thread, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today in his address to a high-level dialogue on the nexus between agrifood systems and One Health initiative.
The event titled “How our Agrifood Systems shape our One Health: what are the priorities for attention in developing national pathways for change?” took place on the sidelines of the 43rd Session of the FAO Conference at the Organization’s headquarters in Rome.
In his opening remarks, the Director-General urged the international community to accelerate the implementation of One Health plans to ensure that actions are inclusive of all partners and are cross- sectoral.
Without healthy soil, we cannot produce healthy animal feed and food, and without healthy animal feed and food, we cannot have healthy animals and human beings, Qu said.
The Director-General highlighted the need for breaking down the silos and leveraging the strengths of each partner to make substantial changes.
“We cannot work in isolation, nor in silos,” he added stressing that agrifood systems transformation should become a priority not only for the Quadripartite – FAO, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – but for all relevant partners as well.
“One Health contributes to national transformative pathways by addressing the complex challenges of zoonotic diseases, non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, pandemic and endemics,” the Director-General said noting that the One Health Programme Priority Area is one of 20 flagship programmes set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31. With that, he reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to provide at-scale support for implementing the One Health approach.
The event also saw the participation of, among others, Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) via video message, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) via video message, Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission; and Lord Benyon, Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland via video call; Su McCluskey, Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, India; and Mark Wittrock, Assistant Director, Health, Food, and Agriculture Resilience, Office of Health Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Today’s discussion focused on how to advocate for a One Health approach to agrifood systems’ transformation at all levels. The participants discussed critical needs and opportunities as well as joint entry points to strengthen health systems and national pathways for agrifood systems transformation. The high-level dialogue called for the whole-of-government and whole-of-society engagement for an integrative decision and policymaking in agrifood and health systems to make them more sustainable, resilient, and equitable.