CFS side event on “Driving food system transformation toward sustainable, healthy diets”

FAO ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE (APRC)

 

CFS SIDE EVENT ON

“DRIVING FOOD SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION TOWARD SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY DIETS”

 

 

Excellencies,

Chairperson of the CFS,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. I invited the CFS to organize a side event at all five of our Regional Conferences, not only as a signal of our strong commitment to the Committee, but also to encourage you, as Ministers, regional leaders, and relevant stakeholders to take advantage of the Committee and its products.

2. FAO is proud to host the CFS Secretariat and to fund its operations along with IFAD and WFP.

3. The Committee’s activities, as an inclusive, international platform, are of great importance in the global efforts of addressing food security and nutrition.

4. And we need to work together, now more than ever before.

5. Because, we are not on track to eradicating hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

6. And reversing the trend became even more challenging with the appearance of COVID-19.

7. The pandemic and the related measures of containment are leading to a slow-down in regional economic growth, which is threatening food security even further.

8. Southern Asia is particularly vulnerable, with the number of chronically underfed people projected to rise by almost a third to 330 million by 2030.

9. As a result, we will need to redouble our efforts.

10. I would like to share with you three concepts that are central in this regard:

       a)  Food systems transformation:

• The pandemic has exposed the grave weaknesses in our global food systems and we need to work harder to make them healthier and more sustainable.
• FAO will continue supporting all your efforts to catalyse the transformation of agri-food systems and speed up the integration of key players in the food system.
• I encourage you all to join CFS as it finalizes the “Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition” for CFS-47 in February 2021.
• This product will be important for everyone as we think about how we should be producing, marketing, and consuming our food collectively.

        b)  Innovation and digitalization:

• I strongly believe in the power of turning challenges into opportunities.
• For example, we used physical distancing and lockdown measures as an occasion to speed-up digitalizing FAO.
• The Regional Conference you are attending is the first virtual one in FAO’s history!
• Innovation, technology and digitalization present big potential for our work!
• We at FAO are advancing and taking big steps in this direction.
• The Hand in Hand Initiative that is bolstered by state-of-the-art tools and technologies in the Geospatial Data Platform and the Data Lab for Statistical Innovation is a good example of this.
• And we can also see the vast potential in using innovative ways to further disseminate policy instruments; such as the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests and the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems of the CFS.
• Using cutting-edge technology for a strong impact on the ground.

       c)  Partnership.

• Partnerships are essential if we want to succeed.
• We are sparing no efforts in strengthening our partnerships with all stakeholders within the food system.
• For example, FAO has developed a new Private Sector Partnership Strategy for Council’s review and approval.
• That is why we support the CFS as it is setting a good example for partnerships.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

11. We must transform our food systems so that we can reduce the cost of nutritious foods and ensure that everybody can afford a healthy diet.

12. At country level, governments must act, taking into consideration their specific contexts, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution to achieving this transformation.

13. CFS has provided many important policy products. Now we need to push for their implementation!

14. We need to act now! For better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.

Thank you.