COP28 FAO-led High Level Side Event: Scaling up integrated actions to address malnutrition and climate change: an intersectional and intergenerational dialogue Opening Remarks

COP28

 

FAO-led High Level Side Event:

 

Scaling up integrated actions to address malnutrition and climate change: an intersectional and intergenerational dialogue

 

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

 

3 December 2023

 

Her Excellency the President of the Republic of Slovenia,

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I am pleased to welcome Her Excellency the President of Slovenia and to thank her for the longstanding partnership with FAO.

 

I recall that during your visit to FAO headquarters in May this year to celebrate World Bee Day, we discussed how pollinator-friendly agriculture enables food security and nutrition, maintains biodiversity, and provides precious ecosystem services, showing how agrifood systems can support the health of people and the planet at the same time.

 

And this is precisely what we are talking about today as we mark the first-ever Health Day at COP28.

 

Malnutrition and Climate Change are two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today and they are deeply connected.

 

Over 40 percent of the world’s population is highly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.

 

More than 3.1 billion people in the world – 42 percent of the global population - were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021 – this is an increase of 134 million people compared to 2019, before the pandemic.

 

Agrifood systems transformation can drastically reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural resources, preserve biodiversity, and take appropriate climate actions.

 

Agrifood systems solutions are climate solutions, which ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability of nutritious foods for healthy diets for all.

 

Agrifood systems transformation needs integrated actions that address interlinked climate, food, nutrition, water, land, biodiversity, and energy challenges.

 

This is at the core of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, as well as the new FAO Strategy and Action Plan on Climate Change, and FAO’s work in Nutrition.

 

FAO has been leading the preparation of a Global Roadmap to achieve SDG2 without breaching the 1.5 Degrees Celsius limit.

 

This Global Roadmap will set out a multi-year strategy for how agrifood systems transformation through accelerated climate actions will help achieve food security and nutrition, for today’s challenges and for a better future.

 

To take integrated action and achieve this ambitious transformation, we need three foundations:

• One: Evidence-based and innovative solutions for concrete actions;
• Two: Strengthened partnerships; and,
• Three: Inclusive and coordinated action.

 

As the specialized UN agency for food and agriculture, FAO plays a critical role for evidence-based response options.

 

FAO's Climate Action and Nutrition Report highlights evidence-based integrated actions Members and partners can take, such as diversifying production, managing soil sustainably, and reducing food loss and waste.

 

FAO supports the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition launched by the Egyptian Presidency of COP27, which has been building strong alliances across the nutrition and climate communities, and FAO will continue working with Members and partners to take integrated actions to scale.

 

FAO has also been supporting the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation innovative partnership launched at COP27, which aims to improve the quantity and quality of climate finance in support of agrifood systems transformation.

 

To ensure inclusive action, FAO hosted the third edition of the World Food Forum in October this year, to leverage the knowledge and expertise of all, and promote an active youth movement.

 

This year, over 6,000 participants gathered at FAO headquarters in person, and over 65,000 joined virtually including young leaders, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, innovators, and investors, from all over the world.

 

Together, we engaged across age groups, geographic areas, sectors, and disciplines to propel novel and impactful solutions to transform agrifood systems.

 

Only by building more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable agrifood systems can we achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

 

We all have a role to play!

 

Let us join to transform agrifood systems to address the dual crises of malnutrition and climate change, to the benefit of people and the planet.

 

Thank you.