Director-General QU Dongyu

Forum for Food and Agriculture (FFA) - “Renewing leadership within the food system”

by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

23/03/2021

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY FAO DIRECTOR-GENERAL QU DONGYU
FORUM FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (FFA)

“Renewing leadership within the food system”

23 March 2021

As delivered

 

Distinguished Participants,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen, 

1. It is my pleasure to deliver the keynote address this morning, and I thank the Forum for the invitation.

2. It was very exciting and interesting listening to the UN Secretary-General and FFA Chair Janez Potočnik.

3. We are at a critical moment in time, as we observe a convergence of factors that, if ignored, would prevent us from ending global hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.

4. The number of hungry people in the world has increased during the last six years in a row. They increased by 10 million in 2019, and nearly 60 million in the 5 years before that.   

5. It is estimated that by the end of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic added another 132 million to the number of hungry people in the world.

6. Child stunting remains unacceptably high, and overweight and obesity continue to increase in rich and poor countries alike, especially in cities.

7. More than 3 billion people in the world cannot afford even the cheapest healthy diet.

8. Current consumption patterns and agri-food systems are contributing to disturbingly high rates of food waste and loss, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, the loss of biodiversity, and constitute a growing source of inequality.

9. This is generating severe human, economic and environmental costs that run into the trillions of dollars.

10. To get to where we need to be by 2030 or beyond 2050, we urgently need to do things differently and act holistically to transform our agri-food systems

11. We need to recognize the interconnected and compounding economic, social, and environmental impacts of our agri-food systems.

12. There is a range of solution packages that would address hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition while ensuring affordable healthy diets for all. 

13. Solutions that can also reduce carbon footprint and ensure environmental sustainability.

14. Policy solutions can be designed to be an engine of economic recovery, creating viable jobs and sustainable livelihoods, and importantly, addressing inequality. 

15. Holistic agri-food system solutions should be context specific and much needs to be done to identify these – but it is critical that we begin to do this and to do it at scale. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

16. The 2030 Agenda has heightened awareness of the key role that future agri-food systems will play in facing the global challenges of malnutrition, poverty, the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services and climate change.

17. The Agenda is there to guide us, but the historic consensus surrounding its adoption must be matched by a political determination and commitment to deliver it.

18. With many SDGs off-track, the need to engage all actors at all levels within a systemic approach becomes more pressing.

19. To achieve the ambitious transformative changes required, we need a new dimension of cooperation, not only across borders but also within the whole of society.

20. We need to change policies, mindsets, behaviors and business models. Four areas of innovation. I fully agree with the chairman. We need to change policies, mindsets, behaviors and business models.

21. The renewed, inclusive, and agile FAO leads by example; taking advantage of digital technologies and building bridges across regions and continents with our Members, we have 194 Members, and partners.

22. With the European Union, our Member Organization for 30 years, we are continuing to strengthen collaboration on transforming agri-food systems.

23. The private sector is a key ally in the fight against hunger, providing innovative tools, resources, knowledge and technologies to achieve transformative change on the ground.

24. This is why FAO is spearheading a modern approach in our work with the private sector.

25. We do so with our newly endorsed Strategy for Private Sector Engagement, that is fully aligned with FAO’s commitment to supporting Members to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

 

Dear colleagues,

26. FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31 seeks to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to MORE efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agri-food systems for Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better life, leaving no one behind. 

27. These ‘Four Betters’ represent a guiding principle and an innovative business model for how FAO intends to contribute to SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 2 (Zero hunger), and SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities) as well as to supporting the achievement of the broader SDG agenda. 

28. The ‘Four Betters’ reflect the interconnected economic, social and environmental dimensions of agri-food systems.

29. To accelerate progress and maximize our efforts in meeting the SDGs and to realize our aspirations - FAO will apply four cross-cutting/cross-sectional “accelerators” in all our programmatic interventions.

30. These accelerators are technology, innovation, data and complements (governance, human capital, and institutions).

31. Emerging technologies are already changing the food and agriculture sector, yet most governments or agri-food systems actors have yet to harness their powerful potential.

32. Helping farmers take full advantage of new technologies such as digital agriculture, biotechnologies, precision agriculture, innovations in agro-ecology, 5G, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase food production and also to increase food diversity whilst respecting the environment, is of paramount importance.

33. Innovation in general and in particular in agriculture is a central driving force for achieving a world free from hunger and malnutrition because we will have a 10 billion population by 2050.

34. Innovation and science, including social innovations, policy innovations, institutional innovations, financial innovations, and technological innovations, are important drivers affecting food and agricultural production and distribution processes.

35. On Data, FAO’s Geospatial Platform and the Data Lab for Statistical Innovation exemplify how big data on food, agriculture, socio-economics, and natural resources can come together to help strengthen evidence-based decision-making in the food and agriculture sectors.

36. This is exactly what we are doing in our Hand in Hand initiative to transform the agri-food systems of the least developed land locked countries, least develop small island States and food crises countries so that no one is left behind.

37. Complements refer to the needed governance, human capital and institutions to assure an inclusive agri-food system transformation.

38. Transformative processes require strong, transparent and accountable institutions and governance, including adaptive and effective regulatory governance.

39. As technologies revolutionize, the risks of unequal access and exclusion loom. Investments in human capacity building, as well as policy and regulations to minimize such risks, are indispensable.

40. To work towards inclusive, safe and trustworthy digital technologies in food and agriculture, we are building the International Platform for Digital Food and Agriculture, whichwill be at the heart of efforts to digitalize agriculture for achieving the SDGs.

41. Through dialogue, the Platform will promote coordination and consensus among all stakeholders, enhance awareness on issues specific to the digitalization of food and agriculture; and, provide guidance, to support decision-making.

42. Momentum is building towards the United Nations Food Systems Summit to catalyze global efforts for inclusive, healthy agri-food systems.

43. Our new Strategic Framework is well aligned with the process towards the Summit and we continue to provide full support to its preparatory process.

44. Members that are convening national level dialogues are relying on FAO’s technical advice and assistance and we look forward to co-hosting the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit 2021 Science Days and assisting the Pre-Summit in July at FAO headquarters in Rome.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

45. The COVID-19 pandemic is an astonishing wake-up call on the fragility of our agri-food systems and the resulting vulnerabilities. 

46. But it also provided us the opportunity to reevaluate how we address the root causes of hunger and build resilience against similar threats in the future.

47. We are doing this through FAO’s comprehensive COVID-19 Response and Recovery Program.

48. This Program has enabled partners to leverage FAO’s convening power, real-time data, early warning systems and technical expertise to tackle the problems behind the trends and the inequalities in access to food. 

49. Launched in July 2020, with a corporate target of USD 1.32 billion, the Program has received about USD 238 million pledged and confirmed contributions, as of mid-February 2021.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

50. The challenge we face is enormous: We must transform agri-food systems to provide a growing population with healthy, affordable diets.

51. We need to do so in a way that is economically profitable and environmentally friendly.

52. We know that this is achievable with innovation.

53. We at FAO are ready to design big and take concrete action, together with all our Members and partners.

54. Together we can make our common vision of a hunger free world a reality.

55. Let’s be dreamers and doers at the same time. Let’s walk the talk.

56. Thank you.