G20 Leaders’ Summit 2021 Session II: Climate Change and Environment Intervention

G20 Leaders’ Summit 2021

Session II: Climate Change and Environment Intervention

Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director General

As delivered

31 October 2021

Rome, Italy

 

Excellences,

1.         I’d like to thank the Italy G20 presidency for its commitment to food security and wise leadership in launching the Food Coalition and G20 Green Garden where Ancient Sacred Wood was established legally by Romans 2300 years ago.

 

2.         The climate crisis, ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss are threatening agri-food systems globally.

  

3.         Climate change will compromise our ability to produce sufficient amounts of nutritious foods.

 

4.         It will also increase poverty and deepen inequalities.

 

5.         The urgency for action is stronger than ever!

  

6.         We must transform our agri-food systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.

 

7.         Agri-food systems with a decisive role for the “5 Fs”: Food, Feed, Fiber, Fuel and Friendly Environment are crucial to improve people’s livelihoods, especially of farmers, and for gender and youth empowerment.

 

8.         Policymakers must feed the world and save the planet at the same time. We need to produce more (quantity, food diversity with higher quality) with less (inputs of resources, impacts on the environment)!

 

9.         FAO has been promoting the sustainable use of land, water, soil and marine resources for food security and health wellbeing, and for maintaining harmony with nature.

 

10.       FAO’s new Strategic Framework supports Members on the transformation of agri-food systems for Better production, Better nutrition, a Better environment and a Better life for all, leaving no one behind.

 

11.       Green and climate resilient agriculture is an integral part of our Strategic Framework.

 

12.       Supported by key FAO Initiatives like the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, based on strong and effective partnerships to improve the agri-food potential of countries.

 

13.       And the Green Cities Initiative aimed at enhancing urban greener environments and better agri-food systems.

 

14.       FAO takes a holistic approach to agri-food systems, recognizing the critical inter-linkage between people, planet and prosperity, for efficiency and sustainability.

 

15.       The new Strategic Framework builds on scientific evidence to ensure that agri-food systems are contributors to lower greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing socio-economic and environmental benefits.

 

16.       With the objective of the SDGs, especially SDG 2, 1 and 10, mitigating and adapting to the impacts of the climate crisis, we are concluding our dialogue in Rome and moving on to Glasgow where we must commit to ambitious action on climate and agri-environment: the 4Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle and replace) and the rules of mathematics (minus, plus, divide and multiple) are our basic guidance for.

 

17.       Politicians need to take stronger leadership, People take the ownership and all society must take coherent partnership based on science and innovation. Believe in science, learn science and apply science; innovate on business model - sci-tech and methodology are our ultimate solutions!

 

18.       Let us roll up our sleeves to walk the talk, together, to collectively support agri-food systems transformation for a better world! Thank you!