G20 Leaders Summits Session III: Sustainable Development Intervention
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
31/10/2021
G20 Leaders Summits
Session III: Sustainable Development Intervention
Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director General
31 October 2021
Thank you Chair, Professor Mario Drahgi, Excellences,
I salute that Italy made an innovative business model to hold a joint minister meeting among the ministers of Foreign Affairs with Development to have Matera Declaration on food security which is basic human right, East, West, Food is Uttermost!
1. Hunger is rising due to economic downturns, conflicts and the climate crisis.
2. The pandemic has made things worse.
3. More than 800 million people were hungry every night in 2020.
4. Another 3 billion cannot afford healthy diets. Poverty and inequality continue to be present.
5. At the heart of all efforts are agri-food systems!
6. On which billions of people depend for their lives and livelihoods, especially in rural areas. They are the backbone of the economy.
7. And play a decisive role for the 5 Fs: Food, Feed, Fiber, Fuel and Friendly Environment.
8. This requires a holistic approach, to minimize trade-offs using big data (digital economy underlined by President David Malpass), science and innovation and enabling policies with responsible, scale investment in agri-food systems.
9. We know that a series of low-cost and high-impact interventions can end hunger.
10. We need to produce more (quantity, food diversity with higher quality) with less (inputs of resources, impacts on the environment)!
11. We must boost public and private investments and financing services,
12. Increase access to convenient infrastructure and financial resources for farmers and the vulnerable,
13. And implement policy reforms that provide incentives for private sectors to support agri-food systems transformation and rural development.
14. I strongly believe that big development can solve big problem, small development just solves small problem and no development will accumulate more problems. With this in mind, FAO fully supports its Members on Our Common Agenda (OCA), especially on comprehensive development agenda which bring development on the central stage after new normal of pandemic.
Excellences,
15. FAO is firmly committed to working together with Members and all partners coherently leading follow-up coordination of UN FSS to the SDGs with Members on the ground.
16. To implement FAO’s ten-year Strategic Framework to transform our agri-food systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.
17. For Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life for all, leaving no one behind!
18. Thank you.