G7- Virtual Ministerial Conference "Uniting for Global Food Security" Call to Action– Follow Up
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
24/06/2022
G7- Virtual Ministerial Conference "Uniting for Global Food Security"
Call to Action– Follow Up
Statement by Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General FAO
As prepared
24th June 2022
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. We gather today to discuss how to move forward together under the increasingly challenging situation we face:
• The pandemic,
• The global interruption of supply chain and rising costs of major primary commodities,
• The war in Ukraine, and other top ten conflicts and humanitarian crises across the world;
2. And the long-term decreased investment in agri-food systems, facing pressure under climate change and population increase.
3. All make the current global scenario very complicated and interlinked.
4. The hike in energy, fertilizer and inputs prices is putting the next global harvest at risk.
5. We are at serious risk of facing a food access crisis now, and a food availability crisis for the next season.
Dear Colleagues, going forward, we must:
6. First, invest in those countries most severely affected by the increase in food prices.
• In addition to food aid, we must support local production of nutritious foods. Currently only 8% of all food security funding in emergencies and crisis aids goes to assist agricultural production.
7. Second, support the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) of food security to expand the country coverage.
• The IPC provides information on the scale and severity of food insecurity and famine situation. Together with other partners, the IPC is the reference for consensus-based analysis of acute food insecurity and malnutrition. IPC coverage needs to increase from 46 to at least 84 countries facing a challenging situation.
• In 2021, the G7 recognized the IPC as the ‘gold standard’ for food security analysis, underscoring its role as the critical pillar of global responses to hunger.
8. Third, foster policies that increase productivity efficiently and sustainably.
• Transforming agrifood systems to be more inclusive and more resilient to deliver healthy diets, and outcomes that are more equitable. That will require significant financial investment, estimated at 8% of the size of the agrifood market.
• Investment should cover hard infrastructure, value chain infrastructure, innovation, new technologies and digital inclusive infrastructure.
9. Fourth, reduce food loss and waste.
• Foods currently lost and wasted could feed around 1.26 billion people per year.
• If we try to reduce 50% of food loss and waste, there would be sufficient fruits and vegetables to meet the recommendation of 400 grams per person per day.
• FAO developed the comprehensive plan of actions for 52 Hand in Hand Initiative countries to achieve this goal.
10. Fifth, ensure better and more efficient use of available fertilizers.
• In the short term, it is urgently needed that all key partners work in a coherent way to get necessary fertilizers available to the global farmers in time.
• At the same time, all countries should improve fertilizer efficiency to fit local farming systems;
• Fast implementation of detailed soil maps that would support the most vulnerable countries to use their fertilizers more efficiently is critical.
• In the medium and long-term there is a pressing need to invest in better use of chemical fertilizers along with manure, bio-fertilizers and other new products based on new technologies.
Excellences,
11. We must keep our global trade system open.
12. Market transparency and coordination is crucial in times of uncertainty. It helps stabilize markets and prices.
13. FAO remains committed to enhancing global market transparency through the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), which is an essential tool to foster confidence in global markets.
14. FAO has been analysing the global food security situation and released a number of flagship publications on a regular basis, and action oriented proposals to Members and the international community.
15. We must work together accelerating transformation of our agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
16. Thank you.