LARC37 Joint Press Conference with President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador Statement
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
30/03/2022
LARC37
Joint Press Conference with President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador
Statement
By
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
As prepared
30 March 2022
1. The very first Regional Conference of FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean, took place here in Quito, 73 years ago.
2. That conference in 1949 was inaugurated by a very distinguished Ecuadorian statesman, President Galo Plaza Lasso, who I understand was a relative of President Guillermo Lasso - who inaugurated this 37th Session of the regional conference a short while ago.
3. I want to thank the government and people of Ecuador for the warm welcome that you have given FAO and all the delegates that have arrived here in Quito, or are participating virtually.
4. We have representatives from the Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as from a number of partner organizations, the private sector, civil society, science and academia, and from Parliaments from across the region.
5. They are all participating with the common understanding that this region is facing a challenging moment that calls for collective action and important decisions going forward.
6. The economic recovery from the pandemic is weaker than expected.
7. Out of a population of 650 million in 2020, the region had 267 million people suffering moderate or severe food insecurity, a jump of 60 million in only one year.
8. Half the rural population lives in poverty, and one fourth in extreme poverty.
9. The consequences of the war in Ukraine in terms of global food and input supplies, as well as the impacts on food prices, are being felt in every country.
10. In addition to the impacts of the climate crisis.
11. These are daunting times, which call for extraordinary efforts – and that is why we are here in Quito.
12. We need to decide on regional priorities to address these extraordinary challenges, together.
13. The national, regional and global problems we are facing are large and complex, and no single country is large or powerful enough to address them alone.
14. How we meet these challenges is important for Ecuador and for every country in this region, and will also impact the rest of the world.
15. Because this region is crucial for global food security.
16. It already produces enough food (in caloric terms) to feed around 1.3 billion people – that is, 1 in every 6 persons in the world.
17. To maintain its planetary contribution to food security, by 2050 the region must be able to support an additional 300 million people.
18. That is a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of approximately 22 million farmers and fisher folk, the vast majority of them small- and medium-size family-based producers.
19. The challenge of the agrifood systems in Latin American and the Caribbean is how to rise to that challenge,
20. While at the same time adapting to and becoming more resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis, and effectively reducing their environmental footprint.
21. Agrifood systems must also become more inclusive and reduce existing inequalities.
22. The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 offers a road map to address this challenge,
23. By focusing on the transformation to more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems,
24. For better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
25. Let me once again convey my appreciation to President Lasso and his government, and the people of Ecuador, for hosting the Regional Conference for the second time.
26. You were pioneers 73 years ago, and you are pioneers again today – by providing the venue for us to all come together to transform the region’s agrifood systems.
27. Muchas gracias!