UNFSS+2 Leadership Dialogue: Food Systems for Shared Prosperity: Achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic prosperity in agrifood systems and rural development Opening Remarks

UNFSS+2

Leadership Dialogue: Food Systems for Shared Prosperity: Achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic prosperity in agrifood systems and rural development

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

Tuesday, 25 July 2023

 

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

 

I am pleased to address you today on this important topic.

 

Ensuring economic prosperity for all is at the core of global agrifood systems transformation and rural development.

 

Today’s meeting brings together broad expertise from around the world to exchange knowledge on how to achieve equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic prosperity in agrifood systems.

 

Agrifood systems provide significant opportunities to generate income and facilitate economic growth. 

 

Agriculture is not a naturally happening industry - we need investment and enabling policies.

 

We all talk about the potential of agriculture, but this potential cannot be realized without commitment and concrete action by governments.

 

Without serious action, it is only a dialogue.

 

I am happy to see so many Ministers participating here today – you should be the ones pushing your Heads of State and Government to take action!

 

Ministers for Agriculture are poor Ministers, they normally do not have the finances and resources needed, but you have the data. You have the facts that fuel the political commitment needed for action, and for solutions.

 

FAO is willing to establish those kinds of dialogues and platforms for you to share information and other best practices, and to push your leaders to take ownership.

 

Without their commitment and ownership, it is just a seminar, a forum.

 

So, I hope that after this Stocktaking Meeting, there will be a stronger political commitment. This is the aim, which, together with the UN Secretary-General and other leaders, we want to build on.

 

We need to think together and interact together.

 

We often say “inclusive”, but what does “inclusive” mean?

 

Different parts of the world have different interpretations of what inclusivity entails. For many developed countries this refers to increased subsidies from the government.

 

However, for developing countries there is no money for increased subsidies, so inclusivity means ownership through a participatory approach with enabling policies.

 

We need a participatory and equitable approach, which at FAO we define at three levels: between rich and the poor; between rural and urban; and between men and women. These are the three levels of equality.

 

In different areas, different countries, there are different levels of equality for example between rural and urban areas. For this reason, we need to understand the different contexts so that you can find the most suitable solutions.

 

Another issue is sustainable development – this is not the same in all parts of the world.

 

Several Ministers that have come to see me tell me they come from a farming family – but even here there are inequalities: in some countries families have 70 lambs or sheep, in others they need to have at least 700 sheep or goals to ensure their livelihoods.

 

For this reason, the concept of “efficiency” is at the core of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: when there is limited land, and limited resources, we need to change and improve the way we work and produce in order to improve livelihoods.

 

Efficiency is the number one criteria, followed by inclusivity. And then resilience.

 

Resilience means more investment in rural areas. Not only in roads or irrigation systems, but we also need other infrastructures for basic services, such as cold storages or post-harvest treatment.

 

I hope that through this dialogue you will share your best practices, and find the best solutions among yourself – that is the true objective of this dialogue and of what we want to achieve.

 

Thank you very much.