WORLD FOOD FORUM 2023 Science and Innovation Forum: “Bioeconomy: The Catalyst for Agrifood Systems Transformation” Opening Remarks

WORLD FOOD FORUM 2023

Science and Innovation Forum:

“Bioeconomy: The Catalyst for Agrifood Systems Transformation”

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

19 October 2023

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

 

Thank you, Joachim von Braun. I was calculating how many years ago we met in the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences when you were the Director-General of IFPRI!

 

I am delighted to welcome you all to this important event.

 

My understanding of bioeconomy as a natural scientist is a biotechnology-based economy with environmentally friendly products and a friendly and sustainable environment. That is the definition we coined 25 years ago, in 1998, together with the scientists from Wageningen, from the United States, and from Japan, among others.

 

That is why the first bioeconomy strategy was issued in China 15 years ago.

 

We should first have biotechnology and bioproducts, and then bioindustry – they lead to the bioeconomy. But now, since I came FAO, I see that the bioeconomy has becomes more general and broader.

 

Therefore, I think it is very important for us to focus on how real bioeconomy can lead to the transformation of agrifood systems. We need biotechnology. We need environmentally friendly products. And of course, we need sustainability.

 

These are the three key elements and messages we should discuss today.

 

There are so many challenges, I do not want to repeat them again. We need to produce more and better, with less. How? Bioeconomy and biotechnology are one of the approaches, we should use it. That is why we included it in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 as one of the twenty Priority Programme Areas (PPAs).

 

Secondly, bioeconomy should be localized to each Member, to each different context and environment. However, one thing should be in common: what kind of real, concrete technology, should be developed? Let the farmers apply and produce environment-friendly products.

 

Third: how to promote bioeconomy together through the FAO networks? That is our job. I know there are several platforms already, but we need to ensure they are inclusive – that is why we included the Science and Innovation Forum in the World Food Forum.

 

Because at the Science and Innovation Forum we can talk about gene editing, genome sequencing, and functional genomics, and transgenic plants, and so on.

 

Also, we need to talk about organic products and bio-vaccines for animals, following the bio-vaccines for the human beings such as mRNA vaccines for COVID-19. Those are holistic products that we should promote and advocate for, even more and better.

 

Then, we need more investments in Research & Development (R&D). For that aspect Professor Joachim von Braun has a lot of data to share with you. We really need more investments on R&D beyond bioeconomy.

 

Finally, FAO should take more concrete action related to bioeconomy. Otherwise, you are just talking about solutions, without implementing them on the ground.

 

For this reason, I really appreciate all the speakers with us today who will provide different perspectives when talking about bioeconomy.

 

FAO should be an inclusive Organization, especially for science and innovation. It is very important that we build an inclusive approach and use all the tools in the toolbox for the Four Betters.

 

Thank you.