WORLD FOOD FORUM 2023 Science and Innovation Forum: Enabling Research, Science and Innovation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Opening Remarks

WORLD FOOD FORUM 2023

Science and Innovation Forum:

Enabling Research, Science and Innovation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

19 October 2023

 

Good morning to all, both those here in person, as well as those connected online,

 

I am delighted for this opportunity to speak to you.

 

As a scientist I have always encouraged my fellow scientist colleagues to jump out of the box because science is not only for own our personal interest and curiosity, but it should be used to help people improve their lives and livelihoods. 

 

FAO was asked by its Members to do more and better, and this will depend on you the scientists as one of the most important driving forces to lead the change and transformation.

 

For that reason, we have this World Food Forum (WFF) and its three pillars: to highlight the importance of science and innovation, together with investment and youth engagement and empowerment – which also includes girls and women, and those no young of age but young-at-heart.

 

The focus of this year’s Science and Innovation Forum is on Climate Action – but we need to move from talk to action, to action for agrifood systems transformation and for rural development.

 

Climate related disasters are frequent. From deadly floodings in Libya, India and Pakistan; intense storms in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe; to intensifying heatwaves across the world.

 

In Europe, during the past four years, there have been heatwaves in the Netherlands, and Germany, and floods in Italy. Nobody could have predicted 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago, of the extreme weather events here in the Mediterranean region.  

 

Between 2008 and 2018 – in only 10 years – the impact of these types of disasters cost the agricultural sector in developing economies over USD 108 billion.

 

Although I think that this figure is very much underestimated because we know that a lot of disaster is not easily measurable. 

 

The impacts of the climate crisis are affecting our agrifood systems – not only food production, but also people’s livelihoods and people’s lives, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and small island states, not only in small island developing states (SIDS). Small island states, whether developed or not, face the same fragilities and vulnerability in the face of disasters.

 

This means that we need bold, ambitious climate action now, to scale up action to strengthen resilience, adaptation and reduction of risks across agrifood systems in the rural areas.

 

But, for climate action to be effective, it must be based on sound research, science and innovation, and especially based on sound data, and cannot adopt a “one-size-fits-all” approach, we need to localize all the packages of solutions.

 

My message today to you is simple – in our climate action, we must be inclusive, and we must continue to innovate.

 

We must continue to have a holistic approach, with responsible investments and improvements in infrastructure.

 

We will not be able to improve resilience based on empty words and commitment. We need investments on the ground to improve the infrastructures and build the capacity to be ready against all disasters and potential risks.

 

For that, I hope you can enjoy your dialogue and come to solutions together, not individually, not in silos, but across cross-sectors, and integrating the economic, social and environment dimensions.

 

Together, jump out of your boxes, based on your individual professional advantages, but not only limited to your own territory, through dialogue you can cross sectors and have an interdisciplinary approach.

 

Let us make science work and make technology profitable to the people, especially to the investors and farmers.

 

Thank you.