WORLD FOOD FORUM 2023 Science and Innovation Forum: Implementing the FAO Science and Innovation Strategy and the Strategy on Climate Change in Synergy Opening Remarks

WORLD FOOD FORUM 2023

Science and Innovation Forum:

Implementing the FAO Science and Innovation Strategy and the Strategy on Climate Change in Synergy

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

20 October 2023

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

Good morning.

 

You see, two senior members of the Core Leaders are ladies. Ladies, once in power, they do not only change families, but they can also change the Organization like FAO together with me and with other male members of the Core Leaders.

 

Like we already have the best Chief Economist in the history of FAO, then we have the first Chief Scientist in the history of FAO.

 

Also, for the first time, we have two DDGs that are female in the history of FAO. You did not realize.

 

I know many Members asked me four years ago “How are you going to change gender issues?”. I did not promise too much. I said: “let us see”.

 

That is point one.

 

Point two. I always encourage my scientific community. First, we must learn from the economists. What is demand? How to supply? That is the paradigm. I encourage all the scientists. Individual scientists, chief scientists, and the scientific community to learn from the most famous economists in the world from IFIs.

 

As a natural scientist I always try to learn from economists. Why? Demand. Not only demand from science itself. Because many scientists always talk about the demand from scientific advancement and the technology needed, but you must first look at the demand from the society, from the economic and social progress, as well as the new situations and scenarios.

 

What is the demand for the next 10 years, the next 20 years, before 2050? Science and technology. From population increase, urbanization, industrialization, digitalization, and globalization.

 

I know, many people do not agree with me, but during the past 5-10 years, there has been a much quicker globalization than ever before.

 

Globalization is not controlled by traders or by politicians. It is controlled, it is driven by fundamental science force.

 

I also encourage all the Chief Economists to look beyond, to also jump out of their box. Many people say that globalization has slowed down. No, it has sped up. Because based on the traditional paradigm of social science, based on trade volume, has still increased much during the past 5 years. And how much is connected by digital technology. It is much, much closer.

 

If we, FAO, would have organized 200 events like this WFF for 4 days or 5 days, how much would it have cost before? Now it only costs 10 percent of what it would have cost before thanks to the advancement of science and technology, along with digital connection.

 

So, I just take this opportunity to let you know what the real demand in the big picture is. Then it comes to rural development and then to the agrifood systems transformation and then to your own field, agricultural science and technology development (R&D).

 

So, I am stopping here. I always say: “Walk the talk” and not talk too much.

 

My friends from Africa, from Latin America, you cannot change your agrifood systems just by talking. You must work in the field to help the farmers with new varieties, no matter gene editing, no matter conventional breeding, no matter the improvement in genetics and biodiversity used for food.

 

That is the real experience I want to share with you.

 

For implementation of the Science and Innovation Strategy, you also must work with others, not only in the Strategy on Climate Change, but the other strategies as well.

 

First, we must start implementation with the FAO Country Office networks. And then the Members can bring the relevant Ministries. Not only the Ministry of agriculture and food, and rural affairs, the Minister of education and science, Minister of investments, economy, you name it. Or environment. And then they work together. Because I know, I was Vice-Minister of Agriculture of China, we also need synergies at the country level. Of course, they have their own system, political arrangement. But FAO at least plays the facilitating role to make these two Strategies landing on the Members with relevant partners, together. 

 

Of course, to the others we will offer the necessary tools and platforms, like this one, to the Members. If you need, you can start different relevant Members in different regions first. Like EMBRAPA, from Latin America or others from Africa.

 

Finally, the Strategy on Climate Change covers so many areas, but at least at FAO we should take our own path to work with the relevant organizations and agencies, build synergies.

 

At the UN level, build the synergies, that is why I encouraged you Ms Marian Helena Semedo last year in COP27 and now t the upcoming COP28, we should work with the relevant UN agencies, programs and funds.

 

And of course, with all Hand-in-Hand partners (international organizations, private sectors, and NGOs), and make the Strategy on Climate Change also more relevant to the Members, on the ground, to the people, especially farmers and consumers.

 

I thank you. I stop here. Thank you very much.