World Economic Forum (WEF) Stewards Board Opening Remarks
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
23/09/2021
World Economic Forum (WEF) Stewards Board
Opening Remarks
by
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
23 September 2021
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. When the UN Secretary-General announced that he would convene a UN Food Systems Summit he set in place one of the most inclusive UN processes for the transformation of our agri-food systems to achieve the SDGs.
2. The global community has identified the key actions needed for this transformation and will be set out in the Secretary-General’s “Statement of Action”.
3. To galvanize our collective actions towards 2030, and thereafter!
4. To support more than 140 countries that have made commitments to strategies, policies and investments to advance their national pathways towards agri-food systems transformation.
5. Governments will lead the process.
6. But ALL stakeholders, including the private sector, must commit to aligned actions for effective implementation.
7. This includes appropriate innovations, the provision and effective use of data, and more accessible finance.
8. We need to harness global momentum!
Dear Colleagues,
9. It is now time to move to ACTION!
10. Ending chronic hunger and all forms of malnutrition is reachable by 2030, with the right balance of interventions including:
• enabling and coherent policies and consumer incentives;
• better coordination of investments along the value chain;
• repurposing of subsidies towards R&D, technology and innovation – such as biotechnology, digital agri-food systems and green technologies;
• reducing food loss and waste;
• keeping international trade open; and
• effectively supporting vulnerable populations through safety nets and targeted programs - such as school feeding interventions.
11. Packaging interventions is fundamental and will bring complementarities, and generate significant cost savings,
12. For MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems!
13. We also need to understand what the trade-offs are.
14. We have the modelling tools to do this.
15. Achieving the end of widespread hunger and malnutrition requires significant and impactful investments.
16. The cost is manageable and represents just 8% of global food markets - approximately 39 to 50 billion US Dollars per annum.
17. Strategic and inclusive partnerships are another key component.
18. The public and private sector, civil society, academia, women, youth - especially young farmers - Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups must ALL be included.
19. FAO is committed to bringing together technical expertise and knowledge from all sectors to support the post Summit implementation.
20. To help Members take forward their transformative agenda.
21. For better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind!
22. Thank you.