World Food Forum - Innovation Award for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems - Opening Remarks
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
01/10/2021
WORLD FOOD FORUM
INNOVATION AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS
Opening Remarks
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
1 October, 2021
Excellences,
Dear Colleagues,
1. Today’s Award highlights the importance of innovation as a key driver to transform agri-food systems.
2. I congratulate all the awardees.
3. Your innovations reflect our global diverse creative talents.
4. And the positive benefits that innovation can bring to our everyday life.
5. This year, the Award has attracted nearly 500 nominations from over 80 countries. The process should be a big campaign to science and innovation for the development of agriculture and rural affairs.
6. I wish to convey my appreciation to the Government of Switzerland for the effective partnership which has led to this successful outcome.
7. It also affirms the value of our shared goal - to encourage game-changing solutions by innovative approaches and people.
8. I am particularly pleased to note that the winning projects are all focused on helping smallholder farmers.
9. Family farmers, who produce 80% of the world’s food, are critical to the transformation of our agri-food systems.
10. Innovation helps to unleash their potential on improvement of productivity, efficiency, resilience and inclusiveness and to make our agri-food systems more sustainable and greener.
11. The UN Food Systems Summit took place just a week ago, and ended with the slogan “From New York back to Rome.”
12. As I said during the concluding segment of the Summit, let us roll up our sleeves and get the work done now.
13. FAO pledged to lead the implementation of Summit follow-ups, working together with the UN sister agencies and all other partners to support Members to transform their agri-food systems.
14. This World Food Forum is the first such global action towards this objective.
15. Empowered and led by youth, it brings together young people from around the world to brainstorm and to spur action.
16. The future of our planet belongs to the youth, and their engagement is central.
17. We need to listen to them, to leverage their passion and creativity, and engage them in decision-making and implementation.
18. Empowered, our youth will lead the way to build a better future.
Dear Policy-makers, Innovators and Young People,
19. Let us work together to transform our agri-food systems to make them MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
20. For better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind! You can, you be prepared for a dynamic and bright world, together!
21. Thank you.