MEETING OF THE G20 FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS’ MEETING - Session 1: G20’s role in dealing with the ongoing international tensions Statement

FAO echoes the call by the UN Secretary-General to end war, restore peace and protect lives.

Peace is a prerequisite for food security, and the Right to Food is a basic human right.

FAO supports and complements the efforts of the broader UN System and partners in three ways:

FIRST: we work to prevent and address acute hunger.

We join forces with other relevant UN organizations to support countries experiencing food crises to return to a path of growth and prosperity, including by:

• FAO’s participation in the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC);
• FAO’s co-leadership of the Global Food Security Cluster;
• Hosting the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) Global Support unit;
• Contributing significantly to the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Task Force on Preventing Famine;
• Co-Chairing the Secretary-General’s Global Crisis Response Group on Food;
• As an active member of its Energy and Finance Groups since its creation, and supported efforts to deliver the Black Sea Grain Initiative; and
• Working with WFP to ensure that humanitarian aid and agricultural production support come together to pave the way for stability.
  

SECOND: FAO contributes to increasing agricultural market information and transparency, hosting the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), which was established by the G20 Agriculture Ministers in 2011, following the global food price hikes in 2007 to 2008, and 2010.

FAO maintains a comprehensive agricultural market intelligence service, we monitor global food markets and international food prices, and prepare timely assessments.

We have been working with the G20 to keep increasing the analytical capacity of AMIS.

FAO issues early warnings on food shortfalls and food security problems to guide interventions.

AMIS has enhanced market transparency and promoted policy coordination. Its Rapid Response Forum is a venue for policy dialogue to coordinate responses in times of increased market uncertainty. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, and wars, including other hotspots, and the impacts of the climate crisis have all underlined the critical importance of trade for global food security.

During these global challenges, AMIS helped prevent excessive food price volatility and fostered global food security, consolidating itself as a pillar of agricultural market governance.

THIRD: FAO works with its Members to increase their resilience, to allow their communities to prevent and cope with crisis and shock, particularly the most vulnerable, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, and rural farmers.

In the longer term, we need to create opportunities for the poor to increase their incomes and improve their livelihoods.

Reducing poverty and inequality needs investments in infrastructure, digitalization, innovation, and technologies and, more importantly, in human capital including through better education and health services.

We need increased and targeted investment to transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable is critical to reduce hunger, bring people out of poverty and promote sustainable agricultural production.

FAO calls for the prioritization of actions that promote food security globally to achieve the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. G20: you are a dominant group power to lead the change!

Thank you.