FAOR Indonesia and Timor Leste Speech on World Food Day Indonesia 2016
His Excellency Mr. Amran Sulaiman, Minister of Agriculture
His Excellency Mr. Ganjar Pranowo, Governor of Central Java
His Excellency Mr. Hari Priyono, Secretary General of Ministry of Agriculture
His Excellency Mr. Muhammad Syakir, Head of The Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development, Ministry of Agriculture
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;
World Food Day is always a special occasion, as we celebrate FAO’s anniversary, while at the same time remembering those who do not have enough to eat – and, as we try to understand why so many people still remain deprived of a healthy diet for an active and productive life. World-wide, about 795 million people do not have enough food to eat on a regular basis. About 62 percent of these, or 512 million people, live in the Asia-Pacific Region.
On the other hand, over the past 25 years, Southeast Asia has made remarkable progress in reducing hunger by reducing the number of food insecure people in the region by half. This represents the best performance of all sub-regions globally towards the hunger reduction targets of both, the 1996 World Food Summit, and the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG-1).
Importantly, the problem of malnutrition, in particular undernutrition, remains high in many parts of the region, as manifested in high rates of stunting (chronic malnutrition) amoung children below five years of age. Most recent data from 2013 show the prevalence of stunting in children under five years of age in Indonesia to be close to 37 percent. This is simply too high for a middle income country, and the statistics implies inadequate access to diverse and nutritious foods.
Following the MDG era, we have just completed the first year of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), under which we have set ambitious development targets from now until 2030. Agenda 2030 calls for ‘zero poverty’ and ‘zero hunger’ – and leaving no one behind. As you can imagine, there are still huge and many challenges to reach the SDGs by 2030. And addressing Climate Change – this year’s theme for World Food Day – is one of them.
Climate change is having a major impact on food security around the world. Many of the hundreds million people suffering from chronic undernourishment are small-scale farmers, fishers and pastoralists, who are hardest hit by higher temperatures and in weather-related disasters.
These disasters are exacerbated by climate change and are increasing in frequency and intensity, also in Indonesia, as witnessed by the strong El Niño event we had last year. Without concerted action to build resilience, many of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable will struggle to generate enough food and income to feed themselves and their families.
In Indonesia, the prevailing drought conditions due to the strong El Nino event of last year contributed to the disastrous forest and peatland fires last, while also causing substantial delays in the planting season, as well as drought conditions in eastern parts of the country. Particularly hard hit was the corn production in drier parts of the country, while major investment by the Ministry of Agriculture in irrigation infrastructure helped mitigate the impact on the rice sector.
Nevertheless, more work is needed, as we can expect further pressure on Indonesia’s natural resources, including in terms of water availability, as well as threats to the forests, marine resources and the soils. Among others, improving soil and water conservation, as well as productivity in the fisheries, forestry and agricultural sectors is essential.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly indicate that the impacts of climate change on agriculture will be felt more in areas with marginal production. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP22) calls for action in this regard. It recognizes the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security and ending hunger, and the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems to the adverse impacts of climate change.
World Food Day 2016 highlights this fact that the climate is changing, and that food and agriculture must change too. FAO’s vision is that climate change, extreme poverty and hunger must be addressed together. And sustainable agricultural practices are key to doing so. Agricultural activities that are resilient and result in the sustainable management of natural resources can deliver the transformative change we so urgently need.
Furthermore, we must make agriculture more profitable (in addition to it being more productive). Because, unless we make agriculture more profitable, we will not be able to encourage future generations to invest in agriculture! We need the youth of today to be excited about being engaged in agriculture (and fisheries and forestry), and recognize that the food and agricultural sectors can provide a decent living for their families. If we don’t, we will not have the capacity to produce enough food for the growing and highly urbanized future generations of Indonesia.
For this to happen, we need to look at what it takes to make agriculture more productive and more profitable. Everything from land tenure issues, to the introduction of innovative farming practices, to the need to strengthen the food systems and value chains, require urgent attention.
In short, we must demonstrate that engaging in sustainable agricultural practices (and in fisheries and forestry) in Indonesia is good business, and can provide a good income and sustainable livelihoods to some of the most vulnerable populations in Indonesia: the rural poor. This is essential to ensure that sufficient food is produced for future generations.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Apart from the challenges of climate change, we need to double food production in the developing world to ensure sufficient food is available to feed a global population of more than 9 billion by 2050. By that time, Indonesia’s population will have reached 300 million, and will expect to eat more and healthier diets, putting a tremendous strain on our food systems.
Hence, while increasing productivity is critical to feed a growing population, it is also important that we carefully examine the food value chains and make sure that we reduce food losses and waste and promote sustainable food systems. This is another challenge that requires further attention in Indonesia.
In the context of this year’s World Food Day theme, let me conclude that we cannot allow the impacts of climate change to overshadow our vision of a world free of hunger and malnutrition; a vision, where food and agriculture contribute to improving the living standards of all, especially the poorest. No one can be left behind.
I thank you very much for your kind attention.
More photos: http://bit.ly/WFD2016-FAOID