Review of SDG implementation: SDG 9 Thursday 13 July Technical Segment of HLPF

Thank you for giving me the floor.

 

For most countries, agriculture is the first step for development, as around eighty percent of the extreme poor still live in rural areas.

 

And every year, millions of youth enter labour markets. We need agriculture to attract and absorb this influx.

 

Transforming food systems and making agro-industry more inclusive, sustainable and resilient will help create much needed decent jobs in on-farm and off farm activities. It is also essential for sustainable development.

 

IN this regard, at the invitation of ECOSOC, FAO and UNIDO organized a Global Expert Meeting on agroindustry, in preparation of the ECOSOC Special Meeting on SDG9. We are now collaborating to take forward the 3ADI+: Accelerated Agribusiness and Agro-industry Initiative Plus, which was presented at the meeting.

 

The 3ADI+ is part of this effort. It supports governments, farmers and other actors in agro-based value chains to create a more enabling environment that encourages greater responsible investments in the sector.

 

Innovation is also crucial to unlock the sector’s potential. It should be context specific, respect local needs and build on indigenous knowledge.

 

And innovation must not be restricted to production, but encompass institutional change, inclusive governance, partnerships that link urban to rural and local to national, and innovative ways to promote access to knowledge and engage with the private sector.

 

Thank you for your attention.