Supporting Agribusiness for Increased Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainable Food Systems in the context of the 2030 Agenda

Supporting Agribusiness for Increased Food Security, Nutrition and Sustainable Food Systems in the context of the 2030 Agenda. Statement by Ms Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO, Conference Room B, UN Headquarters, New York 

 

FAO is pleased to co-organize with ITC this side event addressing the key elements needed to ensure that our collective commitment to build a zero hunger world is translated into action.

Our ambitions are very high: to end hunger and all other forms of malnutrition and achieve food security for all, and to make our food systems more inclusive, sustainable, climate-friendly and resilient.

Meeting these ambitions, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development promotes a comprehensive approach to food, nutrition and agriculture as key enablers for sustainable development.

The SDG package includes a bold dedicated goal to food security nutrition and sustainable agriculture, and several other goals and targets dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystems, complemented by an equally strong set of financial and non-financial means of implementation described in the Addis Agenda.

And - The role of food and agriculture in containing global warming is also featured prominently in the Paris Agreement, which completes the 2030 Agenda.

Nearly 95 percent of countries have identified agriculture as a priority sector in their intended nationally determined contributions.

 

The 2030 Agenda recognizes the importance of well-functioning trade and markets as key enabling factors for sustainable development, and prioritizes interventions in support of small holders, in particular women, indigenous peoples and youth, as well as vulnerable segments of the population.

It also pledges to leave no one behind. In the Zero Hunger vision of the SDGs, the rural poor, and family farmers, fishers, foresters and pastoralists, are identified as both main beneficiaries and primary agents of change.

Special recognition is given to the role of women, and to their access to productive resources, especially land.

Last but not least, the 2030 Agenda calls for all actors to actively contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Partnerships are presented as the main delivery mechanism to ensure that the complex know-how, technical expertise, operational capacity, technology, and investments needed to implement that 2030 Agenda are all mobilized.

Particularly relevant, for today’s discussion are the newly consolidated recommendations from the Committee of World Food Security (CFS) on connecting smallholders to markets.

The CFS recommendations highlights key challenges faced by smallholders, in particular the needs for improved infrastructure and services, access to resources, public as well as investments in the rural economy, measures and instruments to cope with the increased risks and vulnerability of small holders.

It also elaborates on need to ensure fair, inclusive trade and market policies, programmes, and projects and stresses the importance of both formal and informal markets, as well as regional and international markets.

 

The recommendations call for timely market information to be developed and made available to smallholders; for capacity development to be strengthened, and for better access to technology.

Finally, the recommendations call for institutional and policy environments to be put in place, with active engagement of central, as well as decentralized governments, and the participation in the design and operationalization of all actors concerned.

Responsible investments would be key to sustain the work at all levels, and the Principles on Responsible Agriculture Investments offer another important tool for advancing the 2030 Agenda and achieving sustainable development.

Reflecting the need to strengthen partnerships in the delivery of SDGs, today’s event draws on the experience of the private sector, smallholders’ organizations and the public sector. It will contribute to the on-going discussions and actions taken at country level for making food systems more sustainable and more inclusive for smallholders.

Thank you for your attention