Youth Leadership Council 2017 Event - UN Food Garden partnership with FAO

I am honored to be here representing the Food and Agriculture Organization in this important event organized  by the UN Food  Gardens   to whom we are thankful for  the opportunity to partner with them  together with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Green Thumb Programme. I also want to recognize the presence of the students who are with us today. This gives us hope to build the “ Future We Want”.

 

 The number of people affected by hunger in the World is still too high and there is evidence that the major gains that have been made toward ending hunger may be at risk, as a result of conflicts, the impact of climate change, lack of appropriate policies and insufficient investments.

 

There are still nearly 800 million people today who go to bed hungry and over two billion people who suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Nearly 2 billion people are overweight or obese.

 

Currently, 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 66 percent by 2050 according to UN projections, most of them in developing countries. A large part of the growing urban population are young people who already face difficulties in finding productive and decent jobs.

 

We tend to associate food insecurity with extremely poor areas of the world – often rural areas. Yet, it is in cities where you can easily see the diverse manifestations of hunger and malnutrition. Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity coexist in cities. The number of people living in slums is increasing. Non Communicable Diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, are rising in children and adolescents. Every country in the world faces serious public health challenges from malnutrition.

 

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2016-2025 the Decade of Action on Nutrition, in order to address the challenges of malnutrition.

 

You may be thinking- what does the Decade of Action on Nutrition have to do with me? You might think that hunger is too big a problem for you to solve alone, but together we are greater than hunger. Little actions, like the one you have been undertaking in the Summer Volunteering Programme, add up, and we can make a real difference in the lives of people around the world.

 

FAO is supporting countries to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Action towards the achievement of SDG, which aimes at ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition, will be instrumental in tackling the root causes of hunger and poverty, addressing climate change and achieving prosperity for all by 2030.

 

Given the current population trends, community urban agriculture can greatly impact urban food systems and help achieve Zero Hunger. In addition, community garden programmes provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for a wide variety of people, including students, young workers and recent immigrants.

 

Multi-component programmes and strategies that combine urban community gardens and food and nutrition education can bring about positive outcomes. They can change the way people perceive food, the way people consume food and prepare their meals and can positively influence attitudes towards fresh and nutritious foods. Working in the gardens and making better food choices can also be a significant learning opportunity to change the way people see the environment, ecosystems and food waste. Involving children and youth in community gardening is key to sustaining these initiatives, as are local leadership and ownership, access to hands-on training and adequate resources.

 

A very good example is the work of our partners, who are with us today. The community gardens supported by the GreenThumb Programme, facilitate access to fresh produce, connection to nature, environment and education.

 

The contribution of the Youth Leadership Council, its summer programme in collaboration with the community gardens the participation of all of you in that, is of utmost importance. Through these activities you will have better knowledge about ways of production in urban settings, about preserving natural resources, about healthy diets, and nutritious food.

 

This is your future, the future of your families and the future of our communities.

 

By concluding let me express my appreciation for your programmes, for your activities and enthusiasm and wish you a very productive discussion.

 

Thank you.