Op-ed by the FAO Deputy Director-General

A global response against hunger

by Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General

Within only six months, COVID-19 has reached every part of the world, pushing millions of people into hunger. But hunger was already increasing before the pandemic. In 2019, nearly one in ten people around the world went hungry.

The onset of COVID-19 has attested to the urgency and the need for coordinated, collective action at the international level. It is a global problem, and it requires a global response and action. We need to prevent this health crisis from becoming a food crisis, especially since it is expected that the pandemic will have long-term effects on food systems, and on the food security and nutrition, especially, of the most vulnerable.

FAO has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and the risks posed to agri-food systems by joining forces with the Italian government to bring together a global alliance – the Food Coalition. The Coalition is a multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral alliance that will activate and mobilize financial resources, innovation and technical expertise, will promote advocacy initiatives, and will establish a neutral space for dialogue among diverse and key stakeholders. Members of the Food Coalition can support the alliance with voluntary contributions (financial and/or in-kind), the provision of experts and expertise in support of countries most in need, with innovative ideas, the exchange of knowledge, and advocacy events.

We have to acknowledge that we are not on track to achieve the most critical of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and that COVID-19 is reversing decades of progress achieved so far. The Food Coalition is envisaged to support efforts to help countries get back on track to meet SDG1 (eradicate poverty) and SDG2 (end hunger), as well as other related SDGs. It will ultimately work to transform the agri-food systems, improve nutrition, increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale and family farmers, especially women, youth, indigenous peoples, and raise rural living standards. This Coalition provides access to a basket of project-focused information and data, as well as the funding and types of assistance needed for many on-the-ground projects. It helps us focus where there is most need.

We can push through these difficult times if we rely on each other. In that sense, we are witnessing a historic opportunity for multilateralism to shine. We need to work together to bring more attention, visibility and collaboration to this shared objective. We need to act now while strengthening the long-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods. It will require all of our combined efforts to bring resources, knowledge, partnerships and solutions, and to accelerate work to support and transform agri-food systems.