Second Committee adopts resolutions on food and agriculture
The Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) of the UN General Assembly concluded its 74th session today. At this session, the committee adopted over 40 resolutions, including on Sustainable mountain development; Agriculture development, food security and nutrition; Agricultural technology for sustainable development; International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste; International Tea Day; and Natural plant fibers and sustainable development.
FAO, in most cases working together with UN DESA, provided substantive secretariat services to the informal consultations that led to the adoption of these resolutions through its Liaison Office to the United Nations and with support of technical units in the Organization’s headquarters in Rome.
The committee also adopted a resolution on eradicating rural poverty, presented by the Group of 77 and China and facilitated by Eritrea, recognizing the need to promote socioeconomic development in rural areas. The resolution recognized the leading role of FAO and other UN entities such as IFAD, ILO and UNDP in rural poverty eradication and asked the Secretary-General, in close collaboration with FAO and other international organizations, to report on the issue.
The resolution on Sustainable mountain development, presented and facilitated by Kyrgyzstan and Italy, noted with deep concern the steep increase in the number of food insecure people in mountain areas since 2012; recognized the need to increase the adaptive capacity, resilience and sustainability of food and agricultural production with regard to climate change; and took note of the work of the Mountain Partnership.
In its annual consideration of Agriculture development, food security and nutrition, presented by the Group of 77 and China and facilitated by Australia, Member States highlighted the increase in chronic undernourishment in the world and the importance of adopting a food systems approach to ensure food security and adequate nutrition in a sustainable way, building resilience, preserving ecosystems and adapting to climate change.
The resolution on Agricultural technology for sustainable development, presented and facilitated by Israel, visited every two years by the General Assembly, emphasized the need to adapt agricultural technology to needs of farmers and of taking into account local and traditional knowledge systems, in combination with new sources of knowledge, as well as its potential to create new and higher paying jobs to youth.
The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, presented and facilitated by Andorra and San Marino, calls for the raising of awareness of the importance of reducing food loss and waste and the contribution of these actions to sustainable development. The resolution also noted the risks food loss and waste implies for climate change and agriculture sustainability and highlighted the fundamental role of sustainable food production that promotes food security and nutrition.
The Second Committee also adopted the resolution on International Tea Day, presented by the Group of 77 and China and facilitated by Italy and Nepal, noted that tea production and processing constitutes a main source of livelihoods for millions of families in developing countries and that tea could play a significant role in rural development, poverty reduction and food security in developing countries, being one of the most important cash crops.
Bangladesh presented and facilitated the resolution on natural plant fibres, that notes that natural plant fibres are a staple resource of income for many local communities in developing countries and that their sustainable production can contribute to alleviating poverty and improving human well-being as well as addressing environmental degradation because plant fibers are easily recyclable, biodegradable, and renewable.
The report of the Second Committee will now be presented to the General Assembly, that are expected to adopt the individual resolutions in December.