Social protection, agri-food systems and tackling inequalities: vital for an inclusive recovery from COVID-19

At the 60^th Session of the Commission for Social Development, FAO Chief Economist speaks on the role of social protection and agri-food systems in a post-pandemic recovery.

Building on social protection responses put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, addressing inequalities and investing in agrifood systems are key elements for an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery from the pandemic, FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero told the 60^th Session of the Commission for Social Development at an interactive dialogue with senior officials of the UN system.

Torero shared a sober reality where nearly one in three people did not have access to healthy diets in 2020, and an estimated 720 to 811 million people were facing hunger. This was as many as 161 million more in one year under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2021 edition of the flagship report “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World”. He recalled that, even before the pandemic, the world was off track to meet SDG2 and that around 3 billion people could not afford a healthy diet.

Expanding social protection: coverage, adequacy and comprehensiveness

Echoing the FAO Director-General’s call for stronger social protection systems in a post-pandemic recovery at Monday’s high-level panel discussion on the Commission’s priority theme, the FAO Chief Economist touched on how social protection schemes have played a vital role in helping the world’s poor recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. He outlined how the expansion in social protection coverage, adequacy, and comprehensiveness is essential to ensuring that no one, including the rural poor who account for the bulk of the world’s extreme poor, will be left behind.

Social protection programmes should be scaled up, Torero explained, pointing to how rural populations in developing countries tend to fare worse in terms of the coverage of contributory schemes, adequacy of benefits paid and – given widespread informality and the fact that many benefits are tied to labor-market protections – the types of risks that are covered.

"In terms of coping with a shock when it happens, social protection plays a major role, especially among those most affected," Torero said.

Extreme poverty increased in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years, but so did inequality, Torero warned.

“The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the poor and the vulnerable, laying bare and at the same time widening inequalities, not only in income but also in health outcomes and learning opportunities,” he added.

Towards a synergistic approach supporting national efforts

The Chief Economist emphasized that an inclusive recovery will require bold measures in support of the rural sector, especially in low-income countries and in fragile contexts. He noted that even modest investments in productive infrastructure for agriculture could support economic recovery with poverty reduction, remaining mindful that the majority of the world’s poor live in rural areas and depend on agricultural livelihoods.

Against this backdrop, Torero called on strong international cooperation and solidarity to support national efforts and ensure the sustainable financing needed for the expansion of integrated policies to fight poverty and hunger, breaking away silos in favour of a synergistic approach. In this regard, he stressed the importance of country-level UN and partner coordination and complementarity, with the UN Country Teams supporting governments in implementing national pathways for the inclusive and sustainable transformation of agri-food systems.

Tapping into youth-led movements and inclusive governance mechanisms

The Chief Economist expanded on this message at Friday's side event on the sidelines of the Commission, “The role of youth in tackling poverty and hunger at local, regional and international level”. He addressed global youth delegates, inviting them to work together across sectors, generations, and disciplines on the road to poverty and hunger eradication.

With most young people today living in developing countries, where agriculture is the main income source, having youth engaged with, trained in, and inspired by the sector is key, Torero said.

“Investing further in young people can yield substantial results in terms of poverty reduction, employment generation, food and nutrition security, and overall rural transformation, helping achieve the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems, for better production, better nutrition, better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind,” he stressed. 

Torero also invited youth to join the World Food Forum, a youth-led movement to transform agri-food systems. 

Wrapping up this week’s FAO engagements in Commission deliberations was Maya Takagi, Regional Programme Leader for Latin America and the Caribbean, who participated in the Civil Society Forum hosted by the NGO Committee on Social Development. 

Takagi touched on the importance of investing in the agri-food sectors to address social, economic, and environmental concerns, ensuring the participation of civil society and indigenous peoples in the policy processes through inclusive governance mechanisms.

"The social and economic impact of the pandemic forces us to reflect on the type of post-pandemic economic reactivation and the instruments that we can incorporate to guide us towards a better society, that is less unequal and more sustainable," she said.

About the Commission

The Commission for Social Development is part of the UN Economic and Social Council architecture and is responsible for advising on matters related to social policies. The priority theme of its sixtieth session is “Inclusive and resilient recovery from COVID-19 for sustainable livelihoods, well-being and dignity for all: eradicating poverty and hunger in all its forms and dimensions to achieve the 2030 Agenda”.

The interactive discussion with senior UN officials built on the inter-session informal preparatory meeting from last December, at which the FAO Chief Economist and the Director of the FAO Division of Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality briefed delegates on the state of food security and nutrition in the world and the importance of including social protection in rural areas as part of pathways towards inclusive, resilient, efficient, and sustainable agri-food systems and COVID-19 recovery. In the lead up to the session, FAO worked alongside UN DESA to prepare the deliberations, engaging in an Expert Group Meeting and contributing to the Report of the Secretary-General on the priority theme. 

Related links

• Access the dedicated website of the 60^th Session of the Commission for Social Development,
• Read the Report of the Secretary-General on the priority theme of the session.
• Revisit the presentation by the FAO Chief Economist during the interactive dialogue with senior UN officials.