UNGA: Family farmers and the rural poor must be at the heart of agri-food systems, says FAO

At today’s UN General Assembly Second Committee deliberations, FAO presented three Secretary-General Reports spanning agricultural development, food security and nutrition, family farming, and rural poverty reduction, and presented on natural fibres for sustainable development 

6 October, New York – FAO’s active participation in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of UNGA 76 is now underway. 

Under the Committee’s agenda item on agriculture development, food security and nutrition, FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero presented the report on agriculture development, food security and nutrition, together with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Under this same agenda item, the report on the implementation of the UN Decade of Family Farming (2019–2028) was introduced by Marcela Villareal, Director of FAO’s Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division, on behalf of the FAO‑IFAD Joint Secretariat of the Decade.

In turn, the report on eradicating rural poverty to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, also co-led with DESA, was presented by Deputy-Director of FAO’s Agrifood Economics Division, Marco Sánchez, under the agenda item on eradication of poverty and other development issues.

Wrapping up FAO’s participation was the Director of FAO’s Markets and Trade Division, Boubaker Ben-Belhassen, who provided an update on natural plant fibres for sustainable development.

A transformational and generational change 

Up to 811 million people went hungry in 2020 – 161 million more than in 2019 – and over 3 billion were unable to afford a healthy diet. It is inconceivable, then, that 14 percent of food produced is lost before reaching its intended consumer, and that 17 percent of food reaching consumers, is wasted. In presenting the report on agriculture development, food security and nutrition, Máximo Torero warned that around 660 million people may still face hunger in 2030.

The report presents critical challenges and opportunities to transforming agri-food systems, building on the latest figures on hunger and malnutrition. Complementing the UN Secretary-General’s Statement of Action on the Food Systems Summit, the report sheds light on the vital role that agri-food systems play for human and planetary health. It calls for policy changes and investments promoting food security and access to nutritious foods, innovative technologies for environmental sustainability, and resources mobilized through global partnerships to support the most vulnerable.

“There are low-cost, interventions of high impact that can help hundreds of millions of people to get rid of hunger. If we can attract an annual investment of about $40 billion to $50 billion until 2030 to fund targeted interventions, like agricultural research and development, innovation, digital technologies, reduction of food loss and waste, literacy improvement for women, and social protection, we can achieve [SDG 2],” Torero said.

Rural lives and livelihoods nearly ubiquitous across the SDGs

In presenting the report on eradicating rural poverty, Marco Sánchez spoke on investing in agri-food systems and ending rural poverty and pursuing climate adaptation. 

“Extreme poverty as measured by income was already predominantly rural before the pandemic,” Sánchez explained, adding that “around 80 percent of the world’s extreme poor lived in rural areas in 2018, despite rural populations representing only 48 percent of the world’s population”. 

Multi-sectoral poverty reduction policies are critical for the 2.7 billion people deriving their livelihoods from small-scale food production. Investments in health, education and financial services, inclusive of family farmers, are needed; land tenure security and greater rural coverage of social protection is equally vital, says the report.

The report places the eradication of rural poverty in the broader context of the 2030 Agenda and the Decade of Action to deliver on the SDGs, since at least 70 percent of the SDG targets relate to rural areas.

Decade-long effort supporting family farmers off to a good start

The report on the UN Decade of Family Farming (2019–2028) showed that the first biennium has already achieved significant progress towards supporting family farmers, Marcela Villareal said, with the Decade’s Global Action Plan proving to be a valid and applicable framework through which to mitigate the immediate impacts of COVID-19, with family farmers at the center of recovery strategies.

In the biennium, 85 laws, policies and regulations, most of them prioritizing family farmers, were developed and approved; 1 570 actors took part in dialogue processes, including 925 family farmers’ organizations and federations; and over 65 intersectoral coordination mechanisms were established or reinforced. “The first two years of implementation have shown that the Decade is a robust engagement process to identify and implement concrete policies and measures in support of family farming,” Villareal remarked. 

Natural fibres, a livelihood source for tens of millions worldwide

Closing FAO’s participation was Boubaker Ben-Belhassen, who presented on natural plant fibres and sustainable development, an industry whose production is valued at USD 55 billion and provides livelihood opportunities for 40 million households.

“FAO’s recent analysis of the medium-term outlook for natural fibres indicate changes in consumer preferences, and current trends are supporting robust consumption growth in the next 10 years,” Ben-Belhassen said, pointing to the need for innovation, productivity growth, and product diversification to meet these future market trends. FAO’s work in this respect builds on the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009.

Related links

• See the UNGA Second Committee dedicated website and watch the recording of today’s deliberations.
• Revisit FAO’s engagements and highlights during the UNGA 76 High-level week.
• Stay informed on FAO’s work on agri-food systems and reducing rural poverty.
• Discover how you can contribute to the UN Decade of Family Farming!