Daily updates: FAO at the 2023 High-Level Political Forum
The 2023 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is taking place from 10 to 19 July in New York under the theme ‘Building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.’
New York – Convening under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and ahead of the 2023 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Summit in September, this year's HLPF is reviewing progress achieved on SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 on (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).
As we pass the halfway point of the 2030 Agenda and confront numerous simultaneous crises, there is an urgent need to rescue and accelerate progress on the SDGs. FAO at HLPF is calling for making agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable to foster better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
Follow this page for all the latest updates and main takeaways from FAO at the HLPF, and make sure you don’t miss FAO's key messages for the HLPF indicating how agrifood systems feed into the SDGs under review this year.
Monday, 10 July 2023
Side Event: Empowering youth for a better food future
Kicking off FAO's participation at the HLPF this morning was a side event convened by the World Food Forum entitled, ‘Empowering Youth for A Better Food Future – Driving Youth-led Agrifood Systems Transformation in a Post-COVID World.’ The session gathered youth delegates, advocates and agrifood systems experts who shared their insights and aspirations on transforming our agrifood systems, in a discussion moderated by WFF Global Coordinator Kazuki Kitaoka
[ News Article ].
HLPF Town Hall: Overcoming crises, driving transformation for the SDGs, and leaving no one behind
Addressing the HLPF Town Hall Meeting, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu warned that “the world is off track to meeting most of the SDGs.” He outlined six interventions to accelerate the transformation to make agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable: invest in the most vulnerable countries by improving their resilience; foster policies that increase productivity sustainably; reduce food loss and waste; ensure more sustainable and efficient use of available fertilizers; improve water resources management; and, increase women's empowerment. He also highlighted that the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment will be critical to further generate momentum for action at the national and sub-national level. [News Article| FAO Director-General statement]
SDGs in focus: SDG 17 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Partnerships for the Goals
At HLPF today, countries reviewed SDG 17 at the SDGs in Focus – SDG 17 and interlinkages with other SDGs - Partnerships for the goals, and discussed financing for development and the role of science, technology and innovation (STI). FAO stated that investing in agrifood systems is an effective strategy to fight hunger, alleviate poverty, sustainably boost productivity and tackle gender inequalities, accelerating efforts to meet the objectives of the 2030 Agenda [ Full Statement ]. FAO further noted that STI plays a critical role in contributing to the transformation of agrifood systems to produce more food with greater nutritional value, reduce food loss and waste, and manage natural resources sustainably. [Full Statement]
Side Event: Financing agrifood systems transformations to prevent and respond to food crises
Closing the first day of HLPF was the FAO-led side event, 'Financing for sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems and food crises prevention and mitigation,’ co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Brazil and Pakistan to the United Nations.
The session highlighted how targeted financing can help countries face a series of ongoing, often overlapping shocks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate extremes, conflicts and the war in Ukraine, which have caused unprecedented supply chain disruptions, followed by a decrease of purchase power, and rising food, fuel and fertilizer prices.
“Repurposing of agriculture support is key for sustaining public goods and services, and towards better nutrition. Addressing challenges related to de-risking green financing will open this source of financing for low-income countries and small producers,” underlined FAO Director-General QU Dongyu during his address. [Press Release | FAO Director-General Statement]
Tuesday, 11 July 2023
On the ground: FAO Director General Visits New York Botanical Garden
At the margins of the HLPF, FAO Director-General visited the New York Botanical Garden and met with its Chief Executive Officer and the William C. Steere Senior President, Jennifer Bernstein, who shared the mission of the centre, which uses traditional and cutting-edge tools to discover, understand, and preserve the Earth’s vast botanical diversity. The Director-General toured and met with the leadership of the NYBG plant research laboratory, herbarium, the rare book room and the conservatory. The interactive field trip highlighted potential areas for NY Botanical Garden and FAO to share best practices and collaborate in the future.
Side Event: Managing and preventing risks and measuring resilience on the road to 2030
FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol participated in today's launch of the 2023 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR 2023), published by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Bechdol highlighted the timeliness of the report, which follows the UN 2023 Water Conference held in March and the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework in May 2023 and shows the relationship between drought, water stress, and food systems.
“Agriculture is full of risk from the timing of planting a crop to harvesting, to lost crops and animals due to pests and diseases, to the variability of weather patterns and climate. We have to focus on building resilience and reducing risk in our agrifood systems and on equipping farmers and communities to prepare for and respond to these crises,” stressed Bechdol.
The session explored what risk-informed sustainable development looks like in a world with increasing shocks and disasters and how early warning systems has been proven to reduce damage. With increasing intensity and frequency of droughts and floods, and agriculture production consuming nearly three quarters of all fresh water, Bechdol further highlighted the importance of water use efficiency and integrated water management for agriculture. FAO is currently supporting countries to develop National Water Roadmaps to improve their approach to water resources management. [Watch the session]
Small Island Developing States (SIDS): From recovery to resilience
In the afternoon, FAO Technical Officer Olena Ovchynnikova provided remarks at the HLPF session ‘Small Island Developing States: From recovery to resilience in the face of multiple shocks.’
Ovchynnikova noted that achieving food security in SIDS is a priority for FAO and requires coordination among different stakeholders, at both the local and international levels. FAO initiatives such as Hand-in-Hand, Digital Villages and One Country One Product among others aim to support SIDS strengthen the linkages between farmers, processors, and retailers there by creating opportunities for smallholder farmers to participate in higher-value markets and improving their income.
“Loss and Damage is also a major issue. People dependent on the agrifood sector are often hardest hit by climate impacts. Any financing mechanism on loss and damage must put them at the center,” underlined Ovchynnikova. [Full Statement]
SDGS IN FOCUS: SDG 6 AND INTERLINKAGES WITH OTHER SDGS - CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
Also on Tuesday, countries reviewed SDG 6 at SDGs in Focus: SDG 6 and interlinkages with other SDGs - Clean Water and Sanitation. FAO shared a statement highlighting that integrated water resource management and inclusive water governance are critical priorities for transformative change towards sustainable agriculture. They are needed to address the impacts of water scarcity, droughts and floods and to enhance incomes, while protecting natural resources. Still, this requires political will, adaptive policymaking, and investment. What's more, meaningful engagement with farmers, pastoralists, foresters and smallholders, who are directly involved in the management and conservation of water in agricultural landscapes, is essential to promote adaption and the uptake of innovation. [Full Statement]
Wednesday, 12 July
HLPF Special Event: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (2023) report was launched jointly by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO today at an HLPF special event, for the fifth year in a row.
“Today, 122 million more people faced hunger in the world compared to 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturns, climate extremes & conflicts, including the war in Ukraine,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu during the session. The latest edition of the report reveals that between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022.
The session was opened by remarks from the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General Assembly, followed by perspectives from representatives from each of the partnering agencies including FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). [Joint Press Release | Event Website]
Side Event: Commemoration of the International Day on Combating Sand and Dust Storms
On the International Day of Sand and Dust Storms celebration, Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General joined a side-event focused on fostering national and regional cooperation in combating the detrimental impacts of sand and dust storms on sustainable development. The observance was organized by the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Iraq and the Permanent Missions of Senegal.
The session highlighted the unique role of the UN Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storm. Established in 2019, the Coalition comprises of 19 UN agencies and non-UN organizations and is currently chaired by FAO.
During her remarks, Bechdol highlighted the need to take our collective effort forward in implementing the coalition strategy and action plan and the need to mobilize political will and resources, and continue to strengthen global, interregional and regional cooperation efforts. As chair of the coalition, FAO is committed to continue fostering cooperation with all members of the coalition and countries. Read more on the work of the UN Coalition and the International Day here.
SDGs in Focus: SDG 7 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Affordable and clean energy
At the SDGs in Focus Session on SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy, FAO shared a statement noting how feeding a global population of almost 10 billion will require a radical transformation in how food is produced, processed, traded and consumed. Access to energy for all, at every stage of agrifood system, is a critical dimension of this transformation.
[Full Statement]
SDGs in Focus: SDG 9 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Industry, innovation and infrastructure
During the SDGs in Focus Session on SDG 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure, FAO Senior Liaison Officer Lucas Tavares stressed the importance of transforming agrifood systems to meet the growing challenges and demands for food production and consumption globally.
"It is critical to implement evidence-based policy dialogue and governance analysis that incentivize the uptake of green innovations, set sustainability standards and develop markets for sustainable products. This includes creating enabling environments for innovators to access knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and investments,” said Tavares, stressing also the need to consider the needs, priorities, knowledge and contributions of small-scale and family farmers, fishers, aquaculture producers, Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent people. [Full Statement]
Thursday, 13 July
Side Event: Eco-inclusive SMEs facilitating transformative change for nature, climate, circular and agrifood systems delivering towards the SDGs
Hajnalka Petrics, Programme Officer of the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals at FAO joined the HLPF side event ‘Eco-inclusive small and midsize enterprises (SMEs).’ The session was organized by the Government of Flanders and SEED, in collaboration with Germany, UNEP, UNDP, FAO, WFTO and BioFA, and was hosted at the Flanders House New York.
FAO has long recognized the importance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in poverty reduction and rural and agricultural development and therefore in moving the SDGs forward. Small businesses now more than ever have the potential to help address the vulnerabilities of our global food system including climate change impacts, inequalities, and biodiversity loss in order to accelerate the transition to more sustainable agrifood systems.
“The FAO SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme supported by SEED helps eleven startups from Africa and Asia that are pioneering innovative solutions to transform agrifood systems while protecting the environment and improving the lives of marginalized members of their communities,” shared Petrics. [Full statement]
African countries, LDCs and LLDCs: Turning the tide, regaining lost ground and embarking on the road to the SDGs
At the HLPF session on African countries, LDCs and LLDCs, Hajnalka Petrics, Programme Officer at the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals, delivered a statement from the floor sharing FAO’s support for LDCs and LLDCs to build agrifood systems that are sustainable, inclusive, resilient and adaptive to climate change.
Petrics highlighted the recent High-Level Ministerial event on ‘Harnessing the potential of SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs’ hosted at FAO in Rome where Ministers discussed concrete solutions to accelerate the transformation of their agrifood systems.
FAO will continue to provide coordinated support to LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS and calls on resource partners to provide the investments required to ensure the sustainability and resilience of these solutions. [Full statement]
SDGs in focus: SDG 11 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Sustainable cities and communities
During the SDGs in Focus session on SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities, FAO Technical Officer Olena Ovchynnikova, spoke on the need for more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban and peri-urban agrifood systems to address urban poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, enable healthy diets and catalyse inclusive and sustainable rural transformation.
Gender equality plays an important role in urban food security and nutrition, Ovchynnikova, added, noting that "understanding causes and forms of gender inequalities in urban agrifood systems and their governance mechanisms, and identifying adequate ways of overcoming them, is crucial to ensuring food security and improved nutrition for all." Against this backdrop, limited rural employment opportunities, particularly among young people and women, remains one of the main drivers of migration to urban areas, contributing in turn to the decline of skilled labour and an aging population in rural areas. [Full statement]
Sunday, 16 July
Fourth Global Climate and SDG Synergies Conference
On the sidelines of HLPF, Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director of the FAO Office for Climate Change, Biodiversity and the Environment, participated in the Fourth Global Climate and SDG Synergies Conference, co-organized by the UN DESA and UNFCCC. Ould-Dada spoke during a parallel session on unlocking finance and partnerships for climate and SDG action, where he touched on how achieving progress towards achieving many of the SDG and climate goals is directly related to how we sustainably use natural resources including land, water, and energy. In this respect, he added, there are four issues that are critical to addressing these synergies: (i) coherence and coordination between initiatives, policies and strategies; (ii) measuring and reporting on actions and progress on a regular basis; (iii) investing in actions that reinforce interlinkages; and (iv) building capacities at the local level. [Watch the full session]
Wednesday, 19 July
Side event: Promoting the 5 Years Action Plan: Mountains as key to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Today saw the side event 'Promoting the 5 Years Action Plan: Mountains as key to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,' where Rosalaura Romeo, Coordinator a.i. of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, housed at FAO, chaired the event's discussions. Today's event touched on the 5 Years Action Plan as an enabling mechanism to help accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Discussions also centred on the Mountain Partnership's commitments in the Water Action Agenda, with mention of the need for innovation to bridge mountain regions' infrastructure gaps. The event also shed light on the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022 as a successful UN initiative responding to the needs and opportunities of mountain peoples and ecosystems to help drive forward progress across the SDGs.
Thursday, 20 July
HLPF General Debate: Building momentum towards the SDG Summit
Today saw the closing of the HLPF, with FAO speaking at the General Debate, touching on the importance of transforming agrifood systems to become more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable if we are to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. To do this, taking a systemic approach, seizing synergies and addressing the intersecting challenges and trade-offs that exist in agrifood systems is vital. Delivering the statement on behalf of FAO was Hajnalka Petrics, Programme Officer at the FAO Office of the Sustainable Development Goals. In her statement, she further pointed to the SDG Summit as a watershed moment to take stock and commit to actionable solutions to change the trajectory on the road to 2030.
The transformation of agrifood systems, Petrics added, stands to reduce poverty, inequalities and rural-urban disparities, improve health outcomes, empower women and youth, create decent jobs and livelihoods, contribute to sustainable consumption and production, promote the sustainable management of natural resources, and address biodiversity loss and the impacts of the climate crisis. [Full statement]