Producing more with less - a new approach and a new business model in fighting hunger

Rome/Moscow - Ending hunger and building sustainable agri-food systems requires the support of all stakeholders, including the private sector the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, said today.

“We need a new approach – a new business model. We must produce more with less,” the FAO Director-General stressed in remarks made at the high-profile International Agro-Industrial Forum held on the sidelines of the "Golden Autumn - 2021" Exhibition in Moscow, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation within the framework of the Agro-Industrial Complex Week.  

During the forum, Russian and foreign officials and business experts and representatives will be discussing a range of issues including the impact of current economic, technological and social factors on the development of sustainable agriculture, successful global sustainable crop and livestock production practices, and international experience related to responsible investment in the agricultural sector.

Addressing the forum, during the session on Global Sustainable Development Challenges, Qu pointed to evidence that shows how current practices and technologies to produce enough food risk destroying the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems and worsen the climate crisis

He warned that while we were moving slowly but steadily towards ending hunger,  up to 821 million people facing hunger in 2020 – an increase of 161 million since 2019, according to FAO’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2021.

“We need more integrated and holistic systems-oriented solutions to put us back on track to ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition, to protect our planet and to reduce poverty, inequality and inequity that are endemic to our current agri-food systems” he added.

FAO’s work

At the Forum, which was attended by investors and the agribusiness community of the private sector, Qu renewed FAO’s commitment to increasing its engagement with the private sector, noting that “partnership with the private sector is a driving force in FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative (…) already active in 45 countries.”

The Director-General also outlined FAO’s six pathways to follow:

1. scale-up climate resilience
2. intervene along the agri-food supply chains to lower the cost of healthy foods
3. tackle poverty and structural inequalities, ensuring interventions are pro-poor and inclusive
4. adopt policies that strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable to economic adversity
5. improve safety nets by better integrating humanitarian, development and peace-building policies in conflict-affected areas; and
6. promote changes in consumer behaviour that impacts positively on human health and the environment.

FAO’s new Strategic Framework 2022-2031 endorsed by Members is focused on supporting the achievement of the SDGs through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.

About the forum

The "Golden Autumn - 2021" exhibition is the main agricultural forum held annually by the Russian Ministry of Agriculture for over 20 years. In this 23^rd edition it is enriched by a set of business and cultural activities.   

This year's event will be held in person at a new venue – Patriot Park (Moscow Region). More than 100 exhibitors from various regions of Russia will take part in the exhibition. It will present the best farm products from all over the country, including from participants of the regional food brands contest "Tastes of Russia," lasting till 10 October.