FAO Committee on Agriculture seeks to turn agricultural challenges into opportunities

Rome – The 29th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) opened today at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), seeking to address the urgent need to transform agrifood systems amid persistently high global hunger figures and mounting challenges.

As a governing body of FAO, COAG provides guidance on agriculture-related policies, reviews global agricultural issues and trends, and advises on emerging topics. Its key roles include providing technical advice on matters related to crops, livestock, food safety, nutrition, rural development, natural resource management and other interconnected issues.

This year’s meeting, held in hybrid form until 4th October, is taking place amid severe pressure arising from the increasing impacts of the climate crisis, conflicts and economic downturns. With just six years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),  food insecurity around the world remains a major concern. Hunger affected more than 730 million people in 2023, and about 2.8 billion people continued to be unable to afford a healthy diet.

“As we meet today, we are reminded that our agrifood systems are facing huge challenges,” the Director-General said. “But we must also remember that there are huge opportunities ahead of us.”

The Director-General recalled his attendance at the recent UN Summit for the Future and the UN General Assembly in New York, where global leaders met to reaffirm our collective commitment to leave no one behind, and to build a better future for all.

The Pact for the Future adopted in New York recognized the critical need to transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable, he said.

At last week’s G7 Meeting of Agriculture Ministers, FAO again emphasized the importance of science and innovation in agriculture to address the impacts of the climate crisis and to produce more with less to ensure we can feed a growing population, while minimizing our environmental footprint, he said.

FAO is also playing an active role in the lead up to COP29 to ensure that agrifood systems remain central to the discussions, the Director-General added.

To support FAO’s transformative approach to agrifood systems, the COAG meeting will over this week discuss and advice on strategic priorities, including the following topics: Livestock; the One Health approach; sustainable management of plastics in agriculture; land and water resources; bioeconomy; agriculture and forestry linkages; the status of women in agrifood systems;  nutrition; the climate change, biodiversity and food security nexus; the potential of neglected and underutilized species; as well as the improving the uptake of technologies and innovations for agrifood system transformation. 

Achievements to date

The COAG sessions also allow its Members to reflect on the progress made since its last meeting in 2022.

The achievements include:

• FAO has strengthened its work on the sustainable use and management of plastics in agriculture, developing the first Voluntary Code of Conduct on their sustainable use and management, following a request from COAG
• FAO has continued to enhance capacities and knowledge on bioeconomy to move towards a low-carbon future and to address climate change impacts and biodiversity loss
• It has launched the report on “The status of women in agrifood systems,” which validates the notion that gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to agrifood systems transformation
• Over the last two years, FAO has held landmark Global Conferences – including its first-ever conferences focused on the sustainable livestock sector and agricultural mechanization
• FAO continues to lead efforts in integrated water resources management (IWRM) in agriculture, with its Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) playing an important role in this area
• FAO persists in working closely with Members to monitor, manage, respond, and curb the spread of transboundary plant pests and animal diseases such as locust, fall armyworm, avian influenza, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), and others
• Central to these efforts is the One Health approach, which is also key to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR).