Inequality stands in the way of the global fight against hunger, FAO tells G20

Rio de Janeiro— In a world where the climate crisis is affecting the food security of the most vulnerable, economic growth must be supported by policies aimed at reducing inequalities, QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), told a G20 Development Ministerial Meeting in Brazil on Tuesday.

The FAO Director-General was invited to deliver closing remarks at a session on Inequalities and Trilateral Cooperation at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro.

Qu said FAO was committed to promoting inclusive economic growth by reducing inequalities - especially between urban and rural areas; richer and poorer countries; and between women and men – to ensure that people move out of hunger in a sustainable manner.

The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 lays the groundwork for the transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable, for the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life - leaving no one behind, he said.

Such transformation comes amid evidence of strong inequalities in terms of food security and nutrition across groups based on gender, age, race or ethnic origin, Indigenous identity, disability, geographic location, and socio-economic status.

The climate crisis further negatively impacts food security and nutrition inequality through a decline in agricultural productivity, reduced income, emerging food safety issues, disruptions in food distribution, lower nutrient content of crops, and changes in diet quality, among others.

The recent FAO report “The Unjust Climate” found that in an average year, poor households lose 5 percent of their total income due to heat stress compared to better-off households, and 4.4 percent due to floods. Where inequalities are highest, the most vulnerable are less resilient and suffer the most from these shocks.

“This is clearly a consequence of reduced resilience and reduced access to assets and infrastructure,” the Director-General said.

Furthermore, the FAO “State of Women in Agrifood Systems” report concluded that women’s access to land, inputs, services, finance, and digital technology continues to lag behind men’s. Discriminatory social norms and rules affecting women and girls are at the heart of gender inequality, and are slow to change.

This is why “economic growth and policies directly targeted to reduce inequalities must go hand in hand,” Qu said.

FAO wants to see all actors involved work together to address the multiple structural drivers of inequalities. This includes access to finance, institutions, markets, value chains and ownership; access to and control over resources; the ability to cope with shocks; decision-making; and public participation and representation.