Agreement among Canada, United States and FAO that the world needs a strong FAO

Ottawa - The Informal North America Regional Conference (INARC) concluded with agreement among the Canadian, American and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) delegations on the necessity for continued collaboration in transforming agrifood systems to increase agricultural productivity and decrease food insecurity globally. Further, there was consensus that climate solutions, innovation and science, and rural transformation through the inclusion and empowerment of women and youth are critical levers to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to food security and prosperity. 

Hosted by the Canadian government, the 8th INARC took place in Ottawa and brought together policymakers from Canada and the United States to meet with an FAO delegation, led by Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol, to review the progress that FAO has made against the objectives set during the 7th INARC as well as to elaborate the priorities of FAO for the next biennium. 

In opening comments, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada Stephanie Beck noted that this conference brings together two global leaders in agriculture as well as development and humanitarian aid for an honest dialogue with FAO leadership about the challenges in agrifoods sector around the world. She underscored that building resilience and productivity growth as well as strong trade and supply chains are vital for North America and for global food security. Deputy Minister Beck highlighted the culture of innovation and science common to Canada and the United States, saying that “a strong culture of innovation and science is fundamental to help our farmers increase productivity, strengthen food security, reduce inputs, and adapt to climate change.”  

USDA Under Secretary Alexis Taylor emphasized that as the world continues to face conflicts and climate change, we need to use this opportunity to build upon shared approaches to challenges. Under Secretary Taylor pointed to FAO standard-setting bodies as critical to trade and global food security. Taylor also reiterated the U.S. government’s commitment to continued investment in gender equality and highlighted that the United States hopes to sponsor 2026 as the UN Year of Women Farmers, which would give the opportunity for FAO, civil society, and governments to work together. She also congratulated the Director-General QU Dongyu and Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol on a successful biennium and a shared legacy of stewardship and accountability. 

Participating virtually, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu expressed his appreciation for the continued support of Canada and the United States for FAO and its mandate to end hunger and poverty. “Considering the difficult economic conditions globally, it is worth noting that your support to FAO has been historically high over the past two years. To me, this shows that confidence in FAO is being restored, and is an undeniable recognition of our important contribution to global food security,” the Director- General said. He elaborated that “FAO is committed to pursuing new innovative pathways to transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable.” 

Agrifood systems: From greenhouse gas emitter to carbon sink 

In the discussions that highlighted opportunities to promote climate, biodiversity and environmental sustainability there was recognition of both agrifood systems contribution to climate change and of the role that agrifood systems can play as a solution. The sentiment that the time is now for critical thought and bold action was shared among participants, as was the appreciation for the central role that FAO plays from adaptation to mitigation to solutions in the nexus of climate change, biodiversity and food and nutrition security.  

Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment Kaveh Zahedi, who participated virtually, put forth that 2024 is particularly critical as the junction of three COPS: UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29), UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15), and UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP 16). He emphasized that this is a unique opportunity to continue to boost the focus on agrifood systems within the COP discussions and agreements.  

The FAO roadmap to achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5°C threshold, launched at COP 28, was referenced during INARC as a valuable guide for climate mitigation and adaptation. There was broad-based appreciation for the roadmap and its recognition that there is no “one size fits all” approach to effective climate action. 

Trade facilitates access to food during local shocks and reduces market distortions  

Given the continued risk of shocks and stresses to trade and supply chains from ongoing conflicts and climate change, the discussion on creating and maintaining resilience in trade centered on the tools that FAO provides, in particular, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). AMIS plays a crucial role in enhancing transparency and policy coordination in international food markets and has received significant funding from both the United States and Canada.  

The standard-setting bodies CODEX Alimentarius and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) also received attention as critical tools that facilitate global trade. Canada and the United States are strongly engaged in strengthening the standard setting body of the International Plant Protection Commission (IPPC). Canada has provided financial support for the ePhyto Solution which has supported countries in transitioning from using paper to issuing electronic equivalents – making international trade in agricultural commodities safer. The USDA has provided significant contributions to IPPC’s Africa Phytosanitary Programme (APP) to support countries to prevent and manage plant pests of economic, regulatory, and environmental impact. 

Innovation is the central driving force that will transform agrifood systems 

To start the second day of discussions, enthusiastic support was given to leveraging innovation and science, including biotechnologies, to provide the tools needed for boosting agricultural productivity and resilience. Science and innovation are critical to accelerate action and achieve real impact across agrifood systems with farmers in focus when developing innovations and technologies. Uptake of innovations, technologies and climate-smart agricultural practices is facilitated by FAO through mechanisms such as Farmer Field Schools and uptake of Indigenous Peoples knowledge. 

The importance of implementing the FAO Science and Innovation Strategy and Action Plan, currently underway, as well as the need for leadership from FAO in helping countries to understand existing science and technology and facilitate their adoption and use was widely agreed upon. The role of the Office of Innovation, led by Director Vincent Martin, to operationalize the Science and Innovation Strategy and to drive innovation uptake within the Organization and among the Member countries was noted. 

“Food may be the problem, but food is not necessarily the solution.” 

FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience Director Rein Paulsen led the discussion on FAO’s work on the ground and the role of agricultural aid in emergency contexts. He outlined critical concerns within the global humanitarian landscape and highlighted the importance of proactive measures and investments that support local food production and enhance the resilience of agriculture in hunger hotspots. Emergency agricultural aid has proven to be cost-effective and more efficient than humanitarian aid alone when delivered at-scale and on a timely basis. 

Paulsen pointed to FAO's strengths in humanitarian response which come from its development background, meaning that FAO is grounded in communities and countries, has long-standing relationships with ministries of agriculture, and the technical expertise to support solutions that are adapted to local contexts. Paulsen pointed to the success of the Emergency Center for Transboundary Diseases (ECTAD), a program that USAID has supported generously, where FAO works to build the capacities of Members to prevent, detect and respond to high-impact diseases and other health threats, which can severely harm livelihoods, food security and economies.  

It is time to make agrifood systems work for women and youth. 

A cross-cutting catalyst for agrifood systems transformation, gender and youth inclusion, was discussed in detail. Deputy Director of Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Lauren Phillips and Senior Economist Nick Sitko presented not only the work that the division is conducting on gender, youth, and inclusion but also FAO’s high performance against UN objectives for these three areas. Deputy Director Phillips explained that FAO’s work on gender equality and women’s empowerment falls into several reinforcing categories: research, evidence and data; policy support; programming; and mainstreaming. Importantly, the division works in tandem with other technical areas (e.g., social protection, land tenure, decent rural employment as well as water, livestock, fisheries, emergencies) and has a renewed focus on results, partnerships, and evidence-based communication. 

As evidence of an increased emphasis on data, evidence generation, measuring impact and results, Phillips pointed to the two ground-breaking reports published over the last two years: The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (2023) and The Unjust Climate: Measuring the impacts of climate change on rural poor, women, and youth (2024). As youth are on the front lines to build the more sustainable agrifood systems while facing additional challenges compared to adults, a flagship report, The Status of Youth in Rural Farm Systems, is planned for launch in 2025.  

The world needs a strong FAO. The world is expecting it. 

In closing, Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol offered reflections on what FAO hopes to achieve in the coming years. DDG Bechdol underscored the unique offering of FAO as a science- and knowledge-based organization and as a provider of global public goods in the areas of information, analysis and data with global reach across more than 140 countries. This unique capacity and capabilities, according to Bechdol, means that FAO also is uniquely positioned to contribute to finding solutions to the increased challenges and pressures to global food security. 

Going forward, it is the goal of FAO to build resources to do so even more at the country and local level. In closing, DDG Bechdol said, “We have come a long way and have demonstrated that we are ready to work alongside Canada and the United States – and we cannot afford to slow down. We agree with you… the world really does need a strong, agile and committed FAO right now.” 

About INARC 

This year, participation in INARC included leaders from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Canada Mission to the UN in Rome, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. UN Mission to Rome and the U.S. Department of State Office for International Organizations. 

The INARC was established in 2010 as a forum to strengthen collaboration between FAO and the North American Region, comprising Canada and the United States. It convenes each biennium and provides an opportunity for these two FAO Members to share their priorities with FAO, and for mutual exchange on the way forward for the effective implementation of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31.