FAO releases proposed targets and indicators on 14 themes for Sustainable Development Goals
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released proposed targets and indicators for 14 themes the Organization is focusing on in support of the UN-wide process to define global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Following April’s release of common targets and indicators by the Rome-based Agencies (FAO, IFAD and WFP), these 14 themes span FAO’s broader mandate, covering areas related to food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture, but also rural poverty, environmental stewardship and the sustainable management of natural resources.
The themes capture interlinkages between food security and priority areas of the new agenda, shining a light on areas for special attention in feeding a world population projected to grow from 7 to 9 billion by 2050.
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FAO’s 14 themes are: Food Security and the Right to Food; Nutrition; Poverty Eradication; Resilience; Social Protection; Climate Change; Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Genetics; Energy; Fisheries, Aquaculture, Oceans and Seas; Forests and Mountains; Land and Soils; Sustainable Agriculture; Tenure Rights; and Water.
The themes’ associated targets are aspirational yet realistic and universally relevant, while indicators meet criteria including data availability and adaptability to country contexts.
With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reaching their target date at the end of 2015, UN Members are currently discussing goals and targets for a proposal on SDGs to the UN General Assembly in September 2014. Government negotiations will then follow before September 2015 when the successor framework to the MDGs is set to be announced.
FAO has been supporting governments and other stakeholders in the post-2015 development agenda by providing technical expertise in areas related to its mandate.