Photo: ©FAO

Ankara- FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey organized an online event dedicated to World Food Day.

The moderator Sevinç Şatıroğlu opened the event highlighting the meaning of this annual celebration and the importance of ensuring food for all in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first opening speech was by Viorel Gutu, Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia (SEC) and FAO Representative in Turkey. Reiterating FAO’s call for global cooperation and solidarity to confront the threats posed by COVID-19 to food security and agricultural livelihoods, Gutu emphasized the importance of preserving access to safe and nutritious food as an indispensable part of our response to COVID-19 – particularly for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. Referring to the latest reports, Gutu presented staggering statistics about global hunger, food security and food loss, explaining that hunger worldwide has been on the rise since 2014, while obesity rates are also soaring. Worldwide, over 2 billion people lack regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. Based on these worsening data, there is an urgent need for change in the food and agriculture sector.

Gutu shed light on the unbalanced structure of food systems, underlining the persistence of myriad problems such as hunger, obesity, malnutrition and food loss, despite the fact that more than enough food is produced to feed everyone worldwide. Reversing these trends necessitates urgent action and global solidarity to transform food systems towards more resilient, sustainable and climate friendly alternatives.

Gutu also underlined the critical role that digital technologies and e-commerce can play in achieving this transformation. However, digitalization is far from a reality for over 3 billion people in the world who lack access to internet, especially in rural and remote areas. Closing this digital gap is therefore crucial.

Gutu wrapped up his speech by itemizing the ways that governments, the private sector and all other stakeholders can work to transform food systems for the better. Governments everywhere should treat food production, transport, marketing and distribution as essential services that must be supported. The private sector needs to make sustainable food options attractive, available and affordable. Finally, all of us should make food choices that improve our health and that of our food systems.

The event continued with a speech by Murat Sungur Bursa, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Sustainability Academy. Bursa asserted that the persistence of hunger represents a shame for humanity, and argued that it could be overcome if food losses were reduced by one-third on a global scale. He informed the audience about the activities of the Sustainability Academy, one of the main objectives of which is encouraging sustainable and inclusive food systems. Bursa added that the achievement of these systems would allow food and welfare to be distributed more equitably throughout the world, regardless of boundaries, either political or physical – a point firmly underscored by the global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prof. Dr Zümrüt Begüm Ögel, Member of the Health and Food Policies Council of the Presidency, shared her thoughts on the situation in the food and agriculture sector. She noted that our global struggle with COVID-19 throughout 2020 has reaffirmed the importance of health, a healthy diet and food as an indispensable, fundamental human right. She further noted that total deaths from COVID-19 amount to less than those who have died from hunger. She also cited the billions of USD spent to cope with obesity. Ögel stressed the importance of the efficient and sustainable use of resources to eradicate food loss, and emphasized the importance of rural development for sustainability in the agriculture and food sector.

The last speaker was Dr Bekir Pakdemirli, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Pakdemirli began his speech by affirming the cooperation between the Ministry and FAO, and stated that this collaboration has deepened as a result of the opening of the Subregional Office in Ankara. Referring to the FAO-Turkey Partnership which is funded by the Ministry, Pakdemirli noted that FAO and Turkey implemented and are currently implementing projects in 20 different countries.

Pakdemirli pointed out that access to food has become a global priority due to the impact of COVID-19, and that food production needs to increase by 60% to keep pace with the growing global population. In order to increase productivity, said Pakdemirli, we must prioritize innovation and digital technologies in agriculture. Pakdemirli also explained the approach taken by the Digital Agriculture Market (DITAP), which was launched earlier this year by the Ministry, in relation to producers and consumers – and the benefits for farmers – and stated that the portal aims to spread smart farming practices.

According to Pakdemirli, during the pandemic, Turkey, unlike many other countries, did not experience any difficulty in accessing food due to the rapid action taken by the Ministry, in conjunction with other stakeholders, to ensure successful coordination in the agriculture and food sector.

After sharing recent important policy developments by the Ministry, such as the establishment of one of the biggest seed gene banks in the world, Pakdemirli reflected on the economic impact of food loss and waste. In Turkey, 19 million tonnes of food is wasted each year, which amounts to one-fifth of total food production. Reducing waste by just 2% would meet the yearly living expenses of 360 000 families in the country. Citing the “Save Your Food Campaign” and Turkey’s regional vision to tackle food loss and waste, Pakdemirli emphasized the distinct responsibilities of the production and consumption phases, and the importance of knowing the story of the food we consume and transmitting it to our children.

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