High-level delegations from UN FAO Member nationsacross Asia and the Pacific convened today for a four day session to address and respond to the damage done to economies and livelihoods in the food and agriculture sectors in the wake of the global pandemic.

Other pressing issues include addressing major nutritional problems – 40 percent of this vast region’s population cannot afford a healthy, nutritious diet – while animal and crop diseases and threats to food and agriculture production, aggravated by the ongoing disruption resulting from the climate crisis, will also feature prominently in discussions. Improved ecosystem responses in the Pacific Islands is another key topic.

Advancing the application of innovation, science and digitalization to help an agrifood systems transformation in the world’s biggest and hungriest region is among the main points for consideration.

Ultimately, the aim of the Conference is to build back better, with Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life for all – leaving no one behind.

The Conference and the Issues

The 36^th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific(#APRC36), convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is hosted by the Government of Bangladesh, in the capital Dhaka, and convened in Hybrid modality.

Delegates from FAO Member nations in Asia, are joined by Member nations from the South-West Pacific. These include the participation of Ministers of Food and Agriculture who will join the session on 10 and 11 March. Many high-level delegates are attending in-person, while others are joining virtually.

FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, is also attending the Conference in-person.

“This APRC is unique. It is the first time FAO has convened a regional conference in Asia and the Pacific in a Hybrid mode. I am hopeful that also sends a signal that, while COVID-19 is still with us and around us, we are slowly emerging from its grip,” Jong-Jin Kim, FAO Assistant-Director General and Regional Representatives said during the opening session. “We now see light at the end of the tunnel with an eventual return to a more traditional meeting and working environment,” he added.

While a significant focus of #APRC36 deliberations will be on COVID-19 recovery efforts, the Ministers and Senior Officials attending #APRC36 will also consider responses to both emerging and ongoing issues. A major topic is lack of affordability – an FAO and UN Agency report last year determined around 40 percent of the region’s population, at that time, could not afford a nutritious, healthy diet. Since then, the price of food has risen. FAO’s Food Price Index is now recording its highest food prices, globally, in more than a decade.

The delegates are also focusing their attention on responses to longstanding threats to livestock, such as those caused by Avian Influenza, African swine fever and weakened immune responses due to inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobials in animal production. Ecosystem responses in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific Islands are among the top priorities, while ways and means to mitigate reoccurring threats to plants and crops, such as Locusts and Fall Armyworm, will also be examined.

Implementing the new FAO strategy on dealing with climate change as well as opportunities that are emerging from applications of innovation, science and digitalization in the food and agriculture sectors to provide solutions is also a major part of the discussions.

Ultimately, the goal of this four-day FAO Regional Governing Body Session will be to reach a consensus that balances the needs of people, domestic animals, wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems through One Health approaches.  

In-depth explanation of all of these topics is available here and more information about the #APRC36 can be found on the Conference Website homepage.

Anticipated outcomes

The 46 Member Nations in Asia and the Pacific, as FAO’s Regional Governing Body, will set in motion a two-year course of work for the FAO Regional Office and its technical specialists, through direction of a set of prioritized country and regional needs.