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International Day of Clean Energy

Message By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

26 January 2024

As we celebrate the International Day of Clean Energy for the first time, let us use this opportunity to bring across the key message that universal access to clean and reliable energy services is a critical aspect of sustainable development and food security.

Energy is needed at every stage of the agrifood value chain – from production to consumption.

Considering that agrifood systems consume thirty percent of the world’s energy with a third of emissions from agrifood systems is from energy use, and that thirty-five percent of the global population still lacks access to stable and sustainable forms of energy for cooking and heating, it is imperative that we accelerate both a clean energy transition and agrifood systems transformation.

Over the last twenty years, FAO has been facilitating access to sustainable modern energy, helping farmers around the world improve productivity and reduce food loss through improved farming and post-harvest practices.

FAO is committed to promoting innovative energy-smart solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis, support job creation, gender equality, promotion of youth, local and rural development to boost incomes, safeguard natural resources and reduce hunger.

Our multi-partner Energy-Smart Food Programme fosters green energy solutions, the use of renewable energy, increased circularity through waste-to-energy along agrifood value chains, and a water-energy-food nexus approach.

This is fundamental for the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable, to achieve the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Let us continue to work together to achieve our common goal: food security by clean energy security.