We only have 10 years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. With food and agriculture being major players in these 17 objectives, FAO has recognized that a holistic approach is key. All of the world’s challenges are interconnected – as are their solutions. If we promote sustainable food and agricultural systems around the globe, we will reduce the number of poor and hungry, help combat climate change and preserve our natural resources for future generations. By transforming food and agricultural systems, we are transforming our future.
This is no easy task, however. Unsustainable agriculture practices have contributed to environmental challenges such as land degradation, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. But the agriculture sector can also be part of the solution. In our current climate emergency, transforming food and agricultural systems to be more climate-aware, sustainable, innovative, nutritious and resilient is at the heart of the needed change.
To achieve this, we must embrace innovation while also drawing on traditional practices and the time-tested agricultural methods of indigenous peoples. We must strengthen livelihoods and ensure that rural communities – often the most vulnerable people in the most vulnerable regions - are resilient in the face of climate change and its effects.
Though there has been some progress in achieving these goals, the world needs to do more and do it faster. With a 10-year deadline in mind, FAO is quickening the pace of progress by finding and implementing innovative solutions, encouraging global best practices and working together with partners to achieve sustainable food systems for all.
Here are four ways that FAO and its partners are accelerating action and providing solutions:
1. Leveraging investments to combat climate change and strengthen food systems
Investments in agriculture can effectively and comprehensively tackle a number of problems. The right investments can reduce hunger and poverty, while also protecting the environment and combating climate change. FAO has been working with partners like the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to invest in strategic actions that can be scaled-up and replicated for maximum impact.
In the role of matchmaker, FAO helps countries access and mobilise GEF funds and assists with the implementation of projects. Over the past 12 years, the FAO-GEF partnership has delivered more than 180 projects in over 120 countries, benefitting nearly 5 million people. Since 2006, the FAO-GEF portfolio has been valued at more than USD 900 million.
One FAO-GEF project encapsulating this holistic approach will help transform Ecuador's livestock sector. The project will disseminate technologies for climate-smart livestock management and provide technical assistance to farmers on environmental and climate problems, such as land degradation and greenhouse gas emissions.
Thanks as well to a recent USD 161 million donation ofanother major partner, the GCF, FAO is implementing new projects around the world to increase communities’ resilience to the impacts of climate change and reduce poverty, while preserving the environment and biodiversity. These projects prioritize rural communities - the true guardians of the local landscape, for the sustainable long-term restoration of land, soil and forests.
One specific FAO initiative benefitting from GCF funding aims to restore and conserve around 25 000 hectares of native forest in five regions of Chile. On its completion, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 1.1 million tonnes of CO2, around 7 000 hectares of forest will be planted and approximately 17 000 hectares of forest will be conserved and sustainably managed. Over 57 000 people, including members of indigenous communities, will be part of the project, helping to restore the area. FAO projects like these aim to work with indigenous peoples, harnessing their knowledge and traditional practices, while also providing innovative solutions to combat climate change and build sustainable food systems.