Fifth FAO SIDS Dialogue: The Agrifood Systems Approach to face Climate and Nutrition Challenges in Small Island Developing States

The compelling and intertwined challenges that the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are facing and the need to address them through an agrifood systems approach to strengthen resilience and support achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took a central stage at the fifth edition of the FAO SIDS Solutions Dialogue 

This event was co-organized by the FAO Liaison Offices in Brussels, Geneva, and New York, and the FAO Office for Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries and hosted by the Secretariat of the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) in Brussels. In light of the topic selected for this edition of the dialogue, the event was also held as part of the FAO Nutrition Dialogue Series organized by FAO Geneva and the FAO's Food and Nutrition Division. 

The Dialogue provided a platform for SIDS to share their perspectives and experiences while addressing how the international community could support efforts to transform SIDS agrifood systems in the context of climate change, food insecurity, and nutritional challenges.  

Angélica María Jácome-Daza, Director of the FAO Office of SIDS, LDCs, and LLDCs moderated the event and presented in her intervention the main takeaways of the High-Level event “Transforming agrifood systems to increase resilience and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - Harnessing the potential of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries” that was held at the 42nd session of the FAO Conference last July. 

Ignacio Ybáñez, the newly appointed Special Envoy for SIDS at the European External Action Service (EEAS) emphasized the European Union's unwavering support for SIDS and acknowledged the crucial cooperation between the EU and FAO around common priorities, such as climate change mitigation, biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. 

Cristelle Pratt, OACPS Assistant Secretary-General for the Environment and Climate Action, highlighted the solid partnership of her Organization with FAO and delved into critical issues related to nutrition and food systems.  She alluded to concerns over the dual challenge of reducing malnutrition while addressing the rise in obesity and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). 

Walton Alfonso Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations in New York, highlighted the potential of agrifood systems as a crucial element to be addressed at the 4th UN SIDS Conference to be held in his home country.  

José Filomeno de Carvalho, Ambassador of Cape Verde to the EU and Chair of the OACPS SIDS Forum, stressed the importance of collaborating with key partners including the private sector and civil society to improve food self-sufficiency in SIDS.  

Setting the scene on the nexus between Nutrition, Climate Change, and Diet-Related NCDs, FAO’s Deputy Director of the Food and Nutrition Division Nancy Aburto, emphasized that ‘’Integrated action across agrifood, water social protection and health systems helps enhance nutritional outcomes while simultaneously addressing climate-related challenges’’. She then highlighted the potential for significant improvements in SIDS through evidence-informed responses and urged collective efforts to scale up initiatives that have proven their success. 

The dialogue also featured a special intervention from Nella Pepe Tavita-Levy, the Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva.  

In addition to the in-person attendance in Brussels and Geneva, about 125 participants joined the event remotely. 

Watch the full event below: