46th Session of the IFAD Governing Council Opening Statement

46^th Session of the IFAD Governing Council

Opening Statement

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

14 February 2023

  

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to address you today on behalf of FAO, and I thank my dear colleague, Alvario Lario, IFAD President, for this invitation. We are pleased to offer our services to IFAD, and to our Members, and to host the IFAD Governing Council here at FAO premises at headquarters - in the spirit of our close brotherhood and working together and supporting each other.

There are many challenges we have to face together, and to achieve our shared goal of eradicating hunger and achieve our noble mandates together. Conflicts, the pandemic, climatic crises, economic slowdowns and downturns, and inequality continue to limit the quantity and quality of food that is available, accessible and affordable for all people, especially for the vulnerable.

The war in Ukraine has exacerbated food availability, food accessibility and food affordability casting a daunting shadow over global food security and food supply. It is critical that we tackle these global overlapping challenges in coordination with each other, and building on each other’s comparative advantages.

Let me share a few thoughts on what is needed to bring about real change together.

First: we need to increase responsible investments in agrifood systems and rural development. It is one of the most effective ways to reduce hunger and poverty, while safeguarding the planet. The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 sets out 20 Programme Priority Areas (PPAs), with one specifically dedicated to “Scaling up Investment”, which features close collaboration with International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank, IFAD and others. 

Through FAO’s Investment Centre, we are bringing technical expertise to attract large-scale public investments in food and agriculture at large. Since 1977, when IFAD was created, our Investment Centre has assisted in preparing over 400 IFAD-funded projects in 160 countries, helping to leverage investments of almost USD 16.5 billion. 

Second: we need to harness the potential of innovation and technology. FAO’s new Science and Innovation Strategy will enable us to step up our efforts and address the urgent, complex and interlinked challenges facing our agrifood systems, by driving a new business model to help us deliver better.

In mid-October of 2022, we hosted the first Science and Innovation Forum, in the context of the annual World Food Forum, held in parallel with the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum and the Youth Forum – bringing together three key components for transformation of agrifood systems and rural development.

Together with IFAD, we have successfully supported Members through a combination of finance with technical expertise. We have been working on building on existing and successful innovative solutions across both organizations.

This includes block chain technology, automation and the use of artificial intelligence in agrifood systems, to help us deliver value added to our Members and ensure that no one is left behind – especially our farmers. FAO is also supporting IFAD in developing regional action plans for scaling up Digital Agriculture transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean, and developing projects in East Africa.  

I just came back from Barbados where they expressed their appreciation for the good collaboration between the three RBAs in the region.

Third: we must ensure that farmers at the core of all our work, and remain central to everything we do. Farmers contribute far more than just the food they produce. Family farmers, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, foresters and fishers are fundamental to efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems worldwide, and to ensure the 4 Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all.

Dear Colleagues,

It is important to recognize the impact of our collective and coherent work, including increased support for small-scale producers. FAO has strengthened its commitment to ensure equitable access to natural resources, tenure rights, productive resources, information, technology, innovation, markets and decision-making processes.

I am happy to share with you that FAO and IFAD are working more and more closely to act on this commitment.

Through the Joint Secretariat for the UN Decade of Family Farming, we are coordinating actions for tangible impact on the ground. Under the umbrella of the Decade, we have contributed to the establishment of 12 National Action Plans, and three Regional Action Plans aimed at strengthening family farming.

Another key area of our collaboration is our joint work with Indigenous Peoples.

During the 6^th IFAD Forum on Indigenous Peoples held yesterday, the RBAs, Members, and indigenous leaders discussed ways to further strengthen and continue building on the work of the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples Food Systems, which was officially launched during the World Food Forum 2022 at the Boassu Nomadic tent that was set up on the premises here at FAO headquarters – a significant and historic event.

Dear Colleagues,

A further important example of RBA collaboration includes our joint work on the Sahel Programme, where each of our agencies has contributed with its own comparative advantage to address the root causes of hunger, and strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable, to ensure food security, nutrition and sustained peace.

I can see first-hand how the collaboration between FAO and IFAD, together with WFP, continues to grow in strength, and is now more important than ever before. But there is still much to be done with only seven planting seasons left to achieve the 2030 Agenda, and support Members to speed up reaching the SDG targets.

We have to act now, efficiently, effectively, coherently and together. IFAD’s strategic vision and support are key for our successful collaboration and collective outcomes. I wish the IFAD Governing Council a successful meeting with effective guidance and engagement.

Before closing, I wish to use this opportunity to convey our deepest condolences for the loss of life due to the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria last week.

Thank you.