7th Informal North America Regional Conference (INARC) Statement
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
14/04/2022
7th Informal North America Regional Conference (INARC)
Statement
By
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
As prepared
14 April 2022
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. I am pleased to join you virtually today from Malabo for the 7th Informal North America Regional Conference.
2. Responding effectively to the many global challenges we are facing is a daunting task.
3. The world is facing, among others, war, humanitarian emergencies, the impacts of the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, with the consequent economic shocks and downturns.
4. All of this often overlapping with the persistent challenges of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
5. These challenges require our collective and coherent action and response.
6. The ongoing fruitful collaboration between the North America region and FAO is crucial, and I appreciate the continued support you have provided over the past almost 80 years.
7. In line with the rapidly unfolding situation in Ukraine, FAO has been responding urgently to the impacts of the war, in line with our mandate.
8. This critical moment in history has made the world realize the importance of investing in and prioritizing actions that will lead to the transformation of global agrifood systems, in particular to strengthen their resilience.
9. The war in Ukraine will have ripple effects that are not limited by borders.
10. FAO, from the early stages – from the first week – together with the Chief Economist and the three Deputy Directors-General – we have set up a task group to closely monitoring and assessing the situation on the ground and the development in global markets.
11. It is clear that the production, supply chain, and logistical disruptions in the region will have consequences for food security throughout the world.
12. FAO has been working on resilience building in Ukraine since 2015, ensuring rural households can access food and support their livelihoods with cash transfers and agricultural inputs.
13. Smallholder farmers account for 40% of the total agriculture production in Ukraine, yet they are the most vulnerable, without adequate safety nets or access to critical resources.
14. In line with Ukraine’s production calendar, farmers will need to sow vegetables before mid-May and harvest staple crops such as barley in July, and maize by September and October.
15. FAO is assisting with land preparation, planting and harvesting to support producers and minimize disruptions to the largest extent possible.
16. Our Rapid Response Plan for Ukraine calls for 115.4 million US Dollars to support nearly 330,000 vulnerable farming households - this was just recently revised upward from our original appeal for 50 million US Dollars.
17. So far, we have received 8.4 million US Dollars, and look to Members and other donors to help provide this much needed support.
18. The complex crises across the world are surpassing our collective ability to respond, and to fund our interventions,
19. Leaving millions of people without enough food to eat, and 3 billion people without access to healthy diets - with the world’s agrifood producers being among the most food insecure.
20. For this reason the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 is supporting the 2030 Agenda by creating more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems,
21. For better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
22. The Four Betters represent an organizing principle for how FAO intends to contribute directly to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities),
23. The Four Betters reflect the interconnected economic, social and environmental dimensions of agrifood systems,
24. And provide a strategic and systems-oriented approach across FAO’s entire programme of work.
25. FAO’s flagship initiatives further support implementation of the Strategic Framework.
26. Let me mention just four of them:
27. The Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which is based on a geospatial data platform, identifies gaps in rural transformation and matches countries with partners to deliver tangible results.
28. The One Country One Priority Product Initiative helps countries develop inclusive, profitable and environmentally sustainable value chains of special agro-products.
29. The 1000 Digital Villages Initiative puts digitalization at the core of rural transformation and prosperity by converting villages across the world into digital hubs.
30. The Green Cities Initiative looks to introduce innovative solutions to integrate agrifood systems, urban and peri-urban agriculture, and urban forestry into local planning for resilient and healthy cities.
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
31. The support by the Governments of Canada and of the United States to the FAO COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme provided crucial contributions to help mitigate the immediate impacts of the pandemic, while strengthening the long-term resilience of agrifood systems.
32. Thank you for these investments
33. The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, being led by FAO on behalf of the UN system, will play a key role in achieving inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems in countries.
34. The Hub will bring together agrifood systems expertise to support implementation of national pathways and progress on the SDGs.
35. I have always promoted inclusive innovation in science and technology as a priority for investing in resilience and mitigation.
36. FAO has taken concrete action to scale-up inclusive innovation, and the new FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement will allow us to continue to do so using the efficient and innovative approaches that the private sector can bring.
37. Here, the North America region plays a vital role,
38. And I appreciate your continued support for this forward-looking approach to building new models of collaboration that deliver concrete support in countries.
39. An example is FAO’s recent collaboration with Google, who is providing technical expertise in geospatial products, such as the google earth engine, to enhance FAO’s efforts in monitoring natural resources, livelihoods and the environment.
40. Our new FAO thematic strategy on Science and Innovation is cross-cutting to all of FAO’s work, with particular attention to the needs of low- and middle-income countries,
41. As well as small-scale producers, women, youth and Indigenous Peoples, to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs.
42. The Strategy highlights the centrality of strengthening research and extension at country level, as well as the need to enhance partnerships, particularly with research institutions and the private sector.
43. Let me share a success story of bringing science and innovation together with partnerships.
44. Last year, FAO was able to prevent 1.4 million tonnes of crop losses due to desert locust - this contributed to food security for 13 million people.
45. We are currently supporting the upgrade of technologies that can provide early warning and monitoring services off-line and in remote areas, such as the eLocust3m app for smart phones.
46. This app was the result of collaboration with both Penn State University in the United States, as well as the MasterCard Foundation.
47. Furthermore, the updated thematic Strategy on Climate Change is another channel for us to strengthen and improve FAO’s capabilities to address climate impacts on agrifood systems.
48. The Strategy will set out game-changing, innovative solutions based on science and partnerships to transform agrifood systems to be more sustainable, and to support Members to achieve the climate targets of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
49. Notwithstanding the complex challenges the world is facing, I continue to have high ambitions for what I would like FAO to achieve under my leadership,
50. And the only way to achieve this is by ensuring transparent and ethical governance, as well as increased efficient and effective internal operations, such as the new digital FAO and improved methods of work.
51. FAO’s first ever Code of Ethical Conduct provides clarity and guidance on the Organization’s standards of conduct, values and principles, ensuring that ethical conduct is at the core of FAO’s work.
52. The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 was developed through an inclusive and transparent process,
53. Guided by FAO’s strategic foresight exercise, which aims to increase preparedness and effectiveness for achieving the 2030 Agenda,
54. And to share knowledge on challenges, threats and opportunities for agrifood systems transformation.
55. FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol recently visited the United States to meet with government officials, NGOs and the private sector.
56. Additional visits are planned for this year, including to Canada, to further discuss and provide updates on FAO’s work with valuable country partners, as well as on how funding is being used.
57. I would like to again thank the Governments of Canada and the United States of America for your instrumental support to FAO’s mission.
58. FAO remains committed to ensuring that your contributions lead to concrete results on the ground to help people help themselves.
59. Let us continue to work together in an efficient, effective and coherent manner towards FAO’s noble mandate of a world without hunger and poverty.
60. Thank you.