FAO GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE PLANT PRODUCTION Opening Remarks

FAO GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE PLANT PRODUCTION

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

2 November 2022

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

1.         Thank you to all globally for joining us at this conference, which is the first ever of this kind.

2.         Where does food and agriculture start? It starts with seeds. That is why last year we held the Global Conference on Green Development of Seed Industries. 

3.         After seeds, comes Better Production.

4.         The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 sets out the Four Betters, but the first one is Better Production.

5.         I am so delighted to welcome you all to the first ever FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production!

6.         This conference is the result of the joint efforts and collaboration among many organizations, institutions and individuals, under the guidance of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31.

7.         The theme of resilience, efficiency and sustainability is key, it provides the right design and defines our discussions.

8.         Today we meet at an opportune time, when the world urgently needs to make the shift towards more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems.

9.         We cannot only talk about a better environment and a better life, we also need to talk about better production and better nutrition – it is the starting point.

10.       The COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, protracted conflicts, compounded by the war in Ukraine, have pushed the world closer to the brink of a global food crisis.

11.       I have just participated in the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), and we had a discussion with all the UN Principals regarding food security.

12.       Food security should cover food availability first - and availability is production.

13.       And then accessibility – the supply chain.

14.       Thereafter, affordability – the purchasing power.

15.       That is why I am so happy with the strong political support from the UN Secretary-General and other key members of the CEB,

16.       Such as the IMF who recently endorsed the Food Import Financing Facility (FIFF), called the Food Shock Window.

17.       There are about 62 vulnerable countries that have no way to import food – this amounts to 1.79 billion people who face the problem of food affordability.

18.       For this reason, the Secretary-General has expressed his appreciation for FAO’s professional role of raising these issues and bringing them to the foreground.

19.       We are at risk of facing a food accessibility and affordability crisis now, and a food availability crisis in the coming months if we do not handle the situation properly, and with international solidarity.

20.       Especially with regard to fertilizers, seeds, fuels, and other agricultural inputs for the farmers.

21.       However, we also cannot have availability without sustainable production – this is the key goal of this conference on Sustainable Plant Production.

Dear Colleagues,

22.       The number of hungry people around the world is rising; we have reached the alarming figure of 828 million people facing hunger.

23.       And a third of the world’s population – 2.3 billion people – do not have access to adequate food.

24.       This is why I said, even in the most developed countries they have about 5 to 8 percent of the population facing day to day food affordability problems.

25.       These are the three dimensions: availability, accessibility and affordability. Different countries have different combinations.

26.       Some countries have all three, and most developed countries only have one.

27.       But food affordability is a problem even in these countries.

28.       We are off track to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

29.       The distance to reach many of the SDG2 targets to achieve Zero Hunger – as well as SDG1 No Poverty, and SDG10 Reduced Inequalities – is growing wider each year.

30.       And we only have 7 planting seasons left until 2030.

31.       Based on estimates, poor populations will still be back to 2015 when we reach 2030 – that is a dire reality.

32.       We have to double and even triple our efforts if we want to change these numbers.

33.       We must speed up action, be more innovative, more efficient, more effective, and more coherent.

34.       The tools are in the tool box! But we need to also have efficiency, effectiveness and coherence to work better together.

35.       The global demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber is increasing - the 4 Fs - which are all part of the mandate of FAO, of food and agriculture.

36.       Agriculture is not only crops, it includes fisheries, animal husbandry, forestry and biodiversity, among others.

37.       It is estimated that the world will need 50 percent more food by 2050 to feed an increasing global population, by changing and improving their diets.

38.       Because more and more people live in the city, and more and more middle-income people are moving to the city, and their diet and consumption patterns are changing.

39.       This is creating a lot of challenges, and a lot of opportunities for us.

40.       Current agricultural practices are unsustainable and investment is urgently needed.

41.       This is what I always tell the politicians: you need to invest in agriculture.

42.       The statistics on the percentage of investment in agriculture per country speak for themselves, with Europe having the lowest percentage – only 16%. 

43.       This is why I particularly tell the politicians in Europe: you need more investment in agriculture, research, infrastructure, and in rural areas.

44.       Even in Europe, there is great pressure on the environment and on our finite natural resources, including biodiversity, land and water.

45.       The use of fertilizers and pesticides has increased unevenly – both overuse and underuse co-exist on this planet.

46.       The key is not merely to reduce, but to improve the efficiency of all the agriculture inputs, especially pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertilizers. 

47.       You know the marginal utility curve economists tell us about: with any kind of investment and input – for example chemicals, fertilizers – you have to increase it to a certain level and then you will reduce the marginal utility. That is the basic law of economic investment.

48.       The message is clear: do not go from one extreme to another; zero from one or one from zero.

Dear Colleagues,

49.       The threats from plant pests and diseases is increasing, and is compounded by the effects of the climate crisis, that has created big fluctuations, with extreme cases globally.

50.       Land conversion from natural ecosystems to agriculture is contributing extensively to deforestation, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions.

51.       We cannot continue ‘business as usual’ - we need to get on a technology driven sustainable track. That is the only solution.

52.       Tomorrow’s agriculture will need to produce more food with a lower environmental footprint – this means producing more with less,

53.       And we also need to produce more diversity, more quantity, high quality of foods and different kinds of foods.

54.       That is why I encourage my colleagues to not only talk about biodiversity, but also food diversity - and then we can have a conversation about germplasm, not only virtually, but in situ.

55.       Science based-sustainable plant production can enable this,

56.       Because it has the potential to build greater resilience and efficiency to address these challenges,

57.       And to protect and sustainably managing biodiversity and natural resources through integrated approaches, endorsed by scientific evidence.

58.       We cannot talk about agriculture without talking about farmers.

59.       Farmers must be part of the solution and action.

60.       Farmers in general are private holders, both big and small. They are part of the private sector.

61.       Their needs, knowledge and constraints must be at the core.

62.       To address these global challenges we need to:

•          First: implement solutions that are accessible and can be locally adapted;

•          Second: establish strong local and diversified agrifood systems that are more resilient to shocks and disruptions by biotic, and abiotic stress;

•          Third: harness the potential of agricultural innovation to create efficient plant production systems;

•          Fourth: we need to be inclusive, taking into consideration the needs of all, including the most vulnerable groups, rural women, youth and Indigenous Peoples; and

•          Fifth: we have to keep international trade open and functional.

63.       We need a global picture and that is the beauty of agrifood systems: we can have complementary roles - your sustainability depends on our sustainability. Your sustainable production solved the problem I could not solve sustainably. 

64.       For example, if we faced water scarcity, would you still develop water consuming crops? Is that sustainable? No. You can develop water-saving high value cash crops and trade with staple food which can be produced in an ideal, favourable environment such as soybeans, wheat, rice or corn.

65.       This first ever Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production will focus on these critical aspects of sustainable plant production systems.

66.       Farmers will be central to the discussions, and farmers’ perspectives will be the thread that links each of the sessions,

67.       To ensure their full participation in shaping an enabling environment for sustainable plant production.

68.       FAO is a technical organization established under Article 57 of the UN Charter as a specialized agency within the UN family - that is the legal origin of FAO.

69.       To generate knowledge and provide a neutral and professional platform for scientific- and evidence-based information sharing.

70.       This is one of the four key roles, and mandate, of FAO set out in the Basic Texts and the Constitution.

71.       Through this first-ever FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production, we are convening a wide range of relevant shareholders to raise awareness of the importance and contribution of sustainable plant production to achieve the SDGs,

72.       And to share information, practices and policies on strategies, investment, R&D and capacity building.

73.       We have identified four expected outcomes from this conference, on which you will debate:

•          First: establish priorities for targeted mobilization and pooling of scientific, technical and financial resources.

•          Second: create and manage technical networks to share knowledge and evidence.

•          Third: produce a global knowledge product – an evidence-based guide to promote sustainable plant production.

•          And Fourth: propose a set of recommendations to guide active innovation for sustainable plant production worldwide, in support of the 2030 Agenda.

74.       FAO is committed to leveraging the momentum generated by this conference to transform evidence into action on the ground,

75.       Together with our other flagship initiatives such as the Hand-in-Hand, and the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) and the 1000 Digital Villages.

76.       For the transformation of our agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,

77.       For better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.

78.       I wish you a fruitful conference.

79.       I thank you.