From the G20 Matera Declaration to the Food Systems Summit: A Framework for Emerging Coalitions of Action
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
27/07/2021
From the G20 Matera Declaration to the Food Systems Summit:
A Framework for Emerging Coalitions of Action
Intervention by
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
As prepared
27 July 2021
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. The G20 Ministerial Meetings held so far under the Italian Presidency have been a great success.
2. I commend the Italian Government for this, but more importantly for its longstanding commitment to Food Security and Nutrition.
3. In Matera, for the first time Food Security was placed at the center of discussions at the joint meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development.
4. There, FAO alongside the other Rome-based Agencies, stressed the importance of joint efforts and increased investment to eradicate hunger and poverty.
5. This is also at the core of this Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit.
Ladies and Gentlemen
6. FAO and its partner agencies just launched the 2021 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).
7. The report shows that 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020.
8. This means up to 161 million people more than in 2019.
9. More than half of the world’s undernourished are found in Asia (418 million) and more than one third in Africa (282 million).
10. Nearly 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020.
11. This is an increase of 320 million people in just one year!
12. I had also flagged to the G20 Ministers that the pandemic caused a decline in farm and off-farm sources of income.
13. This affected the incomes of rural households negatively across all developing regions.
14. 80% of the world’s poorest, that is 600 million people, live in rural areas, work in the agricultural sector, and yet go to bed hungry.
15. Almost half of them are children under the age of 15, with fewer opportunities for education and jobs than their peers in urban areas.
16. Let me repeat my main message again:
17. We must refocus our energies and investment on rural areas!
18. Investing in the agriculture sector is the solution to eradicate Hunger!
19. The G20 Matera Declaration has provided us with a very clear path,
20. It presented the priorities around food security and nutrition,
21. It highlighted the importance of investment and specially catalytic investments in agriculture,
22. It underscored the relevance of the One Health approach, empowering women and the youth, and adapting agri-food systems to climate change.
23. The Declaration also stressed the importance of partnership;
24. encouraging the countries to join efforts in building a global alliance for coordinated action through the Food Coalition,
25. an FAO-led initiative that responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.
26. This is also directly linked to the importance of the Coalition of Action for Zero Hunger of the Food Systems Summit.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
27. The year 2021 is a unique one to restate our commitments.
28. From the G20 ministerial meetings to our gathering here at the Pre-Summit, to the UN Food Systems Summit, the COP 26 and the Nutrition for Growth Event at the end of the year.
29. We have ample opportunities to go beyond words, commitments, and planning;
30. We can move to action: form coalitions and alliances with concrete deliverables.
31. We are here to show the world that we have listened.
32. We have heard the voices at all the dialogues and consultations held;
33. at all levels and with different stakeholders during the past year.
34. We know what is needed, we know the countries’ aspirations and what it takes to achieve them.
35. We should prioritize areas of great importance that would allow us to achieve results at scale with high impact.
36. FAO stands ready to lead and co-lead Coalitions of Action relevant to our areas of expertise and where we have a comparative advantage.
37. The UN Food Systems Summit in September needs to be the beginning of a new era.
38. The start of time-bound and inclusive partnerships of all stakeholders.
39. Alliances that will hold all partners accountable to their commitments.
40. Because, unless we assume responsibility and take urgent actions;
41. we might gather in 2030 to announce that not only did we not eradicate hunger and poverty;
42. but that 660 million people are still hungry!
43. We cannot let that happen!
44. Thank you!