Global Dialogue on the Role of Food and Agriculture in the Global Biodiversity Framework Day 2 Closing Remarks
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
07/07/2021
Global Dialogue on the Role of Food and Agriculture in the
Global Biodiversity Framework
Day 2 Closing Remarks by
Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
As prepared
7 July 2021
Honorable Ministers,
Ms Elisabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the CBD,
Distinguished Speakers,
Colleagues and Friends,
1. I thank you all for your valuable contributions to this Global Dialogue over the past two days.
2. We saw a vivid exchange of ideas among so many different actors involved in agri-food systems.
3. I commend you all for staying connected and committed.
4. This Global Dialogue highlighted the spirit of close collaboration between FAO and the CBD.
5. And it echoed the urgent call to mainstream biodiversity across the agricultural sectors on the road to COP 15 in Kunming, China.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
6. I am confident that our reflections on the Role of Food and Agriculture in the Global Biodiversity Framework will send an important message to the Post-2020 negotiations.
7. That message is – In responding to some of the most urgent challenges of our time; biodiversity and agriculture are natural allies.
8. On one hand, biodiversity makes critical contributions to productivity, food security and nutrition, rural livelihoods, and resilience.
9. On the other, mainstreaming biodiversity in our agri-food systems offers the largest contribution for biodiversity conservation and restoration in productive landscapes and aquatic ecosystems outside dedicated conservation areas.
10. To deliver our common vision of a world with better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life;
11. we need to identify, understand and reconcile the trade-offs related to making biodiversity and agriculture long-lasting allies.
12. The math is easy – as we heard, reversing biodiversity loss and land degradation can reap
1.4 TRILLION US Dollars of benefits per year.
13. This points to a win-win situation.
14. We have heard inspiring solutions in these last two days.
15. Now it is time to scale-up those solutions, shift how we consume and produce food, ramp up digitalization and leverage innovation and big data.
16. We need to scale up synergetic investment flows that benefit local growth, prosperity and viability.
17. These are some of the concrete actions, which we need to take with us to the Post-2020 negotiations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
18. Transforming our agri-food systems to become MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable to support achieving the 2030 Agenda can only happen if we work together in partnerships and with ambition.
19. It is up to us, as leaders, scientists, researchers, donors, entrepreneurs, farmers, consumers and decision-makers, to make change happen.
20. We can and we will.
Thank you.