WORLD FOOD FORUM Grand Opening Opening Statement

WORLD FOOD FORUM

Grand Opening

Opening Statement

By

Dr Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General

16 October 2023

 

His Majesty the King of Lesotho,

His Excellency the President of Ireland,

His Excellent the President of Iraq,

His Excellency the President of the Central Africa Republic,

His Excellency the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania,

His Royal Highness the Prince of Jordan

His Excellency the Minister for Agriculture of Italy

His Excellency the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Guests, Colleagues and Friends, both the Young and the Young-at-Heart

 

I welcome you all. Good afternoon from Rome and welcome to the 2023 World Food Forum!

 

This is the third year of the Forum, and already its momentum has grown exceptionally well. From 2021 to 2022, participation in the World Food Forum week nearly doubled. And this year, the Forum is even more robust and impressive. It is truly a global movement.

 

The World Food Day ceremony which commemorates the establishment of FAO, under the UN family, was held earlier this morning and serves as the most appropriate way to kick-off the World Food Forum, which brings us together for the whole week.

 

I said this morning, we used to have only a one-hour talk, but now from one hour we have increased to one week – this is an increase of 40 times more work we are going to do, together and intergenerational!

 

We need to take steps to close the intergenerational gap, to build harmonization among different generations, among different backgrounds across agrifood systems, and even across different cultures.

 

We started the intergenerational dialogue across the continents, across the Members, starting with the very young – that is why the World Food Forum is becoming more and more attractive.

 

A special thanks goes to our host country Italy for their ongoing commitment and support to FAO. In particular, I wish to thank them for the new state-of-the art facilities in this Plenary Hall, which were completed at the end of July – not even in New York do they have these modern systems!

 

A special thanks also goes to all my colleagues for their commitment and long hours of work, even during weekends and holidays, to make all this happen.

 

The World Food Forum started when I founded the FAO Youth Committee and FAO Women Committee in 2019. In fact, yesterday, on 15 October, we celebrated the establishment of the FAO Women’s Committee four years ago. And one month earlier, we established the FAO Youth Committee. Both Committees were a first in a UN Specialized Agency with the aim of bringing both the young and the young-at-heart, and all women, on board to get their voices heard.

 

Not only across the Organization, but to reach out to Members as well. We know that for the global transformation of agrifood systems we need youth and women to get ownership, and work in partnership together. The empowerment of the youth and women are building a dynamic a harmonious momentum and turning ideas into action.

 

We are all here to continue the noble mission of this Organization with a big platform and a package of solutions for impactful results.

 

This year’s World Food Forum theme is: “Agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action.” Transforming agrifood systems can - and must - be a central part of the global climate solution. Agrifood systems provide food and assures the right to food of all of us.

 

At the same time, agrifood systems account for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and increase environment degradation. We urgently need to transform them to become more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, to address today’s expectations for tomorrow.

 

This ambitious global agenda requires comprehensive and collective action. This means we must collaborate across generations and sectors.

 

We need young people – those who will inherit the world we leave behind - to be actively involved in shaping the present and future of agrifood systems. Youth engagement and women empowerment are fundamental to our work at the World Food Forum.

 

We are also bringing Science and Innovation, and Investments, into the equation – as they are the drivers for the transformation. Young people, from rural to urban areas, bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a sense of urgency to address the challenges facing our agrifood systems.

 

Today’s youth are more geographically mobile and technologically connected than ever before, with a vast capital of innovative and scalable solutions that are often overlooked.

 

Young people also have the potential to drive economic growth and social development in rural areas, where agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for millions of people.

 

They can also be game changers for new way of production and new consumption patterns, while driving the change in mindset and behavior required to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

By involving young people and young women, in decision-making and innovative processes, we can ensure that our actions are responsive to their needs and aspirations.

 

This is why in early August this year I announced the establishment of a new Office for Youth and Women at FAO. It is also the first ever in the UN system. We are institutionalizing FAO. It should be the youngest and most women-empowered Organization in the world. This Office is proposed to continue and further strengthen the interlinked progress achieved thus far by FAO Youth Committee and the FAO Women Committee, and the World Food Forum, in the years to come.

 

When you have institutionalization reform, it will last forever. That is why we need a constitutional and institutionalized empowerment rooted in this Organization.

 

This year, we are also highlighting the importance of Indigenous knowledge by hosting the bi-annual Global Indigenous Youth Forum of the United Nations here at FAO. Last year, for the first time ever in the UN system, we had an Indigenous Nomadic camp here on FAO premises. This year, as you can see, there is not only one, but quite a few!

 

Indigenous knowledge is part of our civilization, it is part of our history and part of our solution for the future.

 

Dear Friends,

 

This whole week ahead will be filled with diverse activities including:

• Discussions, dialogues, and debates.
• Roundtables and policy discussions with stakeholders and policymakers.
• Insights from global visionaries, leading experts and local changemakers.
• Collaborative workshops on emerging trends, new technologies, practical skills, and best practices.
• Interactive demonstrations and exhibitions.
• Cutting-edge research and innovative solutions; and
• Empowering tools to make tangible impacts in local communities and beyond.

 

So, this October 2023, let us team up together! When you team up you will be sure of making a stronger impact.

 

We are all here to accelerate, amplify and scale-up the transformations the world needs right now.

 

By creating efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems we can mitigate and adapt to climate change.

 

There is no one-size-fits-all solution we need to adapt our solution to country context, which is why we need all your voices, ideas, and experiences to be shared.

 

Together we can create a future in which global agrifood systems ensure the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.

 

And leaving no one behind!

 

At the end of this opening session, I invite all the participants here in Rome to join us downstairs on the ground floor to inaugurate the World Food Forum exhibition, the Indigenous Territory, and to enjoy a youth concert.

 

Creativity and enthusiasm are key pillars of positive change. In this spirit, I wish you all a mind-opening, inspirational, and transformative week.

 

Let us enjoy, and walk the talk!

 

Thank you very much.