BRAZIL G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting 1st Session on Priorities I and II: Sustainable Food Systems and Agricultural Trade Statement

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As global agrifood systems face unprecedented pressure, it is crucial to transform them to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,

To ensure food security, environmental health, and economic prosperity for future generations.

Sustainable agrifood systems are designed to produce food in a way that is environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially responsible.

This involves producing more with less, by adopting practices that improve productivity and food diversity, reduce inputs of agrifood systems and minimize environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve biodiversity.

And optimize the use of inputs such as water, energy, pesticides and fertilizers, as well as reducing food losses and waste.

Sustainable farming practices are essential for achieving long-term food security by maintaining the ecosystem’s health, while ensuring agricultural productivity and profitability.

Innovation and techniques such as biotic-abiotic resistant varieties, conservation agriculture (CA), integrated pest management (IPM), and multiple cropping symptoms help reduce the use of agrochemicals, improve soil health, and enhance biodiversity.

Many of these practices are adopted widely by Brazilian farmers and I had the opportunity to witness some of them during my visit.

Innovation and technology play a crucial role in advancing sustainable agrifood systems - from precision agriculture and digital farming to biotechnology and renewable energy - there are numerous innovations that can help improve the efficiency and sustainability of food production.

By investing in research and development, we can unlock new solutions to the challenges facing our agrifood systems and drive progress towards a more sustainable future.

Innovation is a critical driver of science-based growth. Estimates of the rates of return to agricultural R&D suggest a very high social-economic value.

Yet, public investment in R&D has stalled or decreased over the years in many countries.

It is imperative that the public sector continues to prioritize R&D and encourages private resources and research to refocus on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Another important aspect of sustainable agrifood systems is the promotion of social equity.

This involves ensuring that all people have access to nutritious and affordable foods, as well as supporting the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and rural communities.

FAO's Strategic Framework 2022-2031 is built at overarch of the integrated Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life – leaving no one behind.

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), as well as to supporting the broader SDG agenda.

The Four Better are actionable pathways at global, regional, national and local levels to achieving the SDGs and creating a sustainable and food-secure world for all for today and tomorrow.

Within this context, agricultural trade is a cornerstone of global food security and crosscuts all the Four Betters.

Trade policies that promote openness and reduce barriers can enhance food security by stabilizing food prices and ensuring a steady supply of diverse food products.

One of the key benefits of agricultural trade is that it helps to balance food supply and demand across different regions based on comparable advantages of different natural resources.

Through trade, surplus foods can be shared to countries in need, thereby ensuring that food reaches those who need it most.

This is particularly important in times of crisis, such as natural disasters or conflicts, when local food production may be disrupted.

Agricultural trade also fosters international cooperation and speeds up the transformation of global agrifood systems.

By participating in trade, countries can improve competitiveness, exchange knowledge, technology, and best practices, which can help to enhance effectiveness of agrifood systems and increase resilience to climate change.

But alone they cannot, and should not, be expected to fully address the trade-offs among economic, social, and environmental objectives.

For this, trade policies must be complemented by more targeted measures.

FAO has been a longstanding advocate of the benefits of open, rules-based trade to global food security.

Through our analysis, FAO assessed and divulged how trade can foster environmental, economic and social development goals.

With this objective, this year, FAO’s research aims at contributing to the debate around trade and nutrition. The 2024 edition of the FAO flagship publication The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO 2024) explores the complex linkages between food trade and nutrition and generates evidence on how trade affects dietary patterns and nutritional outcomes.

The data analysis undertaken for the report shows us that trade facilitates access to higher quantities and lower prices for all foods, and makes a significant contribution to dietary diversity, increasing the number of products supplied by countries twofold.

These effects are particularly important for net food importing countries, confirming once again through data and hard evidence that agricultural trade is essential for global food security and nutrition.

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To conclude, allow me to reiterate that the G20 can make a significant contribution to agricultural trade and global food security by:

One: Promoting market transparency. 

In this regard, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) is a consolidated pillar of global market transparency.

By providing timely and accurate market information, AMIS helps to reduce extreme price volatility and promotes coordinated policy action among member countries.

Continued G20 support in the form of data and information remains key to the continued success of the initiative.

Two: Refraining from adopting trade restrictions.

Trade restrictions are harmful for global food security because they disrupt the balance of food supply and demand across different regions.

When countries impose export bans or restrictions on food products, it reduces the global supply, driving up food prices and making it difficult for net food-importing countries to access essential commodities.

This can lead to increased food insecurity, especially in developing countries where food accounts for a significant portion of household budgets.

Additionally, trade restrictions can create a ripple effect across countries, widening the problem and ultimately undermining global efforts to ensure a stable and affordable food supply for all.

And Three: revitalizing the agricultural negotiations at the WTO.

Multilateralism and a free, fair, predictable, non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading system is key for promoting agricultural and rural development and contributing to global food security and improved agrifood systems.

Thank you Chair.