GEF Food Systems Integrated Program First Global MeetingHigh-Level Event:“Unlocking Sustainable Food Systems for Climate, Nature and Livelihoods” Opening Remarks

Your Excellency the Minister and friend from Nigeria – I think this is your fourth time here at FAO and I am so happy to see you again!

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

I am so pleased to welcome you today to this important high-level event that signals the start of the action phase of the GEF-8 Food System Integrated Programme and marks the First Global Meeting of the countries involved.

This also reminds me when I first participated in UNGA in 2019, chaired by the former Special Representative of China, Mr Xie Zhenhua, together with the Executive Director of UNEP.

I was invited to speak, and I said I am from the agricultural sector. Agriculture is the first who suffers from pollution, from the degradation of the environment, and then acts as a buffer. I still remember after six years, because agriculture includes all the micro-environment, not only for agrifood systems and for rural development, but also for the larger environment. 

And then I also told the meeting that agriculture should be the contributor.

So, sufferer, to buffer, to contributor!

After six years, with my colleagues’ support, especially the former and current Deputy Directors-General, we realized my comprehensive and holistic design, based on a professional, scientific approach.

Many people complain about agrifood systems, especially the livestock sector.

At the end of this month, we will have the Second Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation because as a scientist for 25 years I never complained but always offered solutions. This is the role of a professional organization like FAO, and also of the Ministers for Agriculture.

Sometimes Ministers for Agriculture suffer because people always complain about Ministers for Agriculture who did not do enough. However, they also complain when there is a shortage of food and prices are high. Therefore, the Ministers of Environment are always right. That is why I said those three words in my first participation in UNGA.

The Food Systems Integrated Programme is an innovative programme that we are proud to co-lead with IFAD to accelerate sustainable agrifood systems and agricultural transformation across 32 countries. It is also a change in FAO’s business model because previously we were only addressing countries individually, but agriculture does not respect the borders of nations - it only respects similarities, agri-ecosystems. The tropics in India are not different from the tropics in other parts of Africa. Tropics are tropics, no matter in which country. This is the nature of agrifood systems. If you read my first manifesto as candidate for FAO Director-General, I had five initiatives, of which one was tropical agriculture. I hope you can still understand my root thinking and philosophy. Therefore, I really appreciate the support from GEF with their investment of USD 282 million.

This event aligns with the 2025 Forum of the Standing Committee on Finance of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change that we are pleased to host this week at FAO, linked by three common threads:

First: that agrifood systems hold solutions to address climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. But it’s not only about land degradation, but also includes water pollution. Because if you talk about food, you are not only talking about food on the land, but also food under the water, which is highly efficient.

Second: that adequate financing for agrifood systems solutions is critical, especially for smallholder farmers; and

Third: that agrifood systems transformation must be just, inclusive and sustainable, and must catalyze the game-changing potential of women, youth and Indigenous Peoples, and especially smallholder farmers and smallholder producers from the field and from the sea. 

In Italy, I saw so many smallholder food producers who are selling food, even pizza. In Italy the pizza restaurants are at least two thirds small scale.

Agrifood systems are not only for producers and for services, but there is also the value added for jobs - decent jobs - for youth and women, particularly in the service sector which offers nutritious, healthy food with a good flavour and good quality.

Through the GEF Food Systems Integrated Programme, we are working to bring these pieces together. That is a holistic design and integrated approach.

This ambitious programme will help to:

One: restore 870 000 hectares of degraded agricultural lands for biodiversity, climate and ecosystem services;

Two: improve management across 14 million hectares of landscapes;

Three: mitigate 174 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions: and

Four: enhance the resilience of millions of people, especially smallholder producers, Indigenous Peoples, and rural communities; and

Five: it will help promote sustainable and resilient agrifood systems that are the foundation of food security.

32 countries have chosen our Food System Integrated Programme as a vehicle to help them accelerate this transformation, and to prove that it can bring global environmental benefits. We are grateful for your choice and fully aligned with your ambitions.

That is why last time I met with The Honorable Vice-President of Nigeria – who served eight years as a local governor – he asked what was FAO’s value for Nigeria? Nigeria has the biggest population in Africa, so we have to work with local governments; in big countries we should work more with local governments for deliverable, tangible results.

Thirty-two countries have chosen our Food System Integrated Programme as a vehicle and this week will be the first time we come together with the participating countries, and global partners, to share the ambitions of the Food Systems Integrated Programme in terms of achieving impact at scale at national and global levels.

I look forward to the outcomes of this meeting for clear and agreed actions to leverage this unique platform to promote sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.

Dear Colleagues,

Your participation is critical to expand the Programme’s outreach, strengthen its network, foster new and existing partnerships, including with the private sector, and enhance its visibility on a national and global scale.

The series of discussions this week - including the Food System Integrated Programme and the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnerships - are vehicles for countries to move from talk to action.

I think we should not only talk about action, but rather about what the action plan is. What is a traceable action plan? Because a lot of people talk about action, but it is not traceable. They thought that if they just talk about action, then action is happening. No, it is not that easy. I have always said that you need to trace five years, three years, even three months. Look at how we have changed FAO headquarters. I work with Deputy Director-General Maurizio Martina every week to check and to track progress. Otherwise, they say they are going to finish, and at the last minute they cannot finish. How can we do that? We need an objective, traceable action plan.

To beat the climate crisis, we need agrifood systems to move faster towards efficiency, inclusivity, resilience and sustainability,

And we need climate finance to flow to farmers.

And the good news is that some of these actions are already making a difference on the ground.

And there is strong commitment from countries and partners.

Let us continue to work together in an efficient, effective and coherent manner.

Working in a coherent manner is very difficult, especially among the different ministers, among different sectors, among different partners, vertically and horizontally. Vertically from the central government down to the farmers; horizontally also at the same level, county level, province level, even community level. How can they horizontally coordinate? That is real management, and we need the local government and the national government to provide support. 

FAO can only offer a design, a theoretical approach, for the governments and partners to build on together.

And the Four Betters – which start with better production because agrifood systems without production is not agriculture - then better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind.

I wish you all successful and meaningful discussions, as you prepare yourselves for the upcoming Conferences of the Parties (COPs).

FAO is willing to provide technical support to Members and to work together with financial institutions like IFAD and the World Bank, and other regional banks. FAO has a comparable technical advantage, but we cannot cover everything, although we always do our best within our limited capacity and resources.

Thank you so much.