Global Pollinator Conference Opening Remarks

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome this first Global Pollinator Conference.

It is small, but very focused.

You know during last week and during the week of the World Food Forum and World Food Day, it was overwhelming here at FAO headquarters.

My colleagues who accompanied me to Des Moines in the United States for the World Food Prize at the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, felt it was so quiet compared to Rome, where we had 10 days – starting with the Seeds to Foods Exhibition, the World Food Forum and World Food Day celebrations – of overwhelming activity and crowds.

Actually, the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue was very big, but it was still very small compared to the event we had here.

I started by saying that because you cannot expect the Pollinator Conference to be as big as the World Food Forum. It is impossible.

But we also need some more specific, professional and deeper dialogue.

That is why I came here to support this meeting.

Pollinators are fundamental to our agrifood systems, and very important for the restoration of ecosystems.

Twenty years ago, when I was a local government leader, I established that one county is more than 8 000 square kilometers.

Without natural grazing, which was not allowed, after 10 years the ecosystem restored biodiversity and biomass. We measured it scientifically more than three times compared to 10 years before, from 2005 to 2015.

I said that because that area only has less than 200- millimeter rainfall in a year, winter is very cold: -20/25 C degrees; summer is around 30 degrees, and it is very dry and very sunny.

But the power comes from nature, especially pollinators.

I have a lot of scientific data around that.

We first used airplanes to distribute seeds; composing up to 16 different seeds of grass and bushes.

Of course it helps, but then we found out that most of the 24 hours of work for restoration is done by pollinators, different kinds of pollinators, working day and night from spring to autumn, not in winter. They take about five months of rest. But for seven months they work all day and night. Because some pollinators work in the night also when you are sleeping, they are not sleeping.

So, that gives me very scientific, solid thinking.

We supported Slovenia to establish World Bee Day since 2014, until 2019 when it was endorsed.

I got to know that Slovenia is the first country in Europe to have scientists scientifically investigating bees or related pollinators.

So, thanks to the Ambassador and also the Minister for Agriculture, who kept focusing on World Bee Day.

Pollinators are very important and fundamental to the foods we eat and to the environment we live in.

Those are my 40 years of experience as a scientist when we looked at how biodiversity was also restored by pollinators.

Much more effective than human beings. You make a lot of Conferences of the Parties, a lot of international conferences, but who is really contributing? Pollinators, including bees. Because “pollinators” is a bigger concept than “bees”. Bees can produce some honey for us. So, I will talk not only about bees, but also pollinators are hidden heroes; real hidden heroes to help human beings. We did not know and even scientists did not know them enough.

So, through this Conference, I just wanted to highlight what is the real contribution.

About 75 percent of the world's most important food crops rely on pollination; as breeders and geneticists, we know that.

Looking back into history, Mr Gregor Mendel from Austria, about 300 years ago, investigated peas. So, Mendel rule 1, Mendel rule 2…I am wondering that you learned it from middle school, high school or university, I do not know.

It is from peas: white flowers are crossed with red flowers and become dominant genes or recessive genes.

But all pollinators are doing these, not for their own, but for biodiversity and crop production, of course, as well as for the quantity, quality and diversity of our foods.

Protecting pollinators is essential for biodiversity, for food security, for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and consumers in general, and for the Four Betters:

We start with better production, what does better production mean?

Not necessarily for human beings. Of course we have to work hard, especially farmers. But also, we need other animals, friendly animals, for us, like pollinators.

Better production is essential for us, we get our real allies from nature, “natural friends”.

And also, better nutrition, because a lot of pollinators bring micronutrients, functional elements and even special medicine, natural medicine; from pollinators they create some from first metabolism, secondary metabolism.  That is the role of pollinators. If we have time, I can give you a lecture about that one day, no problem.

And a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Better environment not only talks about trees, grass, the big items. What is your surrounding? Microenvironments, middle-level environments for agrifood systems. You have to change perspectives to see the pollinators.

And better life, I said, it not only improves the economy and nutrition, but also life quality. I know that many products are from bee products, and also bee honeycomb which can be processed for medicines. The natural beehive is a very good raw material for producing special medicines.

In China, under the CAAS, we have national Institute of Apicultural Research (IAR), from breeding, production and also processing, and even culture and also food, functional food. It is located in the middle of the Beijing botanical garden, and is accessible to the public.

Yet, pollinators face increasing pressures from habitat loss because people just benefit from them; you do not care about them.

You did not take enough care because you do not know, like a mummy. Your mummy prepares food every day for you, but you do not appreciate it. Once your mummy is sick or something else happens, suddenly you realize your mummy is so important.

That is why the Daoists from 5 000 years in China say that we have to live harmonized with nature. Nature is not a general nature with different plants, different animals and different microorganisms, with different types of people. That is the Daoist, 5 000 years harmonized with nature, not only with the trees and the flowers or crops, with all kinds of animals, plants and microorganisms.

If we destroy them, finally, like people in New Zealand, they play that game boomerang. It is sent out and then returns, hitting youself. It is Māori. Māori nationals how to play, but they know how not to hit themselves, but a lot of people try to learn and then hit themselves.

So, I think we have to appreciate all the pollinators, and you need to discuss this big topic scientifically, professionally, even administratively. How to be friendly to our pollinators?

To address these challenges, we need to work together to turn international commitments into concrete actions leading to tangible results on the ground.

Following the UN Biodiversity Conference in Armenia, we have an opportunity to further strengthen collective action.

Through FAO's Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Members have provided a clear mandate to work towards establishing a Global Pollinator Platform to strengthen coordinated global action on pollinator conservation and sustainable management.

I always encourage FAO Members, no matter whether you are big or small, poor or rich, if you take the lead on one thing, we can change a lot together.

That is why I always praise Slovenia. It is not a big country, and not a rich country by European or international standards, but they took the lead and I am committed to supporting them create international impact.

Last week, I also took advantage, after the CEB in New York, to visit the President Roosevelt Library. I am fortunate, I must say. I was the first Director-General that visited Roosevelt’s Library.

A Chinese proverb says “喝水不忘挖井人”or “饮水思源”, meaning that you should not forget your ancestors who dug the well for us, and just enjoy the spring water.

Because it was President Roosevelt who established FAO.

You can even see the changes in the last version of the draft Constitution which he made by himself in pencil. They said “decision made by the Council” proposed by the Constitution’s drafting people, a group of experts, and then he said no, it should be the Conference.

Roosevelt was such a busy President in the history of the United States, yet he took the time to even correct the language of the FAO Constitution.

It is amazing. It astonished me and really touched me.

Being a great leader, he not only talked but controlled the quality; and he proposed the four freedoms. People only took freedom of speech, relevant to what they wanted to say or publish, but he said four freedoms together, hand in hand: freedom of speech and expression; freedom to worship; freedom from fear; and freedom from want.

From four freedoms to four betters, it is one cycle, a big cycle of history.

Because FAO now has 193 Members, it should cover much wider consensus and principles which guide us to move on.

I also had a meeting with a former FAO colleague who retired, Dr Cary Fowler, who was also the Executive Director of the Crop Trust, which deals with genetic resources.

The United Nations Environment Programme people talk about climate change and biodiversity, but FAO has the longest history dealing with biodiversity and genetic resources.

Previously, we had the IBPGR (International Board for Plant Genetic Resources), when I was a student. Then somehow 20-25 years ago, it disappeared. I do not know why.

If I had come earlier, I would have protected it. Now, there is a new version. We cannot repeat history, but we can build new history based on the new situation.

That is why this Conference is historically important.

I really appreciate the Government of Slovenia; please send my best regards to Her Excellency the President. You know, Slovenia is the only country who has “love” in the middle of its name. I discovered it. They themselves did not know!

I said I am a scientist learning English. There is only one country in the world, in which the middle of the name is “love”. S-Love-Nia. Love Nia, not AI, but IA. 

This first Conference is an important step forward.

We need to all work together, across FAO Divisions, and across multilateral fora like the World Conference on Ecological Restoration - I do not like small silo meetings. You need to bring World Bee Day forum together to have a strong impact together.

Over the years, FAO has been working with Members and partners to strengthen scientific knowledge, technical guidance and capacity, including by supporting the International Pollinator Initiative under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

I made the last speech on the United Nations System Chief Executive Board for Coordination Autumn Session in Greentree Estate.

I said I heard for seven years, my colleagues always said, “uncertainty, unpredictability and fragmentation”. But in the UN system, you created a lot of fragmentation by yourselves.

FAO is the same.

I always tried my best during the past seven years.

 That is why I established the From Seeds to Foods Exhibition. At the beginning it was only about crops, but I said no, you should have all the technical people working together: from seedlings to forestry; from fisheries to livestock.

It is not only about seeds. People here talk about seeds because they are linked to crops. I do not know your basic education. Tubers are also part of seeds. That is why this year’s most attractive exhibition was not the crop seeds part, it was the one from fisheries and aquaculture.

I know that at FAO each Division wants its only exhibition, but I killed it – I wanted them all on board working together!

FAO should be the overall coordinator, eliminating small silos.

The Global Pollinator Platform can bring together existing initiatives, facilitate knowledge exchange, promote innovation and strengthen national actions.

But coordination should be strengthened and you cannot do that alone.

We need sustained investment, stronger partnerships and practical solutions to support farmers, all the producers, and, of course, local communities.

We all have a role to play - governments, development partners, financial institutions, researchers, civil society, farmers, farmers’ organizations, the private sector, industries, and also all the related sectors: from field to fork, from production to process, from agriculture to AI, including medicines.

You know China is one of the most important countries for traditional medicines from bee production, from insect production in general – not only for food, but mainly for medicines, traditional medicines.

FAO stands ready to continue working closely with Members and partners to advance this important work.

I wish to thank the Government of Slovenia for its leadership in championing pollinator conservation globally,

And all our partners for their ongoing commitment and contributions.

I wish you a fruitful conference leading to accelerated action on pollinator conservation, coordinated with other initiatives.

Work together; change together; contribute together!

Thank you.