Science and Innovation Forum Towards Equity: Closing the Science, Technology, Innovation Gap Opening Remarks

I thank all the audience that is still here. Professor and Nobel Laureate, he is still a professor, so he always sees the students that at the end of a late day remain in the classroom. Therefore, you are not good students for me, but good students for the Nobel Laureate. Let us give ourselves an applause.

As you know, I was a scientist for quite a long time, so if you want to do something, you need to think deeper, in detail and with passion. Otherwise, nobody would ask me to do so many things related to science and innovation, because I know that science and innovation are the driving forces to lead the transformation in agrifood systems globally.

And even at the village level, because every agrifood systems transformation starts in the village. In America, it starts in the farms, because your farms are bigger than villages. In most of developed countries more than 1 000 hectares, in lot of developing countries a village maybe is only 20 to 40 hectares. Because in the world 84-85 percent are smallholder farmers, only 15-16 percent of family farmers are a little bit bigger than three hectares.

That is the reality, my dear Professor. You are not on agriculture; you are a famous economist. These are basic data I wanted to share with you.

But filling the gap – you know my colleague Vincent Martin, we had a discussion, we should have changed behaviour. The people, look at different farmers, different people, even different staff. Since I came, I know that before, only 10 percent of the people friendly used the iPad computer in FAO. After 5 years, 80 percent of the senior management can use the iPad.

When I was at the academy, the university, it was strange to see an assistant professor who did not know how to use the computer and the iPad. It is a little bit strange. But here it is an intergovernmental organization. They always ask to their assistant to fix the computer, the iPad and the slides. I am the first Director-General who prepared the slides by myself.

It is a habit. When the pandemic came, I could do it by myself. I also sent screenshot photos to the Office of Communication, because they could not have photos for the news. I remember I was participating in the first summit of G20 during the pandemic. So, the director of the Office of Communication of that time asked me if I had any photos, and I said that I had. I did not take them by myself, but by doing a screenshot.

So, I said that you should change your behaviour scientifically. You should believe in science. You should believe in innovation. Not necessarily only for agriculture and food, but also for your life. You need to believe that science can lead to a change, make your life simple and efficient, even enjoyable.

Second, filling the gap. We should organize the farmers on how to fill the gap. It is very challenging, not only in the developing countries, but also in the United States and in Europe.

For instance, for so many years, Europe promoted nature-based solutions. I challenged the farmers in Europe, especially in Italy, when I visited them. What does “nature-based solutions” mean?” No pesticides, no fertilizers - this is a nature-based solution. I said: who cares if you are nature-based or not nature -based, what is the quality of food you produce? You should produce the high quality of food, that is the goal. And then you have to improve the productivity, because they pay you with certificates by kilos, not by nature-based or not nature-based.

So, I said: we have to give the right message and information to the farmers, to understand what real science is. Like kids, if you do not give them sufficient nutrition - a nature-based solution to let them grow. I am a geneticist, if you have good genotype, it is ok. But if you don’t then it’s not so good - I am so short because I did not have enough food, not enough nutrition.

The animals could not grow in health and people could not grow as tall as possible. So, we need to give them the right information, not only from the science, scientists, education, professionals, government, and Governing Bodies like FAO.

That is why I created this Forum. I know, before I came, no people were talking about science and innovation here. Because all the people were always participating in Governing Bodies on behalf of countries, reading a statement and then starting negotiations. That is business as usual. We have to change the business-as-usual in an innovative and more inclusive, more open way.

So, fill in the gap, change the behavior. Educate, give the right information to the farmers and even the managers. I did not want to touch the Ministers, Vice-Ministers, all your colleagues. If you are ministerial people, staff, professional staff, P4 or P5 level, they did not do science, how can they propose the statement for you to speak? So, we need the right information.

Third, I say, more importantly for FAO as a UN specialized agency, we should advocate, let the different people, different ages, the different opinions speak, allow scientists, allow the professional people to debate. Science should go across the border. That is my belief. We should not have Chinese science, American science, European science. We should talk about the same science.

So, these are the three issues. That is why I put passion and support the World Food Forum and the theme of “Science and Innovation”.

Lastly, we have a long way to go. We should work together. Not only to fit the purpose of food security. And, I said, food security has three elements. For filling the science and innovation gap, we also have three elements. The same, just change the first word:

Food availability, food accessibility and food affordability

To:

Science, technology and innovation availability, science, technology and innovation accessibility; and science, technology and innovation affordability.

Forty years ago, one computer cost USD 10 000. Now a mobile phone may cost only USD 500, yet it is is much more powerful than the computer of 40 years ago. So, we need affordability for science and technology, especially for agrifood systems, because we produce the cheapest basic necessities for human beings. We need availability, affordability and, of course, accessibility.

Thank you. Thank you so much.