SIRACUSA G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting Session 5: Science, Innovation and Climate Change Intervention

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is a key topic close to my heart, as I was a scientist before joining FAO.

I wish to commend the G7 for the important role it has been playing in the field of science and technology in agriculture.

The challenge is very complex. 

Historically, forerunners of the green revolution in the 1960s and 1970s such as Dr. Norman Borlaug, Professor Yuan Longping and Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, changed the scientific base for agriculture - to produce more food, to ensure sufficient food for all.

But to achieve this, we need  a deeper thinking, a holistic and longer design and  to deliver concrete action.

The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 sets out the need to produce more with less – but it is not just about increasing the quantity, it is about food diversity and higher quality, it is about improving production, with less inputs and with less negative impacts on the environment.

The question is How?

The answer lies is science and innovation, alongside enabling policies and adequate investment. But the entry point is science and innovation, and it is also the most cost-effective way.

Although science and innovation have been important in many of the G7 countries, there have been no major scientific breakthroughs in the past 20 years.

For this reason, I welcome the renewed focus of the G7 on agrifood innovation and on increasing investments in this area.

Last year, I visited the Mississippi State University and was impressed to see the important work being carried out in the field of aquaculture.

Currently, Asia produces more than 90% of aquatic food globally - Africa only 2.7%.

Aquaculture is the only solution to producing an increased quantity of aquatic foods – it cannot be done by fishing alone. By using 1% of aquatic land, we can produce 99% of the aquatic foods we need.

The UN Ocean Conference next year in France, co-hosted with Costa Rica, will be an important opportunity to promote aquaculture.

We need to think bigger, longer and more concrete.

For this reason, at FAO we developed a renewed Strategy on Climate Change, and the first-ever Strategy on Science and Innovation.

I also established the first-ever position of Chief Scientist in the Organization, not only to improve our work on advocacy, but to foster political will and be a voice at the global level, including by supporting relevant scientific national and international organizations such as the CGIAR.

For the G7, it is not about increasing investment in this area, but rather about how to better and more effectively leverage the funding available to establish effective scientific networks.

The SOFI 2024 Report, led by FAO but with the contribution of a number of relevant UN organizations, sets out how to leverage investment on agrifood systems including science and innovation, in the second part of the report.

We need new varieties to be resistant to drought, and flooding.

Adaptation and mitigation, as well as resilient and efficient agrifood systems are key for the integrated management of natural resources.

For this reason, at FAO we promote the One Health approach from soil health, plant health to animal health, including AMR.

But we need to remember that healthy soils are the starting point of One Health, and soil science is key to ensuring soil health – Germany, for example, was a leader in soil science for many years.

I look forward to closer collaboration on science and technology in agriculture, and for this reason I established the Science and Innovation Forum as one of the three pillars of the annual World Food Forum in Rome at FAO Headquarters.

Science must contribute to a better life, and towards better livelihoods for farmers.

It is not only about writing scientific papers. We cannot eat paper; we need to eat healthy foods!

Thank you.