APEC Summit: FAO stresses the need for clean energy transition in agrifood systems

09/01/2025

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu addresses Ministerial Session on Sustainable Growth for a Resilient Development, emphasizing that radical transformation of agrifood systems is needed to make them more efficient, sustainable and resilient.

At a recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Lima, Peru, FAO’s Director-General, QU Dongyu, emphasized clean energy's critical role in the transformation of agrifood systems, with a goal of feeding a growing global population, while tackling the adverse impacts of climate change.

Agrifood systems account for about 30 percent of global energy consumption, with over a third of the sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from energy use. Currently one third of the world’s food is lost or wasted annually, which is further exacerbated by limited energy access. Specifically, the lack of effective refrigeration systems directly results in the loss of 526 million tons of food production, or 12 percent of the global total.

Responding to this issue, FAO is promoting innovative energy-smart solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis, support job creation, gender equality, promotion of youth, local and rural development to boost incomes, safeguard natural resources and reduce hunger. Over the past two decades, the organization has worked with governments and partners to increase farmers' access to modern energy technologies, ensuring more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood production.

Looking ahead, FAO underscores the importance of integrating clean energy policies into national climate strategies, as well as stressing the need to triple annual global clean energy investments to USD 4 trillion by 2030, with a goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

FAO remains committed to enabling a just energy transition in agrifood systems, ensuring farmers and rural communities have access to the green energy solutions necessary for a better environment, better production, better nutrition, and better lives, while leaving no one behind.