High-level Political Forum: Session on Food Security and sustainable agriculture, climate action, sustainable oceans and terrestrial ecosystems – adopting a nexus approach

High-level Political Forum

Session on Food Security and sustainable agriculture, climate action, sustainable oceans and terrestrial ecosystems – adopting nexus approach – 12 July

Joint Statement of FAO, IFAD and WFP

 

Thank you for giving me the floor, Your Excellency.

It is a pleasure to speak at this Session on behalf of the Rome-based Agencies: FAO, IFAD and WFP.

Sustainable Development Goal Number Two is essential for sustainable development, but it should not be seen only as an end result in itself.

Ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture also contributes to the achievement of the entire agenda. Similarly, SDG2 cannot be met in isolation from the other SDGs. All are interconnected and call for a holistic and inclusive approach.

SDG 2, for example, contributes to reaching the education goal:  food security and nutrition support the development of children and are necessary for them to learn. 

SDG-2 is also relevant to SDG 3, as adequate nutrition is essential for healthy lives and the well-being of all.

SDG-2 is clearly linked to SDG 13 on climate action, and SDGs 14 and 15 related to the sustainable use and management of oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. The actions we take to ensure food security and nutrition and sustainable agriculture will have a direct impact on our ecosystems. And healthy systems are essential to ensure food security. We must make these positive linkages.

As recognized by Goal 12, sustainable production is only one part of the issue. Every year, about one-third of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted. Reducing this loss and waste can contribute to make more food available and reduce the need to produce more, diminishing pressure on the environment, land, water and energy resources.

We also need to ensure that our food systems are inclusive: ensuring that sufficient food is produced is not enough if it is not available to those in need.

In short, looking at the nexus among the SDGs is essential to ensure that when we advance in one direction we positively influence other goals.

Let us keep in mind that over 70 percent of the world’s poor and hungry live in rural areas. Many are subsistence farmers and agricultural workers that do not have the means to produce enough food to feed themselves and their families.

Millions more people do not have enough money to buy the food they need. So here we can also see how education opportunities, good health and decent work are key elements to improve income and to ensure food security and nutrition.

It is therefore imperative that we develop food systems that are inclusive, sustainable, resilient to extreme conditions, adapted to climate change, and that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, if we are not to compromise the well-being of future generations.

 

Your Excellencies,

Adopting a nexus approach requires transparent governance of food systems, investment in rural sectors - with a focus on smallholder and family farming systems- improving rural-urban linkages, promoting market development, and enhancing social protection systems. The concept of ‘leaving no one behind’ should underpin the development of policies, programmes and investments in these areas

The Committee on World Food Security is an example of inclusive governance that can inspire others. Working in the three dimensions of sustainable development, the Rome-based agencies contribute to the development and implementation of several policy frameworks endorsed by the CFS that can support countries in their endeavors to implement the 2030 Agenda. These include:  the Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food; the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security; the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems.

To end, let me reaffirm that the UN Rome-based agencies, FAO, IFAD and WFP stand ready to support countries in implementing a nexus approach to agenda 2030, in particular as it relates to food security, sustainable agriculture, climate action and sustainable use of natural resources.

Through our concerted efforts and coordinated approach we can and will contribute to the achievement of a Zero Hunger World.

Thank you for your attention.