World Food Day 2023 celebration in New York - New York Botanical Garden16 October 2023

(Thank you, Ms. Jennifer Bernstein, Chief Executive Officer and The William C. Steere Sr. President, New York Botanical Garden, for your warm remarks, we are so pleased to be here today.

 

And thank you to the UN Orchestra for kicking off this event with such beautiful music)

 

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates, colleagues and friends, ladies and gentlemen,

 

On behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, I am delighted to welcome you to this World Food Day celebration, with a theme of “Water is Food. Water is Life. Leave No One Behind”, hosted together with the New York Botanical Garden for the first time. This is another testament to the good collaboration between us, following the Director-General's visit in July during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Garden for their hospitality.

Together with us today, are esteemed ambassadors, high representatives from the UN family, global foundations, New York Botanical Garden partners, local government as well as many members of the New York community – including a New York Food Hero. It’s indeed a great honor to have all of you here and thank you so much for your attendance.

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Access to food is a basic human right. Despite daunting challenges ahead, to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2-ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030 by transforming agrifood systems, both urban and rural, to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, remains at the core of FAO’s mandate. 

In this context, today’s gathering is far beyond celebration itself, rather it demonstrates a global solidarity and renewed collective commitment to taking concrete actions to achieve our goal. Without your continued dedication, the mission is impossible.

I look forward to hearing examples of such inspiring actions and examples of how we are working together at all levels, from international to local community level, to ensure safe, nutritious, and affordable food for all, leaving no one behind.

Thank you!