Mountain communities at the heart of the 2030 Agenda

“Today more than ever, and in the spirit of ‘Building Back Better’, there is a need to give urgent attention to the threats and risks affecting mountain livelihoods and ecosystems,” noted FAO New York Director Carla Mucavi, delivering opening remarks at  a High-Level Political Forum 2020 side event on sustainable mountain development over the UN Decade of Action 2020 – 2030.

Mucavi drew attention to the fact that COVID-19 lockdowns have caused remittances to dry up and have disrupted supply chains. As a result, mountain communities are now facing a slide back into poverty.

Today it is estimated that one billion mountain people live in developing countries, most of them in rural areas. About 346 million were already vulnerable to food insecurity prior to the onset of the pandemic.

Building on initiatives like the Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028, the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, and the Mountain Partnership that counts 400 members, FAO is working to achieve Zero Hunger and increase the resilience of mountain communities.

During the event, the Chief Land Resources Conservation Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of Malawi, Macpherson Nthara, called for multilateral action to reduce the effects of climate change, control land degradation and improve infrastructure in mountainous regions. Nthara also put forward a proposal to declare 2022 as an International Year of Mountains.

“There is a need to translate policies into actions on the ground,” said the Deputy Head of International Affairs and Food Security in Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture, Laura Sommer. She also stated her endorsement of site-adapted agricultural management practices that fully account for the specificities and vulnerabilities of the different production systems.

Sommer’s disapproval of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ concept was echoed by the Director of Environmental Affairs in Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Silvia Vázquez, who shared  the experience on  how local government supports indigenous communities in Argentina’s mountain regions.

In  keeping with the Decade of Action mission of accelerating sustainable solutions to the  challenges faced  mountain communities, the Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN, Mirgul Moldoisaeva, referenced the recent adoption of the “Sustainable Mountain Development” resolution by the General Assembly, which was co-facilitated by Kyrgyzstan and Italy, and supported by 63 sponsors. The resolution reaffirmed the importance of international cooperation to address the specific challenges faced by the mountainous countries.

“Mountains and the Decade of Action and Delivery” was moderated by Counsellor at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee, Andrea Macchioni.