Food and agriculture must play a vital part in reaching a sustainable future

There is a growing realization that food and agriculture must play a vital part in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals and that in this context, FAO provides a neutral forum to address global issues of transboundary dimensions, the UN agency’s Director-General, José Graziano da Silva said. 

He made the remarks to representatives of member states at the closing of the 41st session of the FAO Conference.

“In a world in which tensions between nations or ideologies undermine progress towards a better future, your work during this Conference has helped to make FAO more effective in responding to the many demands on its services,” Graziano da Silva said, noting that the Conference saw the highest number of participants – over 1,300 delegates from 196 countries.

“Many of the major issues related to healthy food systems, sustainable agricultural development and responsible environmental stewardship can only be addressed through joint work between countries and relevant partners,” Graziano da Silva added.

The FAO chief extended a “very warm welcome” to the FAO Director-General elect Qu Dongyu of China and his team. Qu Dongyu will start his four-year term on 1 August.

Graziano da Silva reiterated his call for governments to encourage the production and consumption of healthy, locally produced foods to address the growing issue of obesity and overweight.

To support this, he put forward measures such as the introduction of taxes on unhealthy food products as well as easier-to-understand and more comprehensive food labels.

He pointed out that conventional policies aimed at keeping food prices low for consumers are contributing to perpetuate rural poverty, drive internal and external migration and contribute to unhealthy eating.

The Conference approved the Programme of Work and Budget for the biennium 2020-21, which is closely aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Original source: FAO
Published on 28 June 2019