Statement by H.E. Mrs. Mar\u00eda Fernanda Espinosa Garc\u00e9s, President of the 73rd<\/sup> Session of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly<\/h3>\n6 November 2018<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2018\/11\/FOOOOD-300x169.jpg\")
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) & on The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)<\/p><\/div>\n
Thank you madame Modator;<\/em><\/p>\nLet me first acknowledge my fellow Panelists,<\/em><\/p>\nYour Excellency, Lorena Aguilar Revelo, Vice-Minister of Foreign Relations & Worship of Costa Rica,<\/em><\/p>\nYour Excellency, Maria Angela Zappia, Chair of the Group of Friends of Food Security, Permanent Representative of Italy to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ,<\/em><\/p>\nYour Excellency, Dian Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ,<\/em><\/p>\nMr. Jos\u00e9 Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)<\/em><\/p>\nMr. Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)<\/em><\/p>\nMr. David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP),<\/em><\/p>\nExcellencies, distinguished delegates,<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
I would like to commend our co-hosts, along with the Group of Friends of Food Security for their leadership on this very important subject. I would also like to recognize the work and commitment of WFP, IFAD, FAO, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF and WHO.<\/p>\n
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ System and multilateralism is key to support millions of people around the world against hunger. We still need to strengthen synergies and efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 \u201czero hunger\u201d.<\/p>\n
Issues of food security and nutrition touch on every single person of the planet and these reports that we are launching today provide a clear indication of how we are doing on these important subjects, and on SDG 2.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Colleagues, allow me to briefly reflect on these reports.<\/p>\n
On \u2018The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the Worldth the SOFI report)\u2019, the findings are, unfortunately, not promising.<\/p>\n
In this third year of implementation of Agenda 2030, we are actually seeing a reversal of gains previously made towards eradicating world hunger.<\/p>\n
The absolute number of people facing chronic food deprivation has increased from 804 million in 2016 to nearly 821 million in 2017. This is similar to the level we had in 2007, in the midst of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.<\/p>\n
There are many reasons for this. Climate change is changing agricultural landscapes, impacting smallholder farmers, and conflicts are forcing millions to the brink of starvation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.12.2″]<\/p>\n
While the dynamics behind hunger are complex, to see world hunger on the rise for the third year in a row is completely unacceptable<\/em>. There is a clear need for course correction.<\/p>\nWe live in a world of plenty, and yet women, men and children are perishing.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, we are also witnessing increasing rates of obesity in all regions of the world.\u00a0 Unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are creating a population that is beset with diabetes, heart conditions and numerous other ailments.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.12.2″]\n\n
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) & on The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)<\/p><\/div>\n
Thank you madame Modator;<\/em><\/p>\n Let me first acknowledge my fellow Panelists,<\/em><\/p>\n Your Excellency, Lorena Aguilar Revelo, Vice-Minister of Foreign Relations & Worship of Costa Rica,<\/em><\/p>\n Your Excellency, Maria Angela Zappia, Chair of the Group of Friends of Food Security, Permanent Representative of Italy to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ,<\/em><\/p>\n Your Excellency, Dian Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ,<\/em><\/p>\n Mr. Jos\u00e9 Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)<\/em><\/p>\n Mr. Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)<\/em><\/p>\n Mr. David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP),<\/em><\/p>\n Excellencies, distinguished delegates,<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I would like to commend our co-hosts, along with the Group of Friends of Food Security for their leadership on this very important subject. I would also like to recognize the work and commitment of WFP, IFAD, FAO, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF and WHO.<\/p>\n Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ System and multilateralism is key to support millions of people around the world against hunger. We still need to strengthen synergies and efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 \u201czero hunger\u201d.<\/p>\n Issues of food security and nutrition touch on every single person of the planet and these reports that we are launching today provide a clear indication of how we are doing on these important subjects, and on SDG 2.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Colleagues, allow me to briefly reflect on these reports.<\/p>\n On \u2018The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the Worldth the SOFI report)\u2019, the findings are, unfortunately, not promising.<\/p>\n In this third year of implementation of Agenda 2030, we are actually seeing a reversal of gains previously made towards eradicating world hunger.<\/p>\n The absolute number of people facing chronic food deprivation has increased from 804 million in 2016 to nearly 821 million in 2017. This is similar to the level we had in 2007, in the midst of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.<\/p>\n There are many reasons for this. Climate change is changing agricultural landscapes, impacting smallholder farmers, and conflicts are forcing millions to the brink of starvation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.12.2″]<\/p>\n While the dynamics behind hunger are complex, to see world hunger on the rise for the third year in a row is completely unacceptable<\/em>. There is a clear need for course correction.<\/p>\n We live in a world of plenty, and yet women, men and children are perishing.<\/p>\n On the other hand, we are also witnessing increasing rates of obesity in all regions of the world.\u00a0 Unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are creating a population that is beset with diabetes, heart conditions and numerous other ailments.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.12.2″]\n\n