Lecture by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Dennis Francis,
at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Headquarters, entitled: ¡°Accelerating progress towards Zero Hunger for the current and future generations¡±
30 July 2024
[As Delivered]
?
Mr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization,
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, let me express my delight in returning after many years, to the beautiful eternal city of Rome ¨C though in a different capacity, that of President of the United Nations General Assembly.
I am especially grateful to you personally, Director-General, and you staff at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for affording me this platform ¨C which enables me to add my voice to the ongoing efforts led appropriately by the FAO in addressing a critical and pressing global issue of our times.
Today, the international community is confronted with a food crisis of monumental proportions ¨C which, as recent reports reveal, represents one of the most daunting challenges facing humanity.
The statistics ¨C many sourced from the FAO itself ¨C paint a stark and distressing picture of the scale and the urgency of addressing this crisis.?
Every year, hunger and related diseases claim the lives of 9 million people.
Alarmingly, every minute, six children succumb to hunger; six innocents who have committed no wrong.
Currently, 800 million individuals are unsure where their next meal will come from.
Indeed, by 2030, the year in which we boldly committed to deliver the SDG¡¯s and with the global population expected to reach 8.6 billion ¨C an estimated 600 million people will still be facing hunger, unless we take decisive action now.
Make no mistake, this crisis does not exist in isolation.
It is fueled by a series of interconnected factors that together severely undermine global food security.
For instance, conflicts and wars are the leading causes of food insecurity in 20 countries or territories, affecting 135 million people ¨C including citizens in Ukraine and in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the escalating climate crisis ¨C manifesting in drought, floods, and extreme weather events ¨C is the primary cause of food insecurity in 18 countries, impacting over 72 million people.
We are observing this right now in Malawi ¨C where a flash appeal is seeking over $136 million (USD) to ensure urgent life-saving assistance to over 3.8 million people impacted by a devastating drought.
We saw it a few weeks ago when Hurricane Beryl wreaked havoc over several Caribbean islands ¨C destroying agricultural resources and corresponding livelihoods that contributed to food security in the region.
Dear Friends,
these are not just spontaneous incidents and numbers ¨C as each statistic represents individual lives, families, and communities enduring profound hardships.
It is a moral stain on our collective conscience for this to be allowed to continue.
We must respond ¨C with focus, urgency and determination ¨C to resolve the global food security crisis currently confronting us.
Dear Friends,
In line with our collective and solemn goal of ending hunger in all its forms by 2030, I have made food security a key priority of my Presidency ¨C as outlined in my vision statement and during my remarks at the opening of the 78th session of the General Assembly.
With a view to ensuring that the critical importance of global food security is not lost or overshadowed by the other cascading crises compounding multilateralism at this juncture, I have taken several actions:
- I invited an FAO representative to the United Nations to join my Advisory Board on LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in order to foster coordination, visibility and attention to food security issues, to ensure that it remains high on the agenda of the United Nations.
- I addressed the 51st Plenary Meeting of the Committee on World Food Security, to raise the momentum and help strengthen coordination of the policy responses to the food crisis.
- I participated in the launch of the annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report.
- Specifically targeting the global community through my public messages on World Food Day and World Food Safety Day, I continued to raise awareness on the political and practical importance of a sustained coordinated global campaign to meaningfully tackle the food crisis.
- I visited Haiti, South Sudan, and Ukraine to demonstrate the full support of the General Assembly for the civilians there and elsewhere in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and support, including those severely affected by hunger.
- In my public statements on global food security, I have consistently referred to the crucial role played by soil and land degradation and the need therefore, to devote enhanced urgent attention and resources to the rehabilitation of such lands to productive arable use.
- I have attended two Water events preparatory to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Water Conference to be held in 2026, that is, the Third International Water Conference in Dushanbe and the 10th World Water Forum in Bali and used my platform to encourage the development of a unified global water strategy, in order to ensure that adequate and reliable supplies of water are available to meet the needs of sustainable development in general, and of agriculture and food production in particular.
- Additionally, I attended the Pacific Island Forum in the Cook Islands, COP28 in the UAE, and SIDS4 in Antigua and Barbuda, emphasizing the role of climate change ¨C a major driver of the food crisis ¨C in the global agenda and the urgency of our collective response.
I also take this opportunity to highlight the Pledging Conference for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA that I convened early this month, the result of which was encouraging to support the humanitarian programs of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA ¨C including food distribution to a starving population in Gaza.
I am heartened to report that during my Presidency, three critical resolutions have been adopted, each addressing vital aspects of the challenge of global food insecurity; one focusing on agricultural development, food security, and nutrition; another enshrining the right to food as a basic human right; and a third promoting agricultural technology for sustainable development.
Furthermore, the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States ¨C and the preliminary agreement by Member States on a new Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries ¨C both underscore our commitment to enhancing food security and boosting momentum toward mitigating food shortages in countries in special situations.
As we look forward to the Summit of the Future in September, I am confident that we can leverage the contribution of FAO and other Rome-based organizations ¨C thus ensuring that the Summit is a truly a pivotal moment to reinforce collective action towards achieving global food security.
It is most encouraging to see that ending hunger and eliminating food insecurity are central to the 58 Actions under consideration by Member States in their negotiations on an action-oriented outcome document ¨C Pact for the Future ¨C to be adopted at the Summit.
Despite the formidable challenges that remain, the progress we have made are a testament to our dedication and to the benefits of our collective efforts.
We must continue to build on this momentum to realize our goal of zero hunger ¨C with renewed vigor and reenergized political will.
Dear Friends,
In order to achieve our goal, I advocate for a ‘more for less’ strategy.
Here¡¯s what this entails:
Firstly, we must choose sustainability. That is, we must produce more sustainably, using less resources.
With the global population expected to surge to 9.8 billion by 2050 and the declining availability of arable land ¨C primarily due to human caused degradation ¨C how can we boost productivity while our resource base is shrinking?
The answer lies in robust governance paired with technological innovation.
Nations are already embracing sustainable practices ¨C such as soil analytics, smart irrigation, and artificial intelligence in the agriculture sector.
I commend the FAO for its role in reducing food loss and waste through science and technology innovation ¨C which the research informs us, could feed an additional 1.26 billion people annually.
I also applaud and welcome the FAO¡¯s “Hand-in-Hand Initiative¡± ¨C which supports vulnerable regions through advanced geospatial modeling and analytics.
I urge Member States and all stakeholders to prioritize land and water governance ¨C and to share best practices, to ensure that the resources needed for our global food systems are extracted and utilized sustainably.
Secondly, our mission must be to feed more people and to leave no one behind.
Despite the adequacy of current global food production to feed everyone, distribution challenges leave 2.4 billion people facing food insecurity ¨C including 735 million who are undernourished.
Notably, 70% of those who are hungry live in rural areas ¨C among nearly half a billion family farmers who are especially vulnerable due to rising input costs and falling incomes.
And as is too often the case it is women and children ¨C the most vulnerable amongst us ¨C who are bearing the brunt of the burden.
It is crucial therefore that we address these unacceptable disparities that see women ¨C who produce over 50% of our food ¨C constituting 70% of the hungry.
And it is morally reprehensible that 148 million children under the age of five are suffering from stunting, 48 million from wasting, and 37 million are overweight; all the effects of chronic malnutrition.
These figures highlight the profound inequalities that need urgent rectification.
I therefore urge Member States to enact and implement policies that ensure access to food for all ¨C while also addressing gender discrepancies, and the vulnerabilities of the most disadvantaged in our societies and communities.
In anticipation of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Decade of Action on Nutrition and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Decade of Family Farming, I call upon all Member States and stakeholders to intensify their efforts to ensure and to make real the concept ¡°no one is left behind.¡±
Third, we must invest more and ensure less bottlenecks.
This year has seen a disappointing decline in humanitarian funding ¨C the first since 2010-2011 ¨C with a shortfall of over $35 billion, resulting, among other things, in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ World Food Program having to cut food assistance by up to 50%.
Although development funding in crisis regions exceeds humanitarian assistance, only 3% goes to the food sector.
We need to bolster financing to save lives, eradicate poverty, address inequality, and transform agri-food systems.
I commend those Member States who pledged over $2.5 billion at COP28 to support global food security amidst the climate change challenges.
But it is absolutely crucial that this funding be mobilized promptly.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of targeted financing is still hampered by an outdated international financial architecture ¨C a point emphatically reiterated repeatedly during the High-Level event on debt sustainability and socio-economic equality for all that I convened during the first-ever General Assembly Sustainability Week in April.
The upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025 presents yet another critical opportunity to address these financing gaps ¨C to enhance sustainable development and food security globally.
Fourth, we need to initiate more transformative actions with fewer adverse impacts.
In other words, again we must choose sustainability ¨C to break a vicious cycle in which our agricultural practices are exacerbating climate crisis, which in turn is adversely affecting our agriculture.???
Consider that agriculture accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions ¨C while climate-induced disasters devastate food production.
The rate of these disasters has increased fourfold since the 1970s, with losses in crop and livestock production over the past three decades amounting to an estimated $3.8 trillion ¨C or over 5% of global GDP annually.
Additionally, the hidden costs of our agrifood systems surpass $10 trillion annually. To counteract this, I urge Member States to choose sustainability by doing the following:
- Accounting for these hidden costs in policymaking, enhancing resilience from farm to table ¨C which includes growing, processing, transportation, and disposal of food.
- Inspiring individuals to act responsibly and live sustainably, reducing personal carbon footprints, protecting biodiversity, and minimizing waste.
- Ensuring the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ System promotes international cooperation, fosters a development-friendly and climate-conscious environment, and supports the most vulnerable.
- Motivating stakeholders to engage constructively, synchronizing efforts toward a sustainable future.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Let me end on an optimistic note that, although the road ahead is challenging, we can only achieve our goals through unrelenting consistent effort.
I have witnessed strong political will from Member States in New York ¨C committed to tackling the food crisis.
Having served as Permanent Representative to the FAO and to the other Rome- based Organizations in an earlier dispensation, I can attest to the remarkable efforts of relevant Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ organizations in Rome ¨C working relentlessly to end hunger and transform global agri-food systems.
Furthermore, I have seen the tireless endeavors of even small-scale farmers, ordinary people worldwide striving to ensure food security for all.
I am confident that, with the requisite political will and through our joint strategic efforts, we still can ¨C and must ¨C achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.
By definitively addressing food insecurity, we will create the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, progressive, and sustainable world for everyone, everywhere, without exception.
Thank you for the privilege.
?
* *** *
Full video (PGA begins speaking at minute 13:50):
PGA¡¯s Website: /pga/78/
YouTube:
X (Twitter):
Instagram:
LinkedIn: