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Asian Development Bank - Food Security Forum

9 April 2024, Video Message by Dr. QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Asian Development Bank (ADB) - Food Security Forum: 'Challenges to global food security, climate change, and biodiversity loss and how FAO, ADB and other international organizations can build coordinated efforts to deliver actions to transform agrifood systems in Asia and the Pacific'.

Duration 8m9s

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Video Type Video Message

Date 04/09/2024 12:00 AM

File size 601.81 MB

Unique ID UF164CV

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UNFAO Source FAO Video

Script ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB)
FOOD SECURITY FORUM
Challenges to global food security, climate change, and biodiversity loss and how FAO, ADB and
other international organizations can build coordinated efforts to deliver actions to transform
agrifood systems in Asia and the Pacific
Video Message
By
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
9 April 2024
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. I wish to start by conveying my appreciation to the President of the Asian Development
Bank, His Excellency Masatsugu Asakawa, for the fruitful collaboration between our two
organizations in addressing the complex challenges of global food insecurity, the impacts of
the climate crisis, and biodiversity loss in the Asia Pacific Region.
2. Over the past 20 years, the economies of many nations in the region have been moving out
of the category of ‘least developed’ and graduating into a ‘middle income’ status.
3. However, these positive changes are not happening at the same time equally across all
countries, or even equitably within them.
4. This situation needs to be addressed urgently.
5. In 2022, around 735 million people faced hunger globally – this is an increase of 122 million
than in 2019 before the pandemic.
6. Over 3.1 billion – that is 42% of the world’s population - were unable to afford a healthy
diet.
7. Despite notable progress, hunger persists in some parts of the Asia Pacific Region, where
nearly half of the world’s undernourished people live, and nearly 2 billion people cannot
afford a healthy diet.
8. Rural and coastal communities, small-scale farmers, and agrifood system workers,
particularly women and youth, are disproportionately affected by these multi-dimensional
challenges.
9. Our agrifood systems as currently structured, contribute to environmental degradation,
greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss, among others, further aggravated by the
impacts of the climate crisis, thereby negatively impacting the livelihoods of the most
vulnerable.
10. For this reason, we need to transform them urgently because they also offer a huge
opportunity to increase efficiencies to produce more with less and to assure the right to
food to all.
11. To achieve this, it is critical that climate finance in agrifood systems be substantially
increased.
12. Yet, on the contrary, the current share of total climate finance flows allocated to agrifood
systems is declining, with a decrease from 34% in 2010 to only 20% in 2021.
13. And only 1.7% of that global climate finance goes to smallholder farmers, fisherfolk, herders
and forest people in developing nations, despite their disproportionate vulnerability to the
climate crisis.
14. To address these challenges, we must urgently transform the region - and global - agrifood
systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
15. Scaling up investments and targeted financing to generate impact at scale is critical to drive
innovation, science and technology, foster sustainability, and promote inclusive growth
throughout agrifood value chains.
16. We must also take urgent action to ensure the sustainable management and use of our
shared natural resources and biodiversity, restore ecosystems and increase climate action
both in terms of adaptation and mitigation.
17. Together with partners, FAO has implemented several coordinated projects aimed at
supporting the transformation of agrifood systems in the Asia Pacific Region. These include:
 A Roadmap to Global Biodiversity Framework Target 2, to ensure proper planning of
and reporting on ecosystem restoration efforts;
 The National Water Roadmap initiative to support developing countries ensure
sustainable water management;
 At COP28, FAO launched the Global Roadmap for Achieving SDG2 without breaching
the 1.5C threshold that underscores the critical need to prioritize agrifood systems not
only to assure food security, but also to reduce the burden on nature and climate, while
exploring increased climate financing; and
 FAO is co-leading the Global Environment Facility’s Clean and Healthy Oceans
Integrated Programme, a source-to-sea initiative that will direct over USD 100 million in
grants to help countries curb land-based pollution and improve coastal environments
and large marine ecosystems, together with the Asian Development Bank and other
finance institutions.
18. In the Asia Pacific Region, we are supporting countries to access climate finance through
projects such as the Scaling up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through
Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans that supports
increased action to cope with the impacts of the climate crisis in the agriculture and land
use sectors.
19. FAO’s flagship initiatives such as the 1000 Digital Villages, the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, and
the One Country One Priority Product aim to eradicate hunger and poverty, promoting
equality and encouraging the wide participation of women and youth.
20. Gender transformative actions and youth empowerment are equally crucial aspects of our
agenda.
21. And we must recognize the unique context of the region’s Small Island Developing States
(SIDS). At FAO we are working with these countries to implement anticipatory actions
against multiple hazards and risks they face.
22. Central to all these efforts, is the need for national ownership and commitment.
23. Countries must take the lead, aligning political will with concrete actions and adequate
funding.
Dear Colleagues,
24. FAO and the Asian Development Bank’s partnership spans over 55 years.
25. Recently our collaboration has focused on supporting fragile and conflict affected countries,
such as Afghanistan.
26. Going forward, our partnership will be even stronger by supporting public and private
investments in the region.
27. In 2023 alone, the FAO Investment Centre supported the design of 18 public investment
projects financed by our partner International Financial Institutions in 9 countries in the
region.
28. Collaboration across sectors, with multiple partners and across geographic regions is
necessary to address complex global challenges efficiently, effectively, and coherently.
29. We should draw inspiration from the dynamic changes occurring in the Asia Pacific Region,
where the region’s economies are progressing, despite persistent challenges, and offer
hope for a brighter future.
30. Together, we can achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a
better life, leaving no one behind.
31. Thank you.

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