FOOD and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), a specialised agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security has announced that globally, there are more than 800 million hungry people and 45 million others moving closer to starvation.
health
Jan. 4, 2022
OWN CORRESPONDENT
2 min read
Over 800 million people hungry – FAO
FAO Director General, QU Dongyu
Story highlights
Science and innovation are key to a better food security
FAO worked consistently in the past year to bring about needed changes
QU Dongyu, FAO Director General said the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturns have pushed more people into suffering.
He said the FAO had worked consistently and coherently this past year to bring about the needed changes.
He said they actively contributed to the UN Food Systems Summit, successfully hosting the Pre-Summit at their headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Supporting the transformation of their agri-food systems, said to make them more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable, was enshrined in the FAO Strategic Framework for the next 10 years.
“This transformation is crucial to achieving the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. Close collaboration with the Italian Presidency of the G20 made all VIP meetings and the Summit unprecedentedly successful,” Mr Dongyu said.
He showed that they launched the G20 Green Garden where Ancient Sacred Wood was established legally by Romans 2300 years ago, making a strong historic linkage from the past to the future.
The World Food Forum, he said that was held in the first week of October, powered by the FAO Youth Committee, brought together thousands of young talents to brainstorm and innovate on how to transform global agri-food systems for a better future.
“The future belongs to, and depends on our youth today. The World Food Day 2021 resonated that our actions are our future. Agri-food systems transformation starts with you and me. We must all be Food Heroes,” he said.
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He said the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative, targeted the most vulnerable and now had 45 countries actively participating.
He added: “The FAO 1 000 Digital Villages Initiative enables farmers to use new technologies to improve agri-food production and to bridge the digital divide.”
Science and innovation, he said were key to a better food security, adding that 2021 had been a productive year for FAO.
He noted that in 2022, they would continue to deliver with even more extraordinary efforts leading to extraordinary results to achieve the Four Betters, Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life for all. LeNA
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