The Director General of the FAO was presented in Rome with a document that reflects the consensus position of the countries of the Americas ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit
Rome, 30 July 2021 (IICA). - The Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, was presented with a document outlining the perspective of the Americas on agri-food systems, which had been approved at the latest meeting of the Executive Committee of IICA (The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). It establishes the position of the countries of the Hemisphere ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit.
The document was presented to Qu Dongyu by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil, Tereza Cristina, who remarked that “the unique characteristics of the different regions of the world must be considered in this debate”.
The Brazilian minister—who is in Rome participating in the Food Systems Pre-Summit—explained that at the meeting with the head of FAO, the role of Brazilian agriculture in global food security and its sustainable production practices were highlighted. She also indicated that “Brazil maintains that the diversity of food systems must be respected”.
The countries of the Americas came to the Pre-Summit, having achieved a consensus position, after extensive dialogue and debate. The Pre-Summit is the preparatory event for the global forum that will take place in New York in September, in parallel with the UN General Assembly.
The position defines key principles and messages ahead of a Summit that is intended to establish the framework for commitments and measures specifically aimed at improving the world’s food systems.
The Summit was convened by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in order to place the planet on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – proposals that are seeking to create a framework for peace and the prosperity of the world’s population.
The ministers of Agriculture of the Americas, in endorsing this unity in action posture to take to the Summit, approved a resolution maintaining that farmers must be duly represented and their critical role in food systems recognized.
The Brazilian minister confirmed that, “I presented the Director General of FAO with the document prepared by IICA, in collaboration with the countries”.
The position of the countries of the Americas was consolidated around 16 key messages, included in the document “On the road to the UN Food Systems Summit: Key messages from the perspective of agriculture in Americas”, with the countries then coordinating with IICA to include their own perspective.
The document contains 16 key messages about the vital role of agriculture, highlighting the fact that farmers and food systems’ workers are a critical and key link and that without agricultural production there would be now raw material to transform into food.
It also stresses that agriculture is a fundamental activity in eradicating poverty, stimulating rural development and ensuring environmental protection.
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Institutional Communication Division
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