UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed FFA2016 attendees in a video, urging them to treat the forum as an opportunity to, “confront the hard questions and come up with the solutions.”
Echoing the comments of his fellow speakers, he said, “We can only end hunger if we change how we grow, process, distribute and consume food. We must also better manage our natural resources, land and water, and preserve the world’s rich biodiversity.”
In another speech, UN under Secretary-General Achim Steiner pointed out that one third of what the world produces is never consumed, although one in nine people does not have enough food to lead a healthy active life.
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Ban Ki-moon highlighted the importance of countries cooperating with each other, saying, “the 17 sustainable development goals are a declaration of interdependence. The food chain is a perfect example of how people’s fates are linked in this globalised world.”
The UN chief believed that, “sustainable agriculture will help us realise Agenda 2030”.
He added that, “true progress demands new food systems that focus on health, protect the environment, promote social justice, empower women and advance development in communities.”
These should, “give opportunities to young people and support smallholder farmers,” he said.
According to data from the World Food Programme, if women farmers had the same access to resources as men, the number of hungry in the world could be reduced by up to 150 million.
As it currently stands, 795 million people do not have adequate access to food. Two thirds of the world’s undernourished live in Asia.