27 May 2021, Rome - The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today shared his views on FAO’s roadmap for agri-food systems’ transformation as he met with the Rome-based Africa Regional Group, and stressed the need for a systematic and participatory approach to make agri-food systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

The Group is made up of 37 African countries that have official representatives to Rome-based UN agencies.  Addressing participants at the Group’s fourth meeting this year, QU outlined FAO’s  Strategic Framework 2022-31, which will be submitted to the FAO Conference for endorsement in mid-June, and put forward recommendations on how African Members can make the most of the Framework – in line with their needs and means – to transform their agri-food systems.  

The Group’s Chairperson and Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, Jackline Lumumba Yonga, commended the FAO Director-General “for having Africa in his heart”.

The Director-General stated that agri-food systems transformation was possible if African nations explored their resources more efficiently; doubled down on innovative solutions, technology and enabling policies; broke down silos and built stronger cross-continental and cross-country partnerships.

In this respect, FAO’s Hand-in-Hand initiative and COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme were good opportunities for Africa, he said.

To date, twenty-one African Members have joined the Hand-in-Hand initiative – launched just over 18 months ago and described today as very promising and well-established on the continent.

The Director-General emphasized the need to support smallholder farmers and local communities through nutritious and diverse food production, including the better uptake of neglected and underutilized crops.

FAO promotes healthy diets because they offer opportunities for smallholders, and nutritious, healthy food is instrumental for a good life, he pointed out.

The Director-General made the remarks in the context of FAO’s “Four Betters” - Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life – which are at the heart of the new Strategic Framework and reflect the interconnected and multidimensional aspect of the agri-food systems.

In closing, the Director-General thanked the Group for their support on the Strategic Framework and invited countries to develop a voluntary national transformation plan for agri-food systems.

Members of the Group expressed their countries’ support to the Framework; underscored the Framework’s alignment with the  2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Malabo Declaration; lauded its holistic approach taking into account the human-environment nexus; and commended the FAO Director-General’s passion for agricultural transformation and Africa.

Africa’s key priorities, as formulated at the 2020 Africa Regional Conference, are embedded in the new Programme Priority Areas. These include: resilience, fair and transparent trade, smallholder access to innovations, including digitalization, policy coherence and management of trade-offs, engagement of youth in inclusive agri-food system transformation, platforms for data sharing and enhanced regional integration, and promotion of transformative partnerships and investments.

See http://www.fao.org/director-general/news/news-article/en/c/1402485/