The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu, has emphasized the critical need to transform agrifood systems amidst mounting global challenges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Speaking at a recent event at the UN headquarters in New York, QU Dongyu underscored FAO’s commitment to supporting countries in eradicating hunger and ensuring food security. He emphasized collaboration across sectors and with partners like the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty to drive necessary changes.
“We must innovate and collaborate to build more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems that can better withstand future challenges for a better world,” QU Dongyu stated.
His remarks come amid the release of the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, which reveals that global hunger levels have remained persistently high for three consecutive years.
Approximately 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, highlighting a significant setback in achieving SDG 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030.
The report, launched during the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Task Force Ministerial Meeting in Brazil, warns of stagnation in global hunger reduction efforts, with alarming numbers of people experiencing food insecurity and malnutrition.
Without immediate action, it projects that about 582 million people will suffer from chronic undernourishment by 2030, underscoring the urgency for enhanced global food security and nutrition frameworks.
The heads of five UN agencies, including FAO, emphasize the need for innovative financing solutions and concerted international efforts to address the complex drivers of malnutrition and food insecurity.
They call for increased agricultural investments, targeted interventions, and policy reforms to ensure adequate food and nutrition for current and future generations.
FAO’s QU Dongyu joins other global leaders in urging sustained commitment and collaborative action to alleviate global hunger, emphasizing that transformative changes in agrifood systems are essential to effectively meeting the world’s food security challenges.
