By Charmaine Boois
25 July 2023, Rome – Yesterday, at the UN Food Systems Summit +2 held in Rome, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a compelling speech on the critical issue of broken food systems and their devastating impact on billions of people worldwide. Distinguished leaders, diplomats, and officials from across the globe convened at the summit, hosted by the Italian government, to address the pressing need for revolutionary measures to combat hunger and malnutrition.
While the summit centered on food systems, Mr. Guterres emphasized that it is a vital call to address the dire conditions of millions facing hunger and the fundamental right to food. The distressing reality of people dying and suffering due to inadequate access to food in a world abundant with resources is deeply concerning.
The Secretary-General shed light on the alarming statistics, with more than 780 million people enduring hunger while around one-third of all food produced goes to waste. Additionally, over three billion individuals cannot afford healthy diets, resulting in two billion people being overweight or obese and 462 million facing undernutrition. Developing nations, burdened by debt and limited financing, struggle to invest in sustainable food systems that can adequately nourish their populations.
Moreover, Mr. Guterres stressed that food production, packaging, and consumption contribute to a third of all greenhouse gas emissions and significant biodiversity loss, exacerbating the climate crisis. Many communities are at the brink of food insecurity and famine.
The situation worsened with the recent termination of the Black Sea Initiative by the Russian Federation, preventing over 32 million metric tons of food from being safely exported from Ukrainian ports on more than 1,000 vessels. This initiative, coupled with the Memorandum of Understanding with Russia for food and fertilizer exports, played a crucial role in global food security and price stability. Its termination has led to rising food prices, disproportionately impacting vulnerable countries already grappling to feed their populations.
“To ensure food security, I am committed to facilitating unimpeded access to global markets for food products and fertilizers from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” declared Guterres.
The Secretary-General further stressed the importance of collaboration between governments and businesses, urging innovative approaches to reduce costs and increase the availability of fresh and healthy food for all. He emphasized leveraging science and technology to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of food systems.
Mr. Guterres highlighted the urgency of transforming food systems to combat climate change, lower carbon emissions, and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Embracing new, environmentally friendly food systems that reduce the carbon footprint of food production, packaging, and transportation is vital to achieve this goal.
The world is called upon to work together, holding each other accountable and sharing knowledge during the summit’s proceedings. The objective is to establish sustainable food systems that ensure access to healthy food for everyone, regardless of their location or nation.
In conclusion, Mr. Guterres reiterated the need for significant expansion in debt relief and long-term investments in developing nations. This will empower them to overcome existing obstacles and actively contribute to the global effort in reforming food systems.
As the UN Food Systems Summit +2 unfolds, the world looks to the leaders and stakeholders gathered in Rome for concrete steps and commitments that will pave the path towards a hunger-free and sustainable future.- Namibia Daily News
