FAO urges APEC to scale up investments and support vulnerable communities

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) should scale up investments in expanding social protection systems, sharing best practices, promoting healthy diets, supporting smallholder farmers, enhancing agriculture resilience and promoting gender equality and socio-economic inclusion, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, urged on Friday.

Speaking at the inter-governmental forum’s Summit in Peru, Qu highlighted that APEC has a critical role to play in enhancing economic cooperation and building inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth that reaches all communities, urging its members to seek solutions to address the escalating global challenges of poverty, hunger and climate change.

"The world is critically off-track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030," Qu declared, emphasizing the urgent need for collaborative action. He highlighted the interconnectedness of the challenges, noting how the pandemic, conflicts, economic downturns, and the climate crisis have created a "poverty multiplier" effect, pushing millions into extreme poverty and hunger.

The Director-General lauded the G20 Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty as a critical step to  bring food security and poverty reduction back to the center of global discussions, and urged APEC members to support it and similar initiatives.

"We must seek solutions, and platforms like the World Food Forum unite all partners in building more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems", he said.

The Director-General also stressed the importance of addressing the needs of the most vulnerable populations, particularly those in rural areas who are disproportionately affected by poverty, hunger, and climate change. He advocated for building "cross-regional bridges" to connect these communities with markets, financial services, and essential resources.

In this context, Qu emphasized the transformative potential of digital technologies in empowering smallholder farmers, enabling them to improve their competitive advantage and gain a greater share of the value chain for their products and services.

Recognizing the significant funding gap for food security and nutrition initiatives, he called on APEC members to increase financing and target it effectively to address the root causes of hunger and poverty.

"By prioritizing agrifood systems and focusing on those who are most vulnerable, APEC can help build a future for shared prosperity and an inclusive world", the Director-General said.

He urged APEC members to work together to achieve the "Four Betters" at the core of FAO’s Strategic Network – better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.