Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to join you at this flagship World Food Forum event organized by youth, for youth engagement in food systems transformations.

Let me thank FAO Director General, Dr. Qu Dongyu for his vision of the Forum and for his leadership in organizing the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.

Food insecurity and hunger present an enormous challenge, exacerbated by growing conflicts, climate-related shocks, water scarcity, and widening inequalities that we are seeing around the world.

These intersecting crises, coupled with rising food prices, an unprecedented squeeze on the cost of living, and the broader impacts of the war in Ukraine, are pushing millions of people into extreme poverty, amplifying hunger and malnutrition, and threatening to back-roll hard won development gains.

More than 800 million people already suffered from hunger in 2021.

Three billion people – almost half of humanity – cannot afford a healthy diet.

And, it is the younger generation who is affected most by our past decisions and the actions we take today. Perhaps we can even say the inactions of today.

Projections show that we could still face chronic hunger in 2030 – at the same level as in 2015, when the 2030 Agenda was launched.

This is a shocking verdict.

In essence, the SDGs may have prevented the problem from getting worse – but the rapidly changing global context and interconnected nature of social, political, ecological, and economic systems have amplified the urgency and magnitude of transforming our food systems.

A continued crippling food emergency could trigger further social, economic and political upheaval, jeopardizing the future for many, especially young people in the development world.

We must act with resolve and cooperation to prevent rising food costs, shortages, and insecurity.

 The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs chart comprehensive and integrated actions on food systems at a global scale.

Last year during the Food Systems Summit, governments committed to transform their food systems, recognizing the catalytic effect such a transformation would have on achieving all the SDGs.

Through the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, the UN has been supporting food systems transformations on the ground, supporting and accompanying countries to not only withstand the shocks of the 21st century, but meet the urgent needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.  

The Hub follows the UN Secretary General’s commitment to draw upon the UN system’s capacities to ensure the long-term impact of the Food Systems Summit. It responds to Our Common Agenda anticipating risks and coordinating actions across all the SDGs, through inclusive participation of various stakeholders, in particular producers, women, indigenous people, and youth.  

Through a country-owned approach, the Hub works with national food system convenors and other partners to develop and implement ambitious food system transformation pathways. This is on-going work that has also informed the work of the Global Crisis Response Group.

It also engages with stakeholder groups to seek solutions that work for all.

I welcome the efforts undertaken by the Hub to innovate, drive solutions, and closely engage young people, and other stakeholders, in agri-food systems transformations.

Through deeper cooperation and joint action, I trust the Hub will support Member States’ to promote transformative policies to accelerate food system change and catalyzes the much needed action towards achieving the SDGs.

Looking ahead support should focus on challenges identified by the national convenors, with full engagement and support from UN Resident Coordinators and our UN Country Teams, to provide better tailored solutions at domestic and local levels, taking into account the diversity of situations and contexts between countries and regions. Support would include: access to finance and investments, technical aid and capacity development, as well as the establishment of benchmarks to measure progress for each country.

As you embark upon your discussions today, I invite you to examine these issues and investment opportunities to  respond to current and future challenges, building on science, innovation and traditional knowledge systems.

Let’s ensure that the upcoming 2023 Food Systems Stocktaking Moment profiles real success stories that are filling the gaps and that ensure just and equitable transformations.

I look forward to the feedback from this meeting and a real appreciation to all the young people present.

Thank you.