Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to this Ministerial Roundtable.

We are five years out from 2030, and we are in a race against time to meet our shared commitments. Every delay chips away at our promises to people and planet.

Incremental changes alone won’t make it.

Food systems transformation is not just one piece of the puzzle, it is the thread that runs through every challenge we face: poverty, hunger, sustainability, inequality.

It is also a powerful engine for jobs and growth: investing in decent work — especially for women and youth in agriculture and food value chains — is essential to building inclusive and resilient economies.

Finance is the fuel of any transformation of food systems.

Yet the financial reality we are facing is stark.

Fifty-two developing countries face crippling debt.

Skyrocketing food prices are crushing the poorest families.

External aid is shrinking, worsening an already dire situation amid conflict, climate disasters and soaring import costs.

Trade barriers and unfair market rules are locking out small-scale producers and informal food businesses, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Ninety per cent of smallholder farmers, who keep our food systems alive, are still cut off from formal, affordable finance. Far from being empowered, they have to contend with a playing field so uneven that it pushes them further into vulnerability instead of lifting them out.

Against this extremely challenging backdrop, transformation on the scale we need seems intimidating.

Even so, the cost of inaction is even greater: hunger will deepen, poverty will rise, and the ripple effects will erode global stability.

The transformation we need requires more than resources. It demands bold choices, sharp focus and relentless drive.

We need decisive political leadership and smarter, sharply targeted public financing.

It also requires aligned policies and strong coordination at all levels.

We must speed up domestic resource mobilization and redirect public spending toward food systems that are sustainable and equitable.

Public finance is the key lever to unlock private capital and drive responsible, high-impact investments.

We need urgency, ambition and creativity.

To succeed, we must mobilize and multiply finance — public and private — at scale.

Countries need to lead with bold, tailored financing strategies that fit their contexts and aspirations.

This means leveraging every available tool: national budgets, climate funds, domestic revenues, innovative financing instruments and international support.

Multilateral banks and international financial institutions must do more than participate.

They must coordinate flows, reduce risks and steer capital toward investments that advance human rights, promote gender equality and support environmental sustainability.

The momentum is real.

The 2023 UNFSS+2 Call to Action urged IFIs to commit $15 billion over two years.

In 2023 alone, they surpassed that goal by disbursing $17.8 billion to low- and middle-income countries in support of food systems transformation.

The price tag going forward — $300 to $400 billion more annually by 2030 — is significant but achievable.

It amounts to less than half a percent of global GDP and just a fraction of the $800 billion wasted each year on harmful subsidies that warm our planet and widen inequality.

We must shift those funds now toward solutions that nourish people and protect the planet.

The Sevilla Commitment provides a blueprint.

It calls for smarter public finance, systemic reforms and full integration of food systems into sustainable development plans. This should mean investment in infrastructure, it requires access to long-term concessional finance that countries can afford.

Accurate, timely data and financial intelligence are essential.

They enable governments and partners to make evidence-based decisions and ensure that funds reach those who need them most.

This is not a question of money.

It is a test of leadership and collective political will.

Ladies and gentlemen,

UNFSS+4 is more than a checkpoint, it is a turning point.

We must rise to meet it with bold reforms, renewed solidarity and real investment in our shared future.

Every dollar invested must move us closer to food systems that nourish, empower and sustain.

Together, we can build food systems that put food on every table, dignity in every job, and resilience in every community.

Thank you.

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