UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres finds it outrageous that people still suffer and die from hunger despite living in a world of abundance.
ISLAMABAD: A three-day United Nations summit commenced in Rome with the objective of addressing a “broken” global food system, characterized by millions suffering from hunger, two billion facing issues of overweight or obesity, and significant environmental impacts on the planet.
Amid growing global food insecurity, the food systems summit opened in Rome, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighting the outrage of people suffering from hunger in a world of plenty. He emphasized the broken global food systems and the significant impact on billions of people.
Worldwide, more than 780 million people suffer from hunger, and one-third of the world’s food goes to waste or is lost. Additionally, 462 million people are underweight, and two billion are overweight or obese.
The summit gathers representatives from the UN’s three food agencies alongside heads of states, government officials, and delegates.
Making food systems more sustainable, efficient, and equitable is a complex task encompassing various activities related to producing, processing, transporting, and consuming food. Factors like urbanization, climate change, technology, and government policies influence these systems.
The WFP reported that weather shocks, the Covid pandemic, and conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, have contributed to a rise of 122 million people facing hunger since 2019. The estimated range of people facing hunger last year was between 691-783 million, with a mid-range of 735 million.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over Russia quitting the grain deal with Ukraine, impacting global food security. The FAO emphasizes the need for a radical transformation in food production, processing, trading, and consumption to meet the needs of the growing global population.
Food systems transformations
Guterres emphasized the need for at least $500 billion per year to support needy countries in scaling up long-term financing for improved food systems. IFAD estimated that doing nothing incurs $12 trillion annually in social and economic costs.
This amount was compared to the $10 trillion revenue generated by the global food industry and the $700 billion in agricultural subsidies paid by wealthy countries. Unsustainable practices in food production, packaging, and consumption are contributing to climate change, responsible for one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, using 70 percent of the world’s freshwater, and driving biodiversity loss.
Fixing Food Systems: Progress and Challenges
The conference reviews progress in meeting past commitments and identifies bottlenecks to progress. Summit director Nadine Gbossa stressed the importance of financing the transition, stating that without it, it would be detrimental to the planet.
She also highlighted the significant role of the private sector in this endeavor, as the public health cost of malnutrition is among the highest in the world.
