by Nannette Cazaubon, Paris
While farmers in several European countries express their anger, some because of the Green Deal environmental standards to which they are subjected, others on the contrary claiming support for more sustainable agriculture, the 16th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) took place on 17-20 January 2024 in Berlin.
The event gathered around 2,000 international guests. During the Global Forum, co-hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Munich Security Conference (MSC), and the GFFA Innovation Forum, the food systems of the future and the question of how to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda were discussed in 16 expert panels, two high-level panels, and a high-level debate.
The nexus of food, climate and security
The topic of climate change with a security perspective was discussed during a high-level debate entitled “Food, Climate and Security: Joining Forces for a Safer Tomorrow” which was attended, amongst others, by the German Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir, the Commissioner from the African Union (AU) Josefa Sacko, and Janet Maro, CEO of Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT). The discussion was moderated by Dr Michael Werz from the MSC.
The systemic link between food insecurity and conflict that increasingly affects agricultural production and commodity prices around the world was highlighted during the discussion that revealed that 70% of people suffering from hunger live in conflict areas and often also face the consequences of climate deregulation.
At the same time, food insecurity, exacerbated by climate shocks,
frequently leads to social unrest, instability, and rivalry over scarce resources, which aggravates conflicts.
“If we want to have a stable world, we must
make sure that everybody on this planet
has access to adequate food.”
Cem Ödzdemir
Therefore, systemic approaches that consider long-term measures as well as short-term support in crisis situations are necessary. The importance of considering food security not only as a humanitarian issue but through the lenses of climate change as well as national and international security was also highlighted during the debate. The discussion strived to build bridges between sectors and perspectives, identify entry-points and develop joint approaches to the interlinked challenges posed by climate change, food insecurity, and conflict.
Video: https://bit.ly/3UPzY5L
Conference of agriculture ministers
The political highlight at the GFFA was the 16th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference in which 61 ministers from all around the world and 12 high-level representatives of international organisations took part. In their final communique, the ministers state that Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine had drastically increased hunger in the world. They commit to continuing the necessary transformation towards sustainable and consequently resilient agriculture and food systems and underline that this was the only way to make the right to adequate food a reality for everyone across the globe. They recognise that the climate and biodiversity crises have destabilised the world and affirm their support for agricultural practices and technologies that strengthen sustainable food production.
Web: https://bit.ly/3UORuHe
