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Asia-Pacific countries ready to transform agri-food systems through innovation, digital technologies

  • FAO ready support Members in the region

By QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

The current nutritional situation in Asia and the Pacific are difficult in many areas in all the region. About 40 percent of its inhabitants cannot afford a healthy diet, e in some areas the fight against hunger it has seen reversals rather than progress.

Progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of defeating both poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2) was thrown off track in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has devastated lives and livelihoods.

Fortunately, the picture isn’t entirely bleak and there are signs of optimism and dynamism. Advances in the region Agri-food systems are changing the way in what food is produced, marketed and consumed in sustainable way. This transformation reflects increased awareness on the part of Asia Pacific producers and growth demand by consumers for healthier, more nutritious foods.

Growers and ranchers, fishermen, shepherds, other producers e retailers – large and small – I’m successfully turning to innovative ideas e digital technologies. These improvements in maintains the production and sustainable management of resources more money in their pockets, while also helping to reverse environmental degradation.

All of this is helping to create a paradigm shift it is taking shape in other parts of the world also. In Asia and the Pacific there exists a clear and the growing movement towards innovation and digitalization along the entire agri-food value chain.

Retail shopping for groceries and groceries is an important example. This is not just a phenomenon of well-developed economies, with four out of five sales of online food and groceries intake place in Asia-Pacific region.

This is just one appearance of the revision of the agri-food systems that is being remodeled countries quickly through Asia and the Pacific, from Western Asia, in all of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia to the Pacific Island countries.

In small island states in via Pacific development (SIDS), grassroots entrepreneurs are taking a step forward forward. Their innovative smartphone apps help producers and consumers to make informed and nutritious choices.

The private And development the sectors are also exploiting more and more available data to make the supply chain of agricultural products at the markets more efficient and timely and to map vulnerable areas to extremes weather events. Several of these innovations were presented at the ‘SIDS Solutions Forum’, il first of a event to be held every two years, in co-calling in August 2021 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the government of Fiji.

There are still a few challenges in access data on demand and without interruption, as we saw when Tonga’s underwater communications cable was interrupted during the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano – Hunga HaÊ»apai. But these setbacks will lead to the light new ideas needed to overcome them!

At FAO, we are working with our members in Asia and the Pacific region to transform agri-food systems to be MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable – to the benefit of everyone. Through the hand-in- Initiative of the hand, we are witnessing policy producers in They plans to further leverage the data, technology and innovation to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

We are identifying in proactively e supporting digital villages across the region as a part of FAO initiative 1,000 digital villages. We are continuing to cultivate and promote country-driven SIDS solutions and Hand-in- Manual collaborations, which includes consultancy on climate event mitigation and adaptation and helping to overcome the damage caused to life and livelihoods from the pandemic and climate crisis.

These are among the topics that will be discussed in the 36th Session of the FAO Conference for Asia and the Pacific in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 8 to 11 March. FAO members since region – 46 in total – will join in build on the transformation program and actions under the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, together with recommendations of the United Nations Summit on Food Systems 2021.

FAO is leading in hosting the recently established Coordination Center for the follow up of the Summit, which will do so support countries in further development and implementation national transformation paths of agri-food systems in line with national priority.

Working with our members in Asia and the Pacific, we will create even stronger partnerships with academic and research institutions, civil society organizations, cooperatives, parliamentarians and the private sector, with inclusion of women and youth, as part of our commitment to the global efforts for build back better.

FAO is supporting the region to think big and act concretely. We are providing a constructive hand, but we need many more hands to achieve our collective goals. For a better world with a better future for our children us need better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life for all – leaving n one behind.

For this we need strong political will and efficient, effective and coherent multilateral actions.

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Sandra Loyd
Sandra Loyd
Sandra is the Reporter working for World Weekly News. She loves to learn about the latest news from all around the world and share it with our readers.

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