Transcript Adapting to change

Adapting to change
Presentation by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO)
Highlights
• UN Conference on Environment and
Development (June 92).“Think globally, act
locally”
• Millenium Summmit (Sept 2000). Achievement
70% of MDGs related to local entities
• World Food Summit: fyl (June 2002) Alliance
Against Hunger
Agriculture and food security today
• New awakening to agriculture in
development
• World population from 6 to 9 b. by 2050
• 854 million people undernourished
• Need to double food production in first half
of century
• FAO will convene a high-level conference in
late 2008 on “how to feed the world in 2050”
Adapting to change
New challenges
• Climate change: Unpredictable effects. Yields
could drop by 50% in Sahel
• Bioenergy, both risk and opportunity for food
security
• Transboundary pests and diseases:
Globalization favours movement of people and
livestock.
• June 08: FAO Conference on climate change
and bioenergy
Globalization and decentralization
• Regional authorities, active partners in
development
• FAO has structured the first Decentralized
Cooperation Programme among UN
Specialized Agencies.
• Pioneered by Italy (2003), now active also in
Spain, France and Belgium.
Features
• Focus on concrete action
• Priority to water management, agricultural
diversification, strengthening of local institutions,
urban and peri-urban agriculture
• Favours direct North-South cooperation between
regions and cities
• Supported by FAOs network of country offices
(113 countries), regional and subregional centres
The partnership framework
Civil society
Civil society
Region
local govt
North
Research
institutions
Region
local govt
South
Research
institutionse
Private sector
Private sector
FAO
Other Int’l. orgs
The active involvement of local communities strengthens
pragmatic approach, ownership and sustainability.
Figures/partners
Main partners: Regions of Tuscany, Piedmont, Marche, Molise, Valle d’Aosta;
Province of Bolzano (Italy); Régions Auvergne, Pays de Savoie, Provence-AlpesCote d’Azur (France); Comunidades Autonomas de Cataluna, Galicia, Pays
Basco, Murcia (Spain); Region of Flanders (Belgium)
Going forward
• FAO now has 192 members, including the EC
• In a process of renewal
• First budget increase (13%) since 1993 agreed by
membership
• Challenges ahead require bold efforts, concerted
action
• FAO offers vast network, technical expertise to
regions willing to join the fight against hunger and
poverty