Stressing the need to increase food production by 60% by 2050, FAO, WFP, IFAD and Bioversity International have issued a issued a joint statement to Rio+20 tthat highlights that sustainable development cannot be achieved as long as hunger and poverty persist, further calling for a rights-based approach and governance systems that promote accountability.
20 June 2012: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Bioversity International issued a joint statement at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) calling for changes in the way we produce and consume food and manage the Earth’s resources.
In the statement, the agencies stress that we know how to eliminate hunger and poverty while promoting sound management of natural resources, encouraging social inclusion and driving economic growth. They note that sustainable development cannot be achieved as long as hunger and poverty persist, highlighting the challenge of increasing global food production 60% by 2050. To achieve these goals the organizations call for governance systems and institutions that promote accountability, while scaling up tools and policies. Noting the roles of government, the private sector and civil society, they underscore the principles of inclusion, equity, gender equality and a rights-based approach. The organizations stress the need to scale up safety nets and build resilient livelihoods and landscapes, as well as develop responsible tenure systems and engage in crop diversification. [The Joint Statement]