Page 4 - Vol.38-No.6

Science and innovation are key accelerators
EDITORIAL

for transforming agrifood systems

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Or- change and biodiversity loss, such as the bio-economy ap-
ganization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today proach,” Qu added, explaining that this is a sustainable, circular
underscored the critical contribution of science and innova- bioeconomy that promotes the sustainable use of biological
tion to the transformation of agrifood systems and pointed resources instead of finite resources for better production,
to the UN agency’s recently adopted thematic Strategy on better nutrition, better environment and better life in order
Science and Innovation as an important tool to help deliver to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31 in support of the 2030 What needs to be done better
Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The FAO Director-General noted however, that science
“FAO’s first-ever Science and Innovation Strategy, recent-
ly endorsed by the FAO Council, is historic and will ensure and innovation alone are not enough, and that enabling pol-
icies are needed that respond to the needs of small-scale
that science, innovative solutions and technical tools will producers and also family farmers.He summarized in three
be crosscutting in FAO’s programme of work over the next points what needs to be done better.
10 years,” Qu said in his opening remarks at a side event of
the 28th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG). “First: we must implement our two new thematic strate-
The FAO Director-General emphasized how the challeng- gies on Science and Innovation, and on Climate Change, in
es facing the world today, including conflicts, humanitarian a coherent and synergetic way” he said, adding that science
emergencies, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis, and innovation are critical to finding solutions to the climate
are also heavily affecting agrifood systems, hence the need challenges we are facing today.
for rapid change. “Transformation is critical, and science and “Second: we must do better at monitoring the diffusion
innovation are key accelerators to achieve this change. This of innovations, at promoting adaptation to local needs, and
Strategy will help us to achieve a new level of productivity, at scaling up successful implementation. Better knowledge
quality, diversity, efficiency, and environmental sustainability management is key,” he said.
in agrifood systems,” Qu said. “Third: we need to improve our extension systems, using
The Strategy promotes a holistic approach to minimize the best available technologies, including digital technologies,
trade-offs using science, technology and innovation, and to effectively reach small-scale producers,” Qu stressed and
enabling policies with particular attention to the needs of that digital and other gender gaps in access to innovations
low- and middle-income countries, as well as small-scale are not acceptable. He underlined how important it is to work
producers, women, youth and Indigenous Peoples. with women “from the earliest stage of research to the final
Noting how science and innovation are already fully em- stages of adoption and adaptation, in order to take concrete
bedded in the work of FAO, the Director-General cited sev- steps to ending hunger and poverty”.
eral examples as reflected in the items of this week’s COAG COAG 28 agenda
agenda. These included the Hand-in-Hand initiative, which The discussions at the 28th Session of COAG cover a range
identifies the biggest opportunities to accelerate agricultural of key topics for which science and innovation are extremely
transformation and sustainable rural development by using relevant, including food safety, livestock, One Health, an-
the latest up-to-date tools available, including advanced timicrobial resistance, the State of the World’s Land and
geospatial modeling and analytics. He also mentioned the Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW), soils,
1000 Digital Villages Initiative and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre agricultural plastics, climate change, agricultural innovation,
of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. the linkages between agriculture and forestry, mainstream-
“FAO is also supporting innovative approaches with a strong ing biodiversity, the UN Decade on Family Farming, the UN
focus on addressing the challenges stemming from climate Decade on Ecosystem Restoration .

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