Food security is a key global issue as the world fails to stay on track with the Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger by 2030. An estimated 720 to 811 million people went hungry in 2020. That is 118 million more people than 2019, according to the United Nations.
To reach the Zero Hunger by 2030 goal, Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), reminded the world of the importance of innovative partnerships in promoting global food security at a graduation day ceremony at the University of Siena.
“Fostering innovative partnerships for a food secure world is a top priority for the United Nations, as set out in the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Qu. The priority is “embedded in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, which will guide our work over the next decade.”
The UN’s goals rely heavily on partnerships, believes Qu. To reach this goal, “we need to build stronger, more strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, parliamentarians, Indigenous Peoples, academia and research institutions, and the private sector, and especially with the youth — and all of you!” he added.
Academic and research institutions are crucial partners, and FAO is already collaborating with more than 80 of them across the globe, 10 of which are in Italy, shared a news release from FAO.
FAO is committed to a Memorandum of Understanding with the PRIMA Foundation, “a network of research and innovation institutions involving 19 countries in the Mediterranean that promotes innovation, research, technology transfer and training support,” explained the release.
The University of Siena plays a critical role in this, acting as the host for the Italian Secretariat of the PRIMA Foundation.
FAO is launching an app called “Urban Actions” as part of the “Together for the SDGs” campaign. FAO hopes the app will inspire the public, especially the younger generations, to educate themselves on the 2030 Agenda and what actions they can take to help achieve global goals in their own city.
Qu encouraged Siena graduates to download the app and take part in the movement and invited the audience to partake in the World Food Forum held from 17-21 October at the FAO headquarters in Rome. The forum will focus solely on empowering young people to shape agrifood systems and reach the SDGs, Qu said.
“Together, we can make our urban areas more inclusive, safe, green and resilient to ensure they work with nature, and improve city living,” he concluded.
Read More About Global Food Security:
Seed Banks Could Hold the Key to Food Security, Climate Change Mitigation
