The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has placed Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the center of its work to transform agri-food systems, due to their vulnerability to the climate crisis and other shocks and its importance in the protection of marine biodiversity. Scattered around the world but with only about 65 million inhabitants, SIDS account for just 1 percent of global CO2 emissions, but bear the brunt of the effects of climate change on their fragile economies.
To underscore FAO’s commitment to island nations that are on the front lines of the climate crisis and other shocks, and at the same time play a critical role as stewards of the biodiversity of our oceans, Director-General QU Dongyu will a two-day visit to the Maldives.
While he is here, the FAO Director-General is signing a Country Programming Framework with the government. Its objective is to support the country’s efforts to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better, increasing resilience to further shocks and addressing development needs. Qu he will also meet with various ministers and members of civil society and visit a fishing company and a hydroponic farm, which grows products without using soil.
Innovation is crucial for the future
“Increased innovation and digitalization can help SIDS and the rest of the world achieve the multiple and cross-cutting goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SAMOA Pathway Framework for Action”, linking commitments on sustainability in all its dimensions. and follow-up actions to last year’s UN Food Systems Summit, Qu said.
Despite its idyllic image, the Indian Ocean country of more than 1,200 islands epitomizes the challenges faced by SIDS in many ways. Maldivian officials say they are already feeling the effects of changing rainfall and rising temperatures on food production using their small total of 65 square kilometers of agricultural land.
Dependent, like most SIDS, on food imports except fish, the Maldives is suffering from unhealthy diets, resulting in high rates of non-communicable diseases. It is also highly vulnerable to fluctuating commodity prices, exacerbated by COVID-19, which has hit its vital tourism industry.
All of these factors contribute to the need for “technical knowledge and support, as well as financial investments in sustainable and regenerative food consumption, distribution and production patterns,” said Thilmeeza Hussain, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN and Special Envoy of the President of Maldives. the General Assembly said in an opening address to the SIDS Solutions Dialogue convened by FAO last month. “We look forward to continuing to work with key partners, such as the FAO and others, to implement the changes needed to ensure equitable and sustainable food systems,” he added.
The SIDS Solutions Dialogue was just the latest in a series of platforms that FAO has organized to address the challenges facing SIDS. It followed a SIDS Solutions Forum, co-convened by FAO and the Government of Fiji in August 2021, which showcased a number of innovative ideas developed in SIDS, with the potential to be scaled up and replicated. These included smartphone apps to promote healthier eating, based on locally available foods, to provide agricultural information, and to collect data on available health resources. The forum was the first of an event that will take place every two years.
Other FAO initiatives specifically targeting SIDS include the Global Program of Action on Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It addresses the need for a more integrated multi-stakeholder approach to the particular challenges they face in trying to achieve food security and nutrition, and prioritizes stronger international and inter-regional partnerships.
The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Program also addresses the key needs of SIDS, while the establishment of the FAO Office for Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries helps to draw attention to the vulnerabilities of SIDS as well as developing countries. the other two categories, and promote a common approach to address the unique challenges facing these countries.
FAO’s flagship initiatives benefit Small Island Developing States
In addition, several SIDS benefit significantly from the FAO flagship initiatives that are implemented globally. Among these are the Mano a Mano Initiative, which accelerates investment and rural development, the 1000 Digital Villages, which help communities take a big step forward in digitization, the Technical Platform for Family Farming, which supports the cross fertilization from region to region for policy formulation. innovation and One Country One Priority Product, accelerating the development of new agricultural products.
All of these initiatives add to a strong commitment by FAO to ensure that SIDS are at the center of efforts under its Strategic Framework to work towards better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, without leaving no one behind – in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
That vulnerability was further highlighted in the Pacific region by the aftermath of the January 15 undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga, which left parts of the islands’ farmland covered in ash and caused extensive damage to fisheries. FAO and its UN partners are working with the Government of Tonga to implement plans to help the country’s farmers and fishermen rebuild their livelihoods after the disaster.