The OECD-FAO Guidance at the 13th Global Forum on Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin

09 February 2021

How to feed the planet in times of pandemics and climate change?

This is the question of the 13^thBerlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference organized, via videoconference from Berlin, by the German Ministry of Agriculture. Over 2,000 guests took part in the virtual event, including 76 ministers from countries around the world and 14 directors and senior officials from various international organizations. The Conference of Agriculture Ministers, shared online the solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Together with 75 other countries, Italy approved an ambitious communiqué that recalls the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains

The Agriculture Ministers’ Conference agreed on the following goals, among others:

• Intensify efforts despite COVID-19 to achieve the UN’s 2030 Agenda goal of “No Hunger”.
• To sustain food production, keep markets open and supply chains functioning in the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To prevent future pandemics, support the “One Health” approach, strengthen animal health, create resilient animal health systems, and improve health management for wildlife species.
• To further climate change mitigation, improve carbon sequestration in soils, reduce food loss and waste.
• Support climate negotiations in the agricultural sector and, in particular, strengthen the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture.
• To support agriculture in adapting to climate change through measures in the areas of water, biodiversity, breeding and animal husbandry.
• To support the approach for integrated, sustainable and resilient food systems and thus contribute to the UN Food Systems Summit 2021.

Among other things, the Conference stressed the importance of risk management systems in agriculture that are adapted to regional conditions and that are affordable, in particular for smallholders and family farmers. It underlined that the success of adaptation actions in agriculture relies not only on technological innovations, but also on supportive institutional, structural, policy, trade and investment environments, taking into account the special needs of smallholders and family farmers.

Therefore, it committed to create the conditions to encourage responsible, sustainable and inclusive investment and research, in line with the Committee on World Food Security’s Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS RAI Principles) and the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains.

Since last December our country has assumed the annual Presidency of the G20 and among other important themes it will promote the sustainability and resilience of the agri-food system.  

LinKs:

• 13^thBerlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference
• Final communiqué 2021
• FAO (2020) Policy brief on Responsible investment and COVID-19: Addressing impacts, risks and responsible business conduct in agricultural value chains
• OECD (2020) Integrating Responsible Business Conduct in Public Procurement (Report & Highlights)
• OECD Portal on Food Systems: http://www.oecd.org/food-systems/
• OECD (2021) Making Better Policies for Food Systems (Report & Executive summary)
• OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chain   OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains - OECD