Adapting to change

1
Adapting to change

• Presentation by the Food and Agriculture
  Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

2
Highlights

• UN Conference on Environment and Development
  (June 92).Think globally, act locally
• Millenium Summmit (Sept 2000). Achievement 70 of
  MDGs related to local entities
• World Food Summit fyl (June 2002) Alliance
  Against Hunger

3
Agriculture and food security today

• New awakening to agriculture in development
• World population from 6 to 9 b. by 2050
• 854 million people undernourished
• Need to double food production in first half of
  century
• FAO will convene a high-level conference in late
  2008 on how to feed the world in 2050

4
Adapting to change

• New challenges
• Climate change Unpredictable effects. Yields
  could drop by 50 in Sahel
• Bioenergy, both risk and opportunity for food
  security
• Transboundary pests and diseases Globalization
  favours movement of people and livestock.
• June 08 FAO Conference on climate change and
  bioenergy

5
Globalization and decentralization

• Regional authorities, active partners in
  development
• FAO has structured the first Decentralized
  Cooperation Programme among UN Specialized
  Agencies.
• Pioneered by Italy (2003), now active also in
  Spain, France and Belgium.

6
Features

• Focus on concrete action
• Priority to water management, agricultural
  diversification, strengthening of local
  institutions, urban and peri-urban agriculture
• Favours direct North-South cooperation between
  regions and cities
• Supported by FAOs network of country offices (113
  countries), regional and subregional centres

7
The partnership framework
Private sector
Other Intl. orgs
The active involvement of local communities
strengthens pragmatic approach, ownership and
sustainability.
8
Figures/partners
Main partners Regions of Tuscany, Piedmont,
Marche, Molise, Valle dAosta Province of
Bolzano (Italy) Régions Auvergne, Pays de
Savoie, Provence-Alpes-Cote dAzur (France)
Comunidades Autonomas de Cataluna, Galicia, Pays
Basco, Murcia (Spain) Region of Flanders
(Belgium)
9
Going forward

• FAO now has 192 members, including the EC
• In a process of renewal
• First budget increase (13) since 1993 agreed by
  membership
• Challenges ahead require bold efforts, concerted
  action
• FAO offers vast network, technical expertise to
  regions willing to join the fight against hunger
  and poverty