SUSTAINABILITY

Climate change and agro-industry. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommended member countries to combat poverty and hunger in a sustainable manner. In a report published June 7th, FAO advised increasing productivity and employment in food production chains and fostering inclusive economic growth. It is expected that, in the coming months, the rest of the countries of Latin America will begin to evaluate these recommendations and their eventual implementations.

The report “Transforming food and agriculture to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)” offers a guide for countries on how to strengthen food security, generate decent employment, stimulate economic development and combat climate change. Thus, FAO intends to comply with the SDGs linked to poverty reduction and Zero Hunger. It also considers investment in the agro-productive sector as a key aspect to drive changes.

National governments should apply public policies of articulation between the public and the private sector in order to achieve technological and productive advances that improve people’s quality of life. Following the Voluntary Guidelines for Agro-environmental Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean prepared by FAO, seven Latin American countries met June 12th to promote sustainable food production and consumption.

Hence, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay have already begun to work on the application of an agro-environmental approach in public policies. Thus, they seek to convert systems of food production that are harmful to the environment into others that are sustainable and ecological. In addition, like the FAO report, they aim to develop strategies that improve food security and reduce poverty within the framework of green development.

Next steps

In the course of the next few months, the different administrations and legislative branches of the countries that compose the FAO will begin to evaluate the recommendations to incorporate them as bills or executive measures. Thus, FAO hopes to promote the sustainable development of agro-industry and generate inclusive economic growth. At the same time, they will comply with the SDGs related to food, which refer to the reduction of poverty and Zero Hunger.