NUTRITION

Food security. The Global Food and Agriculture Forum (WFF) held its annual meeting with Ministers of Agriculture from 71 countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Nicaragua, from January 16 to 18. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, also attended the event. Participants issued a communiqué with proposals to ensure global food security and assist small farmers in accessing broader value chains. Member States will review progress on this issue at the 12th World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Kazakhstan from June 8-11, 2020.

The participants cited as a key priority the development of agricultural and trade policies needed to ensure food security while at the same time reducing poverty and enhancing economic growth. They also expressed their willingness to move forward with the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and with the international standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

For his part, Qu Dongyu said it is necessary to create systems in which food is accessible, affordable and healthy. In this sense, “it is key that policy makers establish adequate frameworks,” he said. To achieve this, governments must involve civil society and the private sector.

Next steps

The communiqué issued by the World Food and Agriculture Forum outlines the commitments made by member countries to comply with the SDGs – most importantly, the development of agricultural and trade policies that promote food security and compliance with international phytosanitary standards. States will review progress in this area at the 12th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, to be held in Kazakhstan June 8-11, 2020.