"One of the biggest challenges ever"
"We are facing one of the biggest challenges ever: feeding 9 billion people in 2050. With also the challenge to sustainable use of our natural resources."
Statement by ms Gerda Verburg, minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and chairperson of the 17th session of the un Commission on Sustainable Development at the opening of the high level segment of the 18th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, 12 may 2010, New York
Excellency Mr. Luis Ferraté, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Distinguished Colleagues, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As former chair it is my honour to address this 18th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
The multiple crises which we are facing make a robust an integrated response on how we deal with our People and our Planet more urgent than ever.We are facing one of the biggest challenges ever: feeding 9 billion people in 2050. With also the challenge to sustainable use of our natural resources.
The issues of this year clearly show how interrelated they are. The problems we are facing with mining and chemicals show that our natural resources are no longer endless. We are consuming more than four times our planet. Not only, we cannot afford this, we have to come forward with solutions.
Let's for example look to our consumption and productions patterns.
Recent research has shown that in developed countries we are throwing away one out of every 5 shopping bags with food. And that in a time where in many developing countries, especially Africa, people are dying from hunger every day. And many people have to life from two dollar of less. Are we continuing accepting this? What are we going to do about it?
Mr. Chairman,
In September we will take stock of achieving the commitments we made towards the Millennium Development Goals. Let us be honest, we are far behind!So the CSD should give a clear message. A vision on how we are going to make extra efforts in achieving our commitments and clear decisions for action. Its leadership role needs to be strengthened. It is even more important now than ever before because of the multiplicity of challenges we are facing.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is clear that the world economy needs an urgent transition towards a sustainable, inclusive and resource efficient path. We are still facing a food crisis. The achievement of the first Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people living in poverty seems further away than ever.
Many countries are going through the worst drought of their history. Population growth and changing diets are contributing to steadily increasing food demand. Growth of non-food agriculture is also pushing up the prices.
So, we are facing one of the biggest challenges of this century: how to feed the world in 2050.
Against the backdrop of these multiple crises, CSD-17 agreed to bold steps forward with actions to be taken in the field of agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa". These measures offer both short term solutions to address immediate food security concerns and long-term options to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development.
Mr. Chairman,
The most important result of last year's CSD-session was a paradigm shift for agriculture. Agriculture is not longer seen as a problem in reaching sustainable development.
Agriculture is at the heart of the climate change agenda, especially when we look at mitigation and adaptation measures.We all recognized that: Agriculture is not longer part of the problem, but part of the solution.
Why? Because it serves as an engine for economic growth and development in many developing countries. It offers greatest opportunities to reduce rural poverty. It paves the way for achieving sustainable development. It is crucial for the conservation and sustainable use of our natural resources.
Climate Change is one of the biggest concerns of today, also for agriculture. How can we feed 9 billion people in 2050 and reduce green house gas emissions at the same time?
Addressing climate change is fundamental to food security and poverty reduction today and for future generations.
The solution to climate change lies right in front of us.
Copenhagen was not the end of the road. It didn't give us a way forward for agriculture and food security. It became clear at CSD-17 that agriculture remains the centerpiece of post-Copenhagen climate agenda.
Agriculture is a crucial part of the solution. Agriculture is responsible for 14% of CO2 emissions and about 20% for deforestation. So agriculture can deliver one third of the solution.
Reports suggest that the agricultural sector could be broadly carbon neutral by 2030 if sustainable management practices were widely adopted.
So, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon from agriculture and forests must be an essential component of any strategy to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius threshold.We can only achieve it if we develop a road map of action So, distinguished Colleagues, in light of implementing the Ministerial Vision adopted at CSD-17, as outgoing Chair I explored how to further develop the agricultural and climate change agenda. The Netherlands has taken the initiative to organize an international conference on agriculture, food security and climate change in close cooperation with the World Bank, FAO, Ethiopia, New Zealand and Norway in the first week of November of this year.
The Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change aims at developing a concrete roadmap for action.Concrete actions to link the implementation of agriculture-related investments, policies, and measures with long-term carbon emission reductions and adaptation benefits. Furthermore, it aims at finding new and additional and innovative ways of financing the roadmap for action.Last but not least the conference aims at sending a clear message to the next climate meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
Part of the process will be a pre-conference in September in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, organized by the Government of Ethiopia and other partners for the African region. This is vital, since this region is t hardest hit by climate change worldwide with serious consequences for food security.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This is one of the actions of CSD 17 to be implemented. Many are still waiting to be implemented. Implementation requires:- coordination among all stakeholders from global level - to forge and promote partnerships to country level- scientific knowledge must be combined with the local experiences- extending support to farmers, especially women, in the form of capacity building and providing access to resourcesBut, if we really want to make a difference, we should take responsibility. Why not create a taskforce to boost the implementation of CSD decisions.
We need a paradigm shift. Old solutions do no longer fit the new challenges of the 21st century. "If you do what you did, you get what you got".
Dear Colleagues,
To conclude. We have the opportunity to do so: not only by agreeing in CSD framework on a set of policy decisions, but by making sure that those decisions are implemented.
Let us make sure that the words of our UN statue become a reality: "Swords into ploughshares, words into action!"Let this become our legacy. Thank you.