There is enough food to feed the planet, however there are gaps in distribution, access and purchasing power, says President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Abdulla Shahid.
He said this in his remarks at the High-Level Policy Dialogue of the 2022 Africa Dialogue Series (ADS), on Thursday.
As such, noting that the world is not lacking food, the PGA said that there is enough food to feed the planet. However, he said that the challenge is in gaps in distribution, access and purchasing power.
With this being said, he noted that transforming food systems require addressing such inequalities.
We are not lacking in food; indeed, we have enough to feed the planet. What we do have is gaps in distribution, in access, in purchasing power. Transforming food systems therefore requires addressing these underlying inequalities and restoring fair, or equitable, access to resources, including water, land, and seeds, as well as access to information, technology, and justice. It also includes support for vulnerable groups, such as women, indigenous peoples, farmers and fishers, and migrants.”Abdulla Shahid, PGA.
Shedding light on the external shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and now, the war in Ukraine, the PGA noted that these issues have shown the world that developing nations are constantly faced with external shocks of which the sources they cannot prevent nor control.
PGA Shahid highlighted that more efforts are required to “prevent”, “anticipate”, “prepare” for, “cope” with, and “recover” from these shocks and to not only bounce back but to go further, stronger.
He expressed confidence that the High-level Policy Dialogues will pave the path for the opportunities for insightful discussions.
PGA Shahid went on to express confidence that they will incorporate into the discussions of the UN General Assembly, to collectively identify achievable recommendations to support Africa’s sustainable development.
