F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2
Friday 11
Rome, Italy – Small Island Developing States will struggle to reach Sustainable Development Goals unless more political commitment and regional integration for inclusive agri-food systems, knowledge sharing and capacity development is prioritised.
Leaders at the Global SIDS Solution Dialogue early this month called for further action as the move towards the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has “severe challenges” in building the resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the pandemic has shown that local leaders can get things done they say the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga last month highlighted the vulnerability of SIDS.
Technical presentations from SIDS Coordinator for Africa Mbuli Charles Boliko and FAO’s Subregional Coordinators for the Pacific Islands, Xiangjun Yao and Caribbean, Renata Clarke also highlighted the important role of innovation to meet the call for inclusive agri food systems and knowledge sharing and capacity development in the follow up of the SIDS Solutions Forum 2021.
In the Pacific it will mean increasing scaling up capacities to positively catalyze agri-food systems in communities while in the Caribbean it will be about leveraging partnerships to emphasise innovation on novel water treatment while in Africa there is an urgency to implement inclusive information systems to accelerate the transformation in food systems in Africa.
Speaking at the Dialogue, FAO’s Chief Economist, Máximo Torero Cullen said: “FAO is supporting SIDS to build back better and achieve better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life.”