Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2024
Chaired by Federal Minister Cem Özdemir, the agriculture ministers from over 60 states met at the 16th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference and undertook to continue the necessary transformation towards sustainable and consequently resilient agriculture and food systems. In their final communiqué, they underlined that this was the only way to make the right to adequate food a reality for everyone across the globe.
The final communiqué of the 16th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference is available here. Further information on the outcomes of the Agriculture Ministers’ Conference is available from our press release.
The Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference is the political highlight of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA). The 16th GFFA took place at the beginning of the Grüne Woche trade fair from 17 to 20 January 2024. The theme of the GFFA was “Food Systems for Our Future: Joining Forces for a Zero Hunger World”. The GFFA is an international conference hosted by the BMEL to address agricultural and food policy issues.
The Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Claudia Müller, kicked off the 16th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) on 18 January 2024.
Key results of the 16th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference:
Implementing the human right to food
Adequate food must be available, accessible and affordable for all. The ministers aim to reinforce implementation of the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food and raise awareness of the guidelines.
Sustainable and resilient transformation of the food systems
The ministers have undertaken to accelerate the transformation towards sustainable, local, site-adapted and resilient agriculture in order to achieve SDG 2 on zero hunger and other 2030 Agenda sustainability goals.
Climate stewardship and biodiversity
Agroecological approaches, organic farming, agroforestry systems and circular economy will contribute to curbing the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. The ministers aim to support regional cycles, regional supply chains and sustainable consumption.
Strengthening vulnerable groups
Vulnerable groups are particularly affected by food insecurity, malnutrition and multiple crises and will therefore be strengthened. Equal participation, in particular for the young generation and for women, is of decisive importance.
Strengthening the role of women in the agricultural sector
The ministers aim to reduce unequal treatment of women in agriculture – including in managerial positions, Women’s access to land and inputs will be improved.
Strengthening governance
Sustainability needs functional structures. This applies in particular to secure land tenure rights, access to high-quality seed and fair access to financing and rural infrastructure. The ministers aim to create a systemic approach through cross-sectoral coordination and coherence of political measures.
Halving global food waste
The goal is to drastically reduce food losses and waste along the entire value chain by 2030. To achieve this goal, specific goals need to be supplemented by effective measures; food losses and waste must be measured and all stakeholders must take committed action – from primary production to private households.
Improving fertiliser and plant protection product management
The ministers aim to strengthen sustainable fertiliser production and use in order to stabilise yields and avoid worldwide shortages. Fertiliser management will be part of integrated, sustainable land management. The ministers aim to support countries of the Global South in the sustainable production of fertilisers.
About the GFFA
- The GFFA features approx. 2,000 international visitors from politics, industry, science and civil society who discuss issues relating to a key topic.
- The world’s largest informal conference of Agriculture Ministers also takes place on the final day of the conference. This is the highlight of the GFFA.
- Approximately 70 agriculture ministers from around the world and high-level representatives of more than ten international organisations adopt a joint political communiqué on the respective key topic.
- In recent years, the GFFA has been enriched by high-level keynote speakers such as António Guterres, Josefa Sacko, Angela Merkel, Ban Ki-moon and the then Prince Charles.
With the 2030 Agenda, the international community has set itself ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, such as ending global hunger. However, the number of people afflicted by hunger continues to rise. In addition to the climate crisis, the extinction of species and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has become a new driving force in this crisis of global food security. The world is currently threatened by the worst food crisis since World War II.
We need short and long-term solutions that require international cooperation. At the 2024 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), around 2000 guests from politics, industry, science and civil society discussed in various high-level expert forums how this transformation could succeed.
Find out more at www.gffa-berlin.de!
