Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2024
At 2024 GFFA, around 2,000 international guests discussed the food systems of our future and how to collaborate even more closely to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and to realise the human right to food at a variety of events. The political highlight was the 16th Berliner Conference of Ministers of Agriculture.
There were, among others, 16 Expert Panels, 2 High Level Panels, a High Level Debate, co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Munich Security Conference (MSC), and an Innovation Forum.
The High Level Debate was co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Munich Security Conference (MSC) for the first time. Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir, Commissioner from the African Union (AU) Josefa Sacko and Janet Maro (CEO Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) discussed, among others the topic of “Food, Climate and Security: Joining Forces for a Safer Tomorrow”. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Michael Werz (MSC).
The political highlight was the 16th Berliner Conference of Ministers of Agriculture. 61 Ministers from all around the world and 12 high-level representatives of International Organisations took part. In their final communiqué, the ministers underlined that this was the only way to make the right to adequate food a reality for everyone across the globe. They recognised that the climate and biodiversity crises had destabilised the world and undertook to support agricultural practices and technologies that strengthen sustainable food production. They also made it clear that Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine had drastically increased hunger in the world.
Key results of the 16th Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Conference:
- Implementing the human right to adequate 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, and to improve women’s access to land and inputs.
- 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
Find out more at www.gffa-berlin.de!
