Rome - Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu outlined the importance of aquatic food systems for food security and poverty eradication in a key event paving the way for the UN Ocean Conference starting later this month in Lisbon.
The global impacts of the climate crisis, conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, the Covid-19 pandemic and soaring food and fuel prices are hitting the poorest the hardest - increasing the number of hungry people and putting livelihoods at risk, Qu said in opening remarks at the “Blue Talks” organized by the Permanent Representations of Kenya and Portugal to the Rome-based UN agencies.
“To address these challenges, we need to urgently transform our agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” the FAO Director-General said, adding, “sustainable aquatic food systems are a vital part of this transformation.” - FAO