Dear Editor,

AS WE commemorate World Food Day on Sunday, 16 October 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) joins with all member states, member organisations and associate members in commemorating the 37th Observance of World Food Day under the theme: “Climate is Changing: Food and Agriculture must too”.World Food Day is devoted to analyzing how food and agriculture should evolve in order to face the impacts of climate change. Moreover, for World Food Day, we highlight the close link between climate change, sustainable agriculture, and food and nutrition security to show that without concerted action, millions more people could fall into poverty and hunger. The situation is threatening to reverse the hard won gains and place in jeopardy our collective abilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Climate change, which gives rise to erratic weather patterns (high temperatures, intensive rainfall, floods, droughts, hurricanes), increases the incidence of pest and disease outbreaks (introduction of invasive species) and negatively impacts ecosystems, agriculture biodiversity, agriculture productivity, thus undermining global food security.

As usual, the people who are most vulnerable to these impacts are poor farm families, 70% of whom depend on subsistence farming, fishing or pastoralism for income and food.

There is enough evidence that climate change is already undermining our efforts to end hunger and all other forms of malnutrition by 2030. Indications are that nearly one billion people live in extreme poverty, with an estimated 800 million people remaining food insecure. To add to this dimension, the Caribbean region just last week experienced the onslaught of Hurricane Matthew, which ravaged our sister country Haiti, leaving thousands of Haitians dislocated, without food and water, with a high level of food insecurity, and exposed to the risk of disease infection (Haiti already had an extreme poverty rate of 47 percent).

There is growing international recognition that the agricultural sectors can play a transformative role in addressing the impacts of climate change. This World Food Day 2016 is an opportunity for us to identify how best to respond to these challenges, since agriculture and food systems must become more resilient, productive, inclusive and sustainable.

To bolster food and nutrition security in a changing climate, countries such as Guyana, which are vulnerable to high temperatures, floods and droughts, must address food and agriculture in their national climate policies and action plans, and invest more in building resilience in rural communities and in rural development.

Targeted investments in agriculture and rural sectors will build resilience and increase the incomes and productivity of small farmers, lifting thousands from poverty. Such investments will also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and safeguard the health and well-being of eco-systems and all people who depend on them.

In November, the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change will come into force. This will provide a much-needed boost to global efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, limit temperature rises and promote climate-compatible sustainable agriculture. This global partnership and working together on climate change can seize the transformative potential of the agricultural sector.

On this occasion of World Food Day 2016, as we partner with the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector to host an official ceremony and exhibition at the Mahaicony Community Ground, I urge all of us to take a holistic, collaborative, integrated and inclusive approach to climate change, food and nutrition security, and equitable social and economic development. In the words of the Secretary General of the UN: “the well-being of this generation and those to come depends on the actions we take now”. Let us work in partnership (Government, private sector development partners and civil society) to achieve a Guyana — and by extension, a world — of zero hunger, free from poverty and food insecurity; a Guyana and a world where no one would be left behind by 2030.
Regards,
REUBEN ROBERTSON
FAO Representative in Guyana