Start of the UN food summit: “Food is life and hope”

More than 800 million people do not have enough to eat. At the same time, food production is damaging the environment. UN chief Guterres has now pushed for “nature-based solutions” and sustainable consumption.

The numbers are sobering: more than 800 million people do not have enough to eat – according to the United Nations, that is ten percent of the world’s population. Almost three billion have no access to a healthy diet. A third of the food produced spoils or is thrown away.

But at the same time, food production is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has therefore called for the development of new food systems that are also in harmony with nature.

“The war on the planet must stop”

For this, “sustainable consumption, sustainable production methods and nature-based solutions” are necessary, he said at the start of a two-day nutrition summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “The war on our planet must stop and the food systems can help create that peace.”

It is possible to feed a growing world population while protecting the environment, said the UN Secretary-General. Guterres called for “intelligent, sustainable management of natural resources – from agriculture to fishing”.

Defeat hunger on earth by 2030?

“Food means life. And food means hope,” said Guterres. He said that food systems should promote the health and well-being of all people, protect the planet and support prosperity. He spoke of major imbalances that needed to be addressed. On the one hand, there are billions of people who are overweight. On the other hand, many millions do not have enough to eat. He referred to “ruined harvests, dwindling incomes and failing food systems”.

At the conference, representatives of organizations, governments and agricultural companies are to bundle their strategies and programs to eradicate hunger on earth by 2030 – one of the 17 sustainability goals of the United Nations. World Bank President Malpass warned in a video message that climate change, the corona pandemic and regional conflicts are making nutrition even more difficult in many countries.

With information from Peter Mücke, ARD-Studio New York