Participation of the CIHEAM at the G20 Ministerial meeting on Agriculture in Istanbul Press release 11 May 2015 As the G20 Chair in 2015, Turkey focuses its efforts on ensuring inclusive and robust growth through collective action, formulated as the three I s of the Turkish Presidency: Inclusiveness, Implementation, and Investment for Growth. Turkish authorities have decided to place the challenges of food and nutrition security among the main priorities of its G20 Presidency, highlighting in particular the issue of Food Losses and Waste (FLW). In this context, on May 7 and 8, 2015, the second ministerial meeting on agriculture of the G20 Member States was organised in Istanbul after the first one held in Paris in June 2011. Bringing together the majority of the ministers of the 20 largest economies of the world 1, but also those of the invited countries (Singapore, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Spain) and the heads or representatives of several International Organizations (FAO, World Bank, IFAD, WFP, OECD, IFPRI), the meeting unanimously adopted an ambitious declaration composed of 14 points (see the Annex). 1 G20 Members (Turkey, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the EU) represent 85% of the world s economy, 70% of the global agricultural economy and the two thirds of the world s population. www.ciheam.org
One of the main outcomes of this meeting consists of the establishment of a new Platform building on existing systems aimed at considering the measurement framework proposed by International Organisations and for sharing information and experiences in terms of reducing food losses and waste. CIHEAM / Abis The Turkish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, H.E. Mehmet Mehdi Eker, invited the CIHEAM to take part in the meeting of Istanbul. As a founding member of our Organisation in 1962, Turkey has always supported the CIHEAM in its actions aimed at reinforcing Mediterranean cooperation in agriculture, food and rural affairs. Five years ago, in Istanbul, hosting the 8 th ministerial meeting of CIHEAM Member States, Turkish authorities emphasized climate change as one of the main concerns for the Mediterranean agricultural systems. Since April 2015, Pr. Masum Burak, current Director General in the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has been elected President of the Governing Board of the CIHEAM. Dr. Cosimo Lacirignola, Secretary General of the CIHEAM participated in the Ministerial meeting. On the 8 May, he took the floor to emphasize the Mediterranean specificities of the global food challenges: Improving agricultural productivity, strengthening food security and stimulating inclusive growth in rural areas are strategic pillars for better sustainable development and greater human security in the Mediterranean Region. The CIHEAM is therefore implementing a set of actions in order to assist European, North African and Middle Eastern countries to face these challenges. We are convinced that these challenges can only be addressed through multilateral cooperation. Education, Research, Science and Technical Projects are at the core of the CIHEAM s Food Diplomacy, he said. www.ciheam.org
CIHEAM / Abis The speech of the Secretary General focused on the main theme of the G20 Ministerial meeting. He stressed the very sensitive issue of Food Waste and Losses in the Mediterranean countries that should be addressed through a three-fold approach: the need to reduce the waste of natural resources (i), the need to reduce the waste of food products (ii), and the need to stop the waste of knowledge and traditional know-how (iii). To conclude his speech (see the Annex), the Secretary General called for greater cooperation with all G20 Member countries and international organisations because the Mediterranean Future certainly depends on better food security. In the margins of the ministerial meeting, the Secretary General took the opportunity to have discussions with the Ministers of the four Members countries of our Organisation (France, Italy, Spain and Turkey), but also with the FAO Director General and the EU Commissioner for agriculture and rural development, explaining in detail the main current activities and projects of the CIHEAM while receiving their very useful advice for the ongoing strategic plan. CIHEAM / Abis www.ciheam.org
G20 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture Istanbul, May 8, 2015 Speech of the CIHEAM Secretary General Mr Cosimo Lacirignola
Excellences, Distinguished Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen, 2 On behalf of CIHEAM, I would like to thank the Turkish authorities for inviting our Mediterranean Organization to this G20 meeting and especially Honourable Mehmet Mehdi EKER, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey, who has always supported CIHEAM Activities. As an Intergovernmental Organization composed of 13 Mediterranean States (some of which are also G20 members), CIHEAM deploys its expertise in specialized training, applied research and technical assistance. Our mission of cooperation is solution-oriented: answering to the needs of our Member States in the field of agriculture, food security, fisheries and rural development. All the challenges discussed during this ministerial meeting are also the main issues fuelling the debate at the Mediterranean level. The pressures which mark food systems worldwide are the same in the Mediterranean: water stress, pressure on land, demographic growth, climate change, vulnerability of family farming and fisheries, nutritional transitions, inefficiency in logistics, and strong dependence on external markets with increasing volumes of cereal imports. G20 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture Istanbul, 8 May 2015
Food security will not be achieved only by increasing local agricultural production. Both employment and income generation policies are needed, targeting the most vulnerable sections of the population. Among the most 3 vulnerable, small farmers and rural people, in particular women and the youth, require special attention. The nutritional dimension of food security must not be by-passed. Adequate nutrition is an integral part of the right to food. Protecting and promoting the Mediterranean Diet is key to achieving an adequate nutritional status for the populations around the Mediterranean basin. Improving agricultural productivity, strengthening food security and stimulating inclusive growth in rural areas are strategic pillars for a better sustainable development and a greater human security in the Mediterranean Region. CIHEAM is therefore implementing a set of activities able to assist the European, North African and Middle Eastern Countries to face these challenges. We are convinced that they can only be addressed through multilateral cooperation. Education, Research, Science and Technical Projects are at the core of the CIHEAM s Food Diplomacy. G20 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture Istanbul, 8 May 2015
Establishing concrete networks is also one of our missions. Let me mention MED-Amin, launched in 2014 at the initiative of the 13 Ministers of CIHEAM in order to implement a Mediterranean version of the AMIS Initiative. 4 As Knowledge broker in the region, we are also convinced that the very sensitive issue of Food Waste and Losses should be addressed through a triple approach: need to reduce the waste of natural resources; need to reduce the waste of food products; and equally important: the need to stop the waste of knowledge and of traditional know-how. In order to properly address resource and food waste, it is necessary to share knowledge between the countries and between farmers. Traditional know-how in agriculture and environment needs to be preserved and its value enhanced. Agro-Ecological solutions exist in the Mediterranean to overcome the constraints of geography and manage the scarcity of resources. CIHEAM is persuaded that the diversity of agriculture and rural areas are part of the richness of the Mediterranean Area. This approach has been promoted through the Feeding Knowledge Programme implemented by CIHEAM in the frame of Expo Milano 2015 which opened a few days ago in Italy. G20 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture Istanbul, 8 May 2015
Excellencies, The Mediterranean Agenda of CIHEAM Member countries is complementary to 5 the G20 Members Food Agenda. I hope that we ll have the opportunity to develop synergies. Some of you are already members of our Organisation, but let me invite all of you to work with CIHEAM. In the Mediterranean Region, the agricultural experience of your countries is warmly welcome. The 53 history of CIHEAM is linked to that of Europe and of the Mediterranean Basin. We believe that for a better Mediterranean as well as global future we need to combine our forces and work together sharing our experience and expertise. That s why CIHEAM is reinforcing its partnership with the FAO and European Union, but also with OECD, the World Bank and IFAD. We are therefore calling for a greater cooperation with all of you, G20 Member countries or international organisations, because the Mediterranean Future depends certainly if not only - on a better food security. G20 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture Istanbul, 8 May 2015
G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting Istanbul, 7-8 May 2015 Final Communiqué 1. We, the G20 Agriculture Ministers, are committed to meeting the challenge of global food security and nutrition for an expected world population of nine billion by 2050. We stress that intensifying pressures on natural resources and biodiversity and the impacts of climate change mean that we should raise productivity while moving towards food systems that are more sustainable in all their dimensions economic and social as well as environmental and in particular minimize food loss and waste. Responsible investment in sustainable and resilient food systems should raise productivity to expand food supplies and increase incomes and quality jobs in rural areas, especially for women and youth, reducing poverty and contributing to the G20 s inclusive growth agenda. Our Leaders underscored that food security and nutrition is a top priority for the G20 and endorsed the G20 Food Security and Nutrition Framework in 2014. 2. Food security and nutrition is a concern for G20 members and non-members alike. We appreciate the work of the Development Working Group (DWG) in coordinating the G20 s food security and development agendas and in particular in fighting poverty which remains the main cause of food insecurity and barrier to the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security. We welcome the progress on the draft Implementation Plan for the G20 Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) Framework. 3. We recognize the achievements of the G20 to date in the areas of agriculture and food security, in particular the 2011 Action Plan on Food Price Volatility and Agriculture and including the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), support to sustainable productivity improvement in particular through the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), support to the development and voluntary implementation of Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI), the promotion of innovation through an annual Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) and the Platforms for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) and for Tropical Agriculture (TAP). These successful initiatives warrant our continuing support. While AMIS has been a particularly successful initiative, we dedicate ourselves to deeper and stronger collaboration in AMIS to materially improve global data and market transparency by disclosing regular, reliable, accurate, timely and comparable data and we encourage the Rapid Response Forum to address challenges in global agriculture and food security. 4. Adequate nutrition is a prerequisite for human development, productivity and growth. We reaffirm the Rome Declaration on Nutrition adopted by the Second International Conference on Nutrition. We welcome the policy options and strategies proposed in the voluntary Framework for Action and strongly encourage governments and other stakeholders to incorporate them into their national food and nutrition strategies as appropriate. We welcome Expo Milano 2015, with the theme Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life, and its many related events on food security and nutrition. 5. Sustainable food systems should promote sustainable increases in productivity and production, use natural resources more efficiently, increase resilience and help address climate change in accordance with the UNFCCC. Improvement of soil fertility, water retention capacity and restoration of degraded land are key elements to improve agricultural productivity for food security in a changing climate. Sustainable food systems can help promote not only food security and the more sustainable use of natural resources but also economic and social opportunities through quality jobs especially for Page 1 / 3
smallholders, rural women and youth. Good coordination among responsible government authorities is essential for the identification and implementation of policies to promote responsible public and private investments in infrastructure, irrigation, protection of soils, open and transparent markets, technologies, knowledge sharing, rural services including financial services, extension and advisory services, social protection programs, health and safety at work, employment services and vocational training and education. 6. A comprehensive food systems approach taking into consideration the entirety of food value chains from production through food processing and distribution to retailing and consumption is needed. In addition to public efforts, we recognize the important role of the private sector in making the investments and developing the technologies and good practices needed to enhance productivity, efficiency and sustainability in food value chains and we will dedicate ourselves to making increased efforts to engage with the private sector. We encourage the use of policy guidance, such as the voluntary Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in 2014 and the OECD policy framework for Investment in Agriculture as appropriate. 7. Investment at all stages of food value chains is fundamental to raising productivity, generating employment and incomes and reducing food loss and waste. We will promote national enabling environments for investment including infrastructure and policies conducive to well-functioning markets, the integration of smallholders and women into those markets, inclusive financing institutions, secure tenure of land, social protection, the management of risk and measures to limit the adverse impacts of excessive price volatility. We support efforts by countries and international organizations in promoting the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), endorsed by the CFS in 2012 and the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems endorsed in 2014. We call on FAO, IFAD, UNCTAD, the World Bank Group and OECD to provide guidance to interested countries on the operationalization of these principles. 8. We reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental role of the multilateral trading system in global food security and to the ongoing WTO negotiations with a view to promptly concluding the Doha Development Agenda and to the success of the WTO Tenth Ministerial Conference at Nairobi. We call on WHO, FAO and other relevant international institutions to continue to improve the capacities of the standard setting bodies such as CODEX, IPPC and OIE to provide scientific advice and guidance to all countries. 9. Improving agricultural productivity sustainably is fundamental to the achievement of sustainable food systems and food security. The G20 has launched a number of initiatives in the past to support agricultural productivity growth. These efforts need to be strengthened where appropriate. We support their extension as appropriate to include the whole food system, for example in the areas of processing, storage and distribution, and to consider the special needs of vulnerable farmers, which may include smallholders and family farmers, in the broader context of inclusive and sustainable rural development. The MACS has an important role in promoting international collaboration to identify global research priorities and facilitating collaboration between public and private sector organizations in the key areas most likely to drive sustainable productivity gains. We ask MACS to consider these needs and propose ways to support the G20 agenda on agriculture and food security issues with a particular focus on supporting transition towards sustainable agricultural and food systems. Given the challenge of climate change Page 2 / 3
for food security, we support the work of the UNFCCC and we look forward to the successful outcome of COP 21 in Paris in December 2015. 10. Productivity improvement can be promoted by adopting technologies and sharing knowledge as much as new research and innovation. We recognize that adoption will not happen without favorable policy and regulatory environments and effective and locally adapted technical advisory and extension services. Taking into account the role played by agricultural policy in promoting sustainable food systems and food security, we call for greater cooperation and exchange of information among G20 members on policy experiences and successful practices in these respects and their sharing with nonmember countries. We invite the OECD and other relevant international organizations to continue to support the development of the G20 initiated framework for improving agricultural productivity sustainably. 11. We note with great concern the significant extent of food loss and waste throughout food value chains and their negative consequences for food security, nutrition, use of natural resources and the environment. We highlight this as a global problem of enormous economic, environmental and societal significance and encourage all G20 members to strengthen their efforts to address it. We believe the reduction of food loss and waste is a good objective for G20 collective action and that the G20 can provide global leadership in this regard. We recall the CFS s Policy Recommendations on Food Loss and Waste. In the context of policy coherence, we encourage the DWG to continue its efforts to develop actions to reduce food loss and waste as part of its Implementation Plan for the G20 FSN Framework. 12. We recognize that while specific actions to combat food loss and waste may vary by country and food system, priority of action should be based on prevention and recovery of safe and nutritious otherwise wasted food to feed people rather than repurposing it for other uses. We acknowledge the importance of promoting this hierarchy of action to improve food system efficiencies and reduce food insecurity, taking into account national circumstances and market-based approaches. To better target interventions to reduce food loss and waste, there is a need for better estimates of the economic and physical magnitude of food loss and waste and a shared understanding of their economic, social and environmental impacts and their underlying drivers. Sharing country experiences in reducing food loss and waste, including through policy incentives, infrastructure investments, market innovations, consumer education, recovery and redistribution of otherwise lost or wasted food for people to eat, business incentives and private sector investments, will also facilitate global efforts to tackle this issue. 13. There is value in a common definitional and measurement framework that G20 members can consider in order to establish coherent estimates of food loss and waste against which they can monitor progress in the reduction of food loss and waste. We take note of the Global Initiative for Food Loss and Waste Reduction (SaveFood) and invite FAO together with IFPRI and other relevant international organizations to establish a platform, building on existing systems, for sharing information and experiences in measuring and reducing food loss and waste. This platform should include experiences of G20 members and other countries and also focus on low-income developing countries. 14. We request that the Agriculture Deputies in collaboration with the DWG should bring together the conclusions of our meeting today and the recommendations of the Implementation Plan into a G20 Action Plan on Food Security/Sustainable Food Systems for consideration at the Antalya Leaders Summit. This would be relevant to both G20 members and low-income developing countries. Page 3 / 3