At Stockholm Forum, Secretary-General Stresses Food Systems that Respect Environment, Promote Healthy Diets Essential for Sustainable Development

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the third annual East Stockholm Food Forum, held in Stockholm from 13 to 14 June:

When world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations last September, they committed to a comprehensive, integrated and universal vision for transformation that aims to end poverty and safeguard our planet.  The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, together with the Paris Agreement on climate change, represent an integrated agenda.  They recognize that for the most vulnerable, hunger, poverty and climate change are all connected, with mutually reinforcing negative consequences.

This is clear in the crippling effects of malnutrition.  No country is immune.  One out of every three people worldwide suffers from some form of malnutrition.  Overweight and obesity are increasing in almost all countries and food waste is pervasive.  Progress to combat undernutrition has been slow and unequal.  Malnutrition and diet are now the largest risk factors responsible for the global burden of disease.

To realize the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we need food and agriculture systems that provide all people with sufficient nutritious foods for sustainable healthy diets, contribute to ending rural poverty, and mitigate and respond to the adverse effects of climate change.  This will have a profound impact on both the health and well-being of people and of the planet on which we live.

New and innovative platforms, such as the EAT Forum, the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, my Zero Hunger Challenge and the Committee on World Food Security, can bring actors together to exchange ideas and work collectively towards the common goal of ending poverty, hunger and malnutrition for all.

The United Nations General Assembly recently proclaimed 2016-2025 as the Decade of Action on Nutrition.  I count on all of you to help this initiative to succeed.  Food systems that respect the environment and promote human health can empower millions of individuals to realize progress across the 2030 Agenda.  Toward that end, I wish you productive discussions and look forward to our continued collaboration to realize our vision of a life of dignity for all.