Ensuring that no one is left behind - Food security and sustainable agriculture, climate action, sustainable oceans and terrestrial ecosystems - adopting a nexus approach

The interlinked and interconnected nature of sustainable development goals can be seen in the important nexus of sustainable agriculture, the climate, the oceans and terrestrial ecosystems which show how negative trends in these areas can undermine food security and how sustainability in these areas is the only long-term solution for the future.

Food security and nutrition are essential for sustainable development. However, one in every nine people in the world, representing the most vulnerable groups, are currently unable to consume enough food to conduct an active and healthy life. Accordingly, the 2030 Agenda contains SDG 2 which aims to “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”. Achieving food security is hereby strongly linked to sustainable agriculture , adequate climate action and well-functioning oceans and terrestrial ecosystems .

Agriculture, which generates food and income for many people around the world, is dependent on the global ecosystems. While oceans and terrestrial ecosystems offer crucial ecosystem services and are an important source of food and nutrition, they are increasingly threatened, degraded or destroyed by human activities. Among the main threats is climate change, which impacts the health of the global ecosystems, hinders sustainable agriculture and represents one of the biggest threats to food security in the 21st century. Furthermore, the anticipated growth in the world population to 8.5 billion people by 2030 together with its rising food demand will put immense pressure on the agriculture sector.

As hunger remains an everyday challenge for almost 795 million people worldwide, including 780 million in the developing regions , main challenges must be addressed and sustainable agriculture implemented in order to ensure food security and nutrition for all so that no one is left behind. An integrated approach is hereby crucial. The session will identify important inter-linkages among the different nexus areas and enumerate possible threats to agriculture, the climate and the oceans and terrestrial ecosystems which are at the same time negatively affecting food security. The session will elaborate on the necessity of using an integrated approach when dealing with this nexus at the sub-national, national, regional and global level.

Possible questions for discussion:

What are the most important inter-linkages among the different nexus areas?
What are possible threats affecting agriculture, the climate, the oceans and terrestrial ecosystems and how do they affect food security?
How can an integrated approach be used when dealing with this nexus at the sub-national, national, regional and global level to ensure that no one is left behind and what are good examples of such approach?

5 FAO (2015): The State of Food Insecurity in the World.
6 TST Issues Brief: Sustainable Agriculture
7 TST Issues Brief: Climate Change and disaster risk reduction
8 TST Issues Brief: Oceans and Seas; Global Sustainable Development Report 2015 Edition Advance Unedited Version, Chapter 3
9 TST Issues Brief: Forests, TST Issues Brief Biodiversity
10 UNDESA (2015): 2015 Revision of World Population Prospects.
11 FAO (2015): The State of Food Insecurity in the World

Chair:

H.E. Mr. Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC

Moderator:

H.E. Mr. Ronald Jumeau, Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues, Seychelles

Roundtable members:

Ms. Deborah Fulton, Secretary at the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
Ms. Evelyn Nguleka, President, World Farmers' Organization
Ms. Omoyemen Lucia Odigie-Emmanuel, President of the Centre for Human Rights and Climate Change
Mr. Jake Rice, Chief Scientist – Emeritus at the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)