By John Odyek
Uganda’s delegation attending the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Council is advocating for the establishment of a global fund to subsidize smallholder farmers.
The FAO’s 175th session kicked off in Rome, Italy, from June 10-15, 2024, amidst complex international circumstances such as the conflict in Gaza, the tragic food security situation there, and the impact of the war in Ukraine on global food security.
Uganda’s delegation to the meeting is led by Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries.
“My pitch is that partners in agriculture must create a global fund that helps to subsidise smallholder farmers on fertilizers, vaccines, and other disease control inputs. That will be the real insurance to food systems,” Tumwebaze said.
The council will also discuss the reports of the regional conferences and technical committees associated with the Council and make decisions accordingly.
Participants at the meeting aim to improve agricultural practices for better production, enhance nutrition, support environmental sustainability, and improve the livelihoods and quality of life of those most in need. No single organisation, government, or institution can tackle hunger and poverty in isolation. Prioritising partnerships is fundamental, and multi-stakeholder solutions are needed to address today’s complex, interlinked challenges that affect everyone on our small planet.
The 175th Session of the FAO Council is a pivotal governing body of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The meeting began on Monday with Director-General Qu Dongyu urging members to remain focused on core objectives, notably the transformation of global agrifood systems, and “to ensure we do not allow history to repeat itself through famines and destruction of livelihoods.”
The weeklong meeting allows the 49 members of the Council to review thematic priorities, including ongoing work to strengthen FAO’s country office network, strategic decisions, budget allocations, and a recent review of the Organisation’s management and administration.
In his opening remarks, Qu noted that FAO reached around 56 million people with agricultural and resilience assistance in 2023 and is targeting 80 million people in 2024.
The current time is marked by conflicts, climate crises, and economic shocks, which are catalysing severe hunger emergencies around the world, as highlighted by the recent Global Report on Food Crises and the Hunger Hotspots reports. These shocks tend to be most severe where people are more reliant on some form of agriculture for their livelihoods.
The Director-General noted that the risk of famine is real in Sudan, where half the population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while insisting, “We have a small window of opportunity to prevent it now.”
