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Greater agricultural innovation needed to meet SDGs, states FAO chief
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Saturday, 14 December, 2019, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Madrid
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Greater agricultural innovation is required to tackle the risks of climate change and reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was stated by Qu Dongyu, director general, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), at the opening of SDG-2 - Linking Technological Innovation and Climate Change Actions for a World Free of Hunger, Malnutrition and Poverty, an event on the sidelines of COP25, which commenced recently.
“There is a need for innovation, not only in science, but also in policies, in how we do business and the way we think,” he added.
The event was co-organised by FAO and the two other Rome-based UN (United Nations) agencies, the International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Qu highlighted the important role of farmers who are ultimately those who apply agricultural innovation, and therefore, should not be left behind when it comes to technology and innovation.
FAO opined that when applied to the food and agricultural sectors, innovation, technology and digitalisation can strengthen climate change actions, increase food production and support everyone involved in the food value chain.
Innovative solutions - several of which FAO promotes through its work - are already making a difference. These include precision and digital agriculture, enhanced early warning systems, remote sensing technologies, and climate-neutral approaches.
For example, precision agriculture can make water use more efficient and improve the management of soil nutrients. Precision irrigation can reduce water use between eight and 20 per cent.
“Empowering farmers and strengthening coordination, especially at the country level, are crucial to responding to climate change challenges and reaching all SDGs, and it is time to scale up and speed up our efforts,” stated the FAO chief.
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