Invest in agriculture to combat hunger

With the right balance of interventions, the world can get back on track to eradicate hunger by 2030, said Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Qu explained this at the recent sixth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting on Food Security.
"Growth in the agricultural sector is the most significant way to effectively reduce poverty and hunger in middle to low-income countries," the Director-General said. He stressed that maintaining additional investments in agriculture, national development strategies, and bilateral and multilateral initiatives is critical.
The cost of additional investments in agriculture amounts to around 8% of the size of the world’s food markets. FAO urged targeting countries most in need and focusing resources on “impactful” investments in these areas. FAO's Investment Centre and global network of investment officers are committed to supporting the work of moving from the drawing table to the enabling policies and investments required, Qu said.
Meanwhile, the Director-General also said that the APEC plays a vital role to help fight hunger. APEC is crucial in implementing the concrete actions needed to support the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems in the region. (Image from Unsplash)