G20 adopts Matera Declaration, commits to addressing food emergencies

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 30

The G-20 Foreign Ministers have adopted the “Matera Declaration”, which asks the global community to step up efforts to contain the effects of the pandemic on lives and livelihoods, build inclusive and resilient food chains and ensure adequate nutrition for all.

Meeting for the first time in the format of “Joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Development Ministers” after the G20 Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting in Italy, the declaration concurred with the UN’s “Zero Hunger” goal set for 2030.

The G20 ministers recognised that poverty alleviation, food security, and sustainable food systems, are key to ending hunger, encouraging social cohesion and community development.

They also called for implementing effective actions for the empowerment of women and youth in the rural-urban continuum.

They also emphasised on enhancing social protection measures and programmes, with a focus on people living in vulnerable situations, of which large shares depend on the agriculture and food sector for their livelihoods.

The declaration underlined the need for much higher investments for food security, nutrition, and sustainable food systems and territorial development.

These would be achieved by the adaptation of agriculture and food systems to climate change, as increased climate variability and extreme weather events impact agriculture output and in turn drive global hunger.

The Ministers called for keeping international food trade open and to keep food markets functioning. `

They also vowed to guard against “any unjustified restrictive and distortive measures” that could lead to a spike in food prices and threaten the nutrition of large proportions of the world population.