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Glenn B Gregorio, UN Food Systems Champion 2021 – The FAO? ASA KA PA

We have a Champion! Via Facebook post, it was announced 10 March 2021 that National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines Academician Glenn B Gregorio has been selected as one of the new UN Food Systems Champions to be meeting during the UN Food Systems Summit 2021.

Charissa Luci-Atienza has that pertinent report (12  March 2021, “Filipino Rice Scientist Named As UN Food Systems Champion[1],” Manila Bulletin). The Summit may be held this September, venue not announced.

I say Mr Gregorio deserves the selection, being rich in local and international experiences in basic & applied sciences. According to Ms Charissa, he has received several awards, including locally, Outstanding Young Scientist in the Field of Genetics (2004), and William Dar-Crop Science Society of the Philippines Achievement Award in Research Management(2014); internationally, Honorary Foreign Scientist Award at the Rural Development Administration of Korea(2002-2005), and Ho Chi Minh Medal for Having Great Contribution to the Cause of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam(2012),

The Summit will seek “to align stakeholders around a common understanding and narrative of a food system framework as a foundation for concerted action, making food and food systems widespread issues for advocacy and action to achieve the 2030 UN Sustainable Development) Agenda.” A food system is “made up of the environment, people, institutions and processes by which agricultural products are produced, processed and brought to consumers.”

Malnutrition is what drives the Summit. FAO said, “Addressing malnutrition requires integrated action and complementary interventions in agriculture and the food system, in natural resource management, in public health and education, and in broader policy domains.”

World Food Programme Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said, “Prioritizing nutrition today is an investment in our collective global future (that) must involve food, agriculture, health and education systems.”

Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres“stressed that food systems are closely linked to climate change as the latter is making it harder to feed a growing population. If we are to sustainably feed the world’s population in the future, we need to see action today that prepares farmers around the world for the impacts of climate change.”

ASA KA PA (see masthead of my blog above): With all that, see the contrasting high concern of FAO on food systems, and lack of concern on food producers? Farmers have always been losers when it comes to economic returns in food systems. So? Millions of them have been leading poor lives. Please, the farmers deserve what they deserve!

The UN Food Systems Summit… aims to raise awareness of food systems’ centrality to the entire sustainable development agenda, and the urgency of transforming food systems, particularly in the wake of a global pandemic.

Yet shows absence of concern on millions of food producers who deserve much, much more. To me, ignoring the plight of these farmers is unpardonable on the part of the FAO. I hope Mr Gregorio will bring this matter to the attention of the Food Systems Summit this September!@517


[1]https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/12/filipino-rice-scientist-named-as-un-food-systems-champion/?fbclid=IwAR3Knh-5wW_mKctnbKk87xvfJzqfR09DQeeWjIZ1WFKYlMzdNRfJ2aEAzcI

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