Finland must help improving global food security: expert group

Finland must influence and assume more responsibility for reinforcing global food security and the food system, according to the expert group of a Development Policy Committee.

Committee expert group, whose analysis of the future of food security and food systems was published on Friday also recommended that particular attention must be paid to improving the position of the poorest countries and people and groups living in the most vulnerable situations, said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in a press release.

According to the analysis, Finland should distinguish itself as a country promoting global food security and emphasise the links between themes related to food security as well as new approaches.

A good opportunity to promote “food security diplomacy” is the UN Food System Summit, which will take place in September in connection with the UN General Assembly in New York.

“Finland must play an active role in the summit, so that its end result will stimulate sustainable change and close the inequality gap between food systems. Finland must also commit to implementing the action agenda of the summit nationally and internationally,” the Development Policy Committee expert group recommended.

Finland can also actively influence international organisations and negotiation processes in order to strengthen the role of agriculture in adapting to and mitigating climate change, and to increase awareness and consideration of the importance of biodiversity for food security.

Finland's development policy aims to strengthen the opportunities of people in developing countries to produce and obtain safe, healthy and nutritious food. According to the Development Policy Committee’s analysis, this should also be reflected in funding.

In development cooperation, however, funding for the food security, agriculture and rural development sectors has decreased considerably in recent years.

According to the analysis, Finland needs a credible and concrete plan to raise development cooperation funds to the level recommended by the UN. At the same time, funding for the food security, agriculture and rural development sectors must be increased.