Report highlights need for equitable, sustainable food systems

The 2021 Rural Development Report, a flagship publication of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, was launched in China on Monday to provide insights on how food systems can be transformed for rural prosperity.

International and Chinese agricultural professionals shared highlights of the report and experiences transforming food systems in China's rural vitalization at the virtual launch event in China, jointly organized by the IFAD China Office and the China Center for Agricultural Policy at Peking University.

The report enumerated the issues affecting the sustainability of food systems and provided suggestions on how to make food systems environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

IFAD's cooperation with China prioritizes supporting China's rural vitalization and promoting common prosperity for farmers and rural areas.

Han Bin, deputy director of the Department of International Financial Cooperation of the Ministry of Finance, said the report focused on how the rural population can benefit from the transformation of food systems and address food security.

"This is particularly relevant at a time when the global poverty reduction process has been set back by COVID-19 and more than 800 million people are facing hunger," he said.

Jyotsna Puri, associate vice-president of IFAD's Strategy and Knowledge Department, said the occasion offered an opportunity to share the report more widely and discuss topics from an international and Chinese perspective.

"The report highlights the importance of focusing investments and policy changes on rural food chains in order to make adequate and nutritious food accessible to all," she said.

"We need to ensure food systems do not harm the environment, and that food producers are able to earn a decent income," she added.

Huang Jikun, from Peking University's China Center for Agricultural Policy Research, an affiliated think tank, said innovative institutions, policies and investments are key driving forces to improve food security and promote greener agriculture.

Xie Jianmin, counsel from the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, stressed China's priorities in making the food system more environmentally efficient and beneficial to rural people.

He highlighted the importance of ensuring food security, promoting agricultural carbon emissions reductions and consolidating the successful results of Chinese poverty alleviation through rural vitalization.