Rapid uptake of digitalization and innovation seen as key to sustainability
23 August, 2021 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is convening a virtual forum of leaders from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in a major push forward to help its Members regain their momentum toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Small in size and population, most Pacific SIDS have been badly affected, economically, by the global pandemic, but they also continue to struggle with other challenges such as the triple-dimensional forms of malnutrition and increasingly extreme hazards related to climate change.
Co-hosted by the Government of Fiji, FAO is organizing the SIDS Solutions Forum, 30 – 31 August. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will partner with FAO for the event.
Heads of State and Government from seven Pacific Island countries will be joined by representatives from SIDS countries in the African and Americas/Caribbean regions. Ministers holding key government portfolios related to agriculture, food, nutrition, environment, health and ICT, will participate and play leading roles – as will representatives from the private sector, civil society and others.
The objective is to examine workable and replicable solutions that will lead to better production, better nutrition, better environment and better lives for the people of SIDS everywhere.
The special case for a SIDS Solutions Forum
While COVID-19 has impacted lives and livelihoods in many countries around the world, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have been hit especially hard. Many that relied heavily on tourism were forced to close their borders, losing badly needed revenue while individuals and families lost their incomes. Even before the pandemic, SIDS countries, in particular, were sharing other challenges such as frequent natural disasters, limited arable land, dependence on small-scale agriculture, high-priced imports, and a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. All of these issues have hampered their progress toward achieving the 2030 SDG targets.
The SIDS Solutions Forum creates a space for government leaders, development partners, farmers, fishers, community development practitioners and leaders, entrepreneurs, women and youth to discuss, share, promote and encourage home-grown and imported solutions to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19, and several of those that pre-existed the pandemic. The ultimate goal is to accelerate achievement of agriculture, food and nutrition-related SDGs in SIDS.
Digitalization and innovation – an important way forward for SIDS on the road to 2030
Digital technologies are transforming agri-food systems. While this is an important development everywhere, it is of great importance to remote areas such as SIDS. The expansion of mobile technologies, remote-sensing services and distributed computing are already improving smallholders’ access to information, inputs and markets, increasing production and productivity, streamlining supply chains and reducing operational costs.
Robotics, together with artificial intelligence (AI), are examples of how digital innovation support farmers in the management of herds and crops. Digital innovation holds the potential to unlock employment opportunities, bridge the rural divide and empower youth and women to access information, technology and markets.
Sharing these rapidly evolving digital innovations will accelerate progress toward achieving the SDGs in SIDS. Therefore, the SIDS Solutions Forum will launch a knowledge exchange platform to incubate, promote, scale up and replicate locally grown ideas to accelerate the achievement of agriculture, food, nutrition, environment and health.
A global event – a major media opportunity [30 – 31 August] – before and during.
The two-day virtual event is attracting high-level participation, with Heads of State and Heads of Governments from seven Pacific Island countries, joined by Government Ministers, Heads of United Nations Agencies and many others – not just from the Pacific, but from SIDS in the Americas (Caribbean) and African/Indian Ocean SIDS as well.
Several Caribbean island will be in attendance with contributions and presentations from The Hon. Indar Weir, The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security in Barbados, The Hon. Sabato Caesar, The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Hon. Floyd Green and The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in Jamaica.
The Provisional Programme and high-level list of participants is here.
Media can find a registration page here or by accessing the event page here
