FAO to strengthen South-South, triangular cooperation to accelerate agri-food systems transformation

Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu on Wednesday said the organization will further leverage the full potential of South-South and triangular cooperation to accelerate agri-food systems transformation.

Speaking at a UN General Assembly meeting, Qu said through South-South exchanges, sustainable climate-smart agricultural knowledge, experience and technologies can be disseminated to smallholder farmers.

To this end, FAO will further strengthen cooperation with member countries in the framework of North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, the FAO chief announced.

First, FAO will implement high-impact and innovative South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives, Qu said, adding that the goal is to understand where and how investment, innovation, policy and institutional change can help in making agri-food system transformation a driver for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Noting that FAO will also expand its partnerships with diverse groups of actors, the Director-General said FAO will enhance national capacities to engage more in South-South and triangular cooperation.

"The ultimate goal is to enable countries to effectively manage exchanges and engage in impactful and mutually beneficial South-South and triangular cooperation with FAO's involvement," he added.

According to UN website, to address the intertwined issues of poverty and hunger, South-South and triangular cooperation in agriculture can play a key role. It can be leveraged to galvanize economic activity, create employment, improve incomes, spur innovation and stimulate self-reliance and entrepreneurship in developing countries, which are all essential ingredients for overcoming hunger in a sustainable manner.