Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest

1. This summit was held for the first time this year at the call of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, for the purpose of realizing a recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through the transformation of “food systems” which consists of food production, distribution and consumption, as well as achieving the SDGs by 2030. The Summit was attended by heads of states and ministerial-level government officials from more than 150 countries, and representatives from a range of fields, including international organizations, the private sector and civil society. Participants discussed ways to find solutions for the challenges which food systems are facing.
2. In his video message, Prime Minister Suga welcomed the Summit as a timely event in the midst of increasing food insecurity due to multiple factors including the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Suga also stated that Japan will work towards establishing better global "food systems", focusing on the following three points: (1) to achieve both productivity improvement and sustainability by driving innovation, digitalization and the utilization of science and technology; (2) to maintain and strengthen free and fair trade, including the restraint of import and export restrictions based on arbitrary measures without scientific evidence; and (3) to take an approach considering each country and region’s climate and nature, as well as their food culture. Prime Minister Suga also expressed his country's determination to host the “Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit” in December, and to lead international efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, and to improve nutrition for people in the world.

［Reference 1］
　　THE FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT

［Reference 2］
　　Speech Script (PDF)

［Reference 3］
　　Statement of Action