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Rabat – The ongoing UN Food Systems Summit 2021 has resulted in dozens of national pledges that hope to bring transformational change. Billed as the “people’s summit,” the inaugural Food Systems Summit revealed some continuing disconnects between national priorities, and a lack of global unity and urgency.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke at the official opening of the event, describing a world plagued by both extreme food waste, and crippling hunger. Guterres highlighted the dichotomy of a world where one-third of all food is wasted, while “children are starving.”
Guterres emphasized that this problem is nothing new, describing current practices as “waging a war against nature.” Still, the UN’s top chief stated that the summit had created “extraordinary momentum” to create more sustainable food systems.
The summit displayed a wide variety of priorities, offered solutions and approaches. While for many countries minor solutions and slow approaches appear sufficient, for many living in regions that are already affected by climate change, the issue is much more urgent.
Morocco is a key example of a country already affected by our changing climate. In 2016, the World Bank determined that “Morocco is already bearing the brunt of climate change.” Given its vulnerability, both the country and its state-owned phosphate giant OCP Group are taking the lead to affect positive change.
In 2020, international agencies Vigeo Eiris and Sustainalytics evaluated OCP on its sustainability performance and the identification of Environment, Social and Governance risk levels. It ranked OCP’s sustainability performance as one of the world’s “top performers” in its sector. The group was notably ranked third worldwide and first for companies from emerging markets.
The World Benchmarking Alliance came to a similar conclusion this month, ranking OCP as the fourth most sustainability-minded agricultural business in the world, and first among companies in the developing world. Out of a total of 350 companies, the ranking placed OCP dozens of places above its direct competitors, which ranked between 36th and 109th place. Instead, OCP featured at the top of the prestigious ranking, among industry giants such as Nestle, Danone and Unilever
Marathon of pledges
At the Summit, an hours-long marathon of speeches by national decision-makers complemented and highlighted domestic efforts and new summit-related initiatives to work towards a sustainable global food system. For most Western countries, the event was a platform to call on improved dietary standards, reducing food waste and internal programs such as the EU’s “Farm to Fork” initiative.
As with most political topics, the variety of pledges on vastly different topics revealed a divided international community with little consensus on which problems to prioritize.
Many European countries issued vague calls for “transformation,” or introduced new dietary standards while less fortunate countries described the urgent need to improve agricultural production itself. The variety of opinions highlighted that for much of the world, the event wasn’t a moment to evaluate the results of the green revolution, it was a plea to become part of it.
Africa has the most fertile land ready for its own green revolution. With the emerging knowledge exchange, technology and partnerships on the continent, the stigma of fighting hunger no longer has to be seen from the development-aid perspective that has pervaded this important topic.
African priorities
For many wealthy countries at the summit, speeches and pledges revolved around “visions,” concepts such as “nature-based solutions,” improving diets and reducing food waste. For much of the rest of the world, however, the event was about strengthening food systems, improving agricultural yields, and ending hunger and malnutrition.
The divide on display shows that the end-goal of a transformed food system is a dire need for many, and a future ambition for others.
Many attending nations neglected to emphasize the importance of key topics, such as improving soil health, so that agricultural land is truly “sustainable” for generations to come. Left for future summits is the need to establish a global consensus on improving food production and ensuring food security.
Despite a rise in global hunger, the sense of urgency was not always apparent in the chorus of voluntary pledges with little connection to each other’s priorities.
The UN described the pledge-drive as “commitments to transform food systems,” to help people facing food insecurity, poverty and natural disasters. While “smallholder farmers” were mentioned repeatedly, their needs for quality affordable fertilizers, training or technical solutions were often not a primary topic in national pledges.
Many developed countries have the existent food security to focus on reducing food waste or changing diets. For many people on the African continent, true sustainability depends on a home-grown push to vastly expand agricultural yields and ensure that food security becomes a cornerstone for the prosperity and security of its young population.
Solutions by initiative
The UN Food Systems Summit appeared to again confirm that while multinational dialogue is important, real solutions often only come from a country’s own initiative and willingness to adapt. Waiting for a global consensus to emerge will cost precious time that many in the global south simply do not have.
With limited structural change on offer at these multilateral platforms, countries in the global south, and Africa in particular, need domestic and south-south partnerships to fight food insecurity and create a truly sustainable food system for the future that relies on practical solutions, not only visions and intentions.
Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita used his time during the summit to calmly highlight Morocco’s vast ambitious ongoing projects to ensure a sustainable future.
Morocco has already displayed that climate change and food insecurity are not issues in the distant future. The country and its continental neighbors need to rapidly innovate, share knowledge and build long-term partnerships to avert disaster.
Morocco’s global leadership in renewable energy provides the confidence that solutions are at hand. The approach taken by African agricultural companies such as Morocco’s OCP Group demonstrates that leadership and forward-thinking approaches.
Both Morocco and its largest state-owned company feature at the top of global rankings on crucial issues such as renewable energy generation and sustainability planning, providing a shining example for the African continent and the global south.
Morocco’s ambitious policies and climate action make it one of the few nations on-track to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, while its fertilizer giant OCP is part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a group of 200 of the most forward-thinking companies in the world. With food security and Africa’s development as the direct result of its work, OCP is recognized for its important contribution to a sustainable future.
What the Moroccan approach shows is a respect for international standards and commitments while endeavoring to provide practical solutions, increase yields, innovate, share knowledge and build win-win continental partnerships.
Morocco and the OCP Group appear to be ready to heed the call of the UN chief’s opening remarks. Despite a lack of global consensus, Moroccan initiatives show that indeed “change in food systems is not only possible, it is necessary.
