07/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/15/2025 15:50
15/07/2025
Excellencies, colleagues, and partners,
Today, we reaffirm our collective commitment to supporting African countries, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Middle-Income Countries in accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals through resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems.
Least Developed Countries continue to face profound structural challenges-low per capita income, weak human assets, and high vulnerability to external shocks-all of which constrain their ability to ensure food security and transform agrifood systems. Landlocked Developing Countries, meanwhile, experience significantly higher trade costs-on average 30 percent more-due to their lack of direct access to the sea, which limits their competitiveness and makes food imports costlier and less reliable. These constraints translate into persistent hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
In Africa alone, 282 million people were undernourished in 2023, accounting for more than one-third of the global total.
Nearly 3 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, with Least Developed Countries and Middle-Income Countries carrying the heaviest burden. Stunting and wasting rates in children remain unacceptably high, particularly in regions facing protracted crises or climate-related stress.
To meet these challenges, we must act decisively. Building resilience to the growing frequency and intensity of climate shocks is a top priority. Over a decade, from 2008 to 2018, disasters caused losses of more than USD 108 billion in crop and livestock production in Least Developed Countries alone. The promotion of climate-resilient agriculture-including drought- and flood-tolerant crop varieties, improved water management, and agroecological practices-is essential.
FAO is also strengthening early warning systems and supporting anticipatory action, helping communities act before disasters strike. The launch of the new Financing for Shock-Driven Food Crisis Facility, or FSFC, exemplifies this shift toward proactive financing. Evidence shows that for every dollar spent on early action, up to seven dollars can be saved in crisis response. With private risk financing and smart targeting, the impact is even greater.
Enhancing sustainable agrifood production must go hand in hand with resilience. Many of these countries face low productivity, degraded soils, and biodiversity loss. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 20 percent of cropland is degraded. Through tailored support, FAO helps countries sustainably increase productivity-from crops to livestock to fisheries and aquaculture-ensuring long-term viability while protecting ecosystems.
Improving access to healthy diets is equally crucial. The triple burden of malnutrition-undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies, and rising obesity-requires urgent action. Many of these countries rely heavily on food imports and struggle to provide their populations with affordable, diverse, and nutritious foods. FAO works to reduce food loss and waste, strengthen local value chains, and promote diversified production to enhance food availability and access. In many African countries, food loss still reaches up to 30 percent, particularly in perishable value chains.
Finally, attracting investment and improving market access is key to unlocking the potential of smallholder farmers and rural communities. Around 80 percent of farms globally are small-scale, yet they lack access to finance, inputs, and stable markets. FAO supports countries in attracting public and private investment, reducing trade bottlenecks, and implementing smart policies to foster inclusive rural transformation. Tools like the Hand-in-Hand Geospatial Platform help countries identify high-impact investment opportunities, de-risk interventions, and align partners behind common goals.
In conclusion, transforming agrifood systems in African countries, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Middle-Income Countries is not only possible-it is essential. It is about dignity, equity, and opportunity. With the right investments, knowledge, and partnerships, we can build food systems that are resilient, inclusive, and sustainable-and ensure that no one is left behind in the journey toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Let us act, together.