The agency is calling for $1.2 billion in initial investment to support the needs of the new programme.
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has unveiled its new comprehensive COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, aimed at preventing a global food emergency during and after the COVID-19 pandemic while working on medium to long-term development response for food security and nutrition.
The agency is calling for $1.2 billion in initial investment to support the needs of the new programme.
The Programme was launched during a virtual dialogue with private and public sectors entitled “Joint action on COVID-19: boosting our food and agricultural response”.
The event was organised by FAO to provide an agile and coordinated global response that ensures access to nutritious food for all by mobilizing all forms of resources and partnerships at country, regional and global level.
In line with the UN approach to “build back better” post COVID-19, and in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new programme aims to mitigate the immediate impacts of the pandemic while strengthening the longer-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods.
To minimise COVID-19’s damaging effects on food security and nutrition while transforming global food systems to make them more resilient, sustainable and equitable, FAO calls for immediate action in seven key priority areas:
- Reinforce a Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19
- Improve Data for Decision-making
- Ensure Economic Inclusion and Social Protection to Reduce Poverty
- Bolster Trade and Food Safety Standards
- Boost Smallholder Resilience for Recovery
- Prevent the Next Zoonotic Pandemic through a strengthened One Health Approach
- Trigger Food Systems Transformation