PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has hit out at the “dysfunctionality of our current food systems” in remarks to the opening session of the World Food Forum in Rome.

The global forum is being held this week at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nation (FAO) in Rome.

President Higgins is in Rome for a week-long visit, which will include a Private Audience with Pope Francis as well as a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

In his opening remarks this afternoon, President Higgins called on society to “face up to” the “sobering facts which illustrate the dysfunctionality of our current food systems”.

“The issues of ownership of seeds, fertilisers, tools of production
and their distribution, obstacles to the migration of science and technological
innovations, questions around the lending policies of the financial institutions cannot continue to be ignored,” said President Higgins.

He noted that half of the global population is defined as malnourished, while two billion people are experiencing under-nutrition, which means an individual does not have a sufficient intake of nutrients to meet their needs and to maintain good health.  

Higgins further highlighted that while “three billion people could not afford a healthy diet, 1.6 billion tonnes of primary food production are wasted each year in what are described as ‘developed’ countries where obesity levels continue to spiral”.

This 1.6 billion tonnes of wasted primary good production results in a “carbon footprint estimated at 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions being released into the atmosphere each year”, Higgins told the forum.  

Higgins also spoke of the need to “recognise the links between food insecurity, global poverty, debt and climate change and described agri-food systems as “broken” and “not fit for purpose”.

He added that these food systems are “causing our planet harm, leading to food dependency, food insecurity and hunger”.

Higgins also hit out at “excessive stockpiling” and said that it is driving up prices internationally. 

“China now holds over half of all wheat reserves globally,” said President Higgins.

“The over-concentration of wheat reserves among just a handful of nations must be tackled.”

During his speech, Higgins noted that the continent of Africa, “despite having two-thirds of remaining arable land, still imports 100 million tonnes of food at a cost of $75 billion annually”.

“African nations, along with many others facing food security challenges, have the potential to be self-sufficient in terms of food production and to make a contribution to feeding the world,” said Higgins.

He added: “A range of staples high in nutrition can be produced in the regions where they are needed, and make unnecessary the practice of long, hazardous transport routes and supplier monopolies.”

Higgins also called on global leaders to “move past a reactive emergency response to one that confronts the structural causes of hunger”.

“The underlying failures disrupting global food supply must be addressed,” said Higgins.

“The global humanitarian response cannot be distorted to function as a mask that serves to cover for the continued neglect of the structural sources of food insecurity.”

Higgins added that the European Union “should use its considerable influence to promote systemic shifts at global level, strengthen localisation of food production and policy coherence”.

In an earlier address at the same venue to mark the 43rd World Food Day, President Higgins highlighted concerns over access to clean water. 

World Food Day commemorates the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization on 16 October, 1945 and this year’s theme is water. 

“Like all natural resources, fresh water is not infinite,” said Higgins. 

Only 2.5% of water is fresh and suitable for drinking or agriculture and over 2.4 billion people live in “water-stressed” countries.

He called for “action to preserve our planet’s water resource before it is too late”.

- Diarmuid Pepper will be reporting from Rome this week and you can follow on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Diarmuid_9