FOOD, AGRICULTURE & WATER
G20
AGRICULTURE
MINISTERS’
MEETING
3 JUNE 2016
JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA
FAO Director-General
80
FAO welcomes the eff ort of the G20 and
the Chinese Presidency to discuss how
to promote food security, nutrition and
sustainable agricultural growth in the
context of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable
Development. Promoting sustainable
agriculture requires a renewed focus on
innovation through research, technology
and capacity development.
FAO has already been supporting its
Member Countries in the application
of information and communications
technology, ICT, in agriculture.
ICT helps in the monitoring of crop
growth, the utilization of mechanical and
chemical techniques, fi eld management
and harvest. ICT is also increasingly
important in market early warnings and
the use of open data.
In addition, telecommunications
and mobile devices have the potential
to provide internet access for millions
of people and connect farmers with
digital agriculture.
In order to ensure that farmers fully
leverage ICT opportunities, it is essential
to provide digital tailored assets, foster
capacity development and facilitate the
exchange of successful experiences.
FAO is developing a Digital Strategy
to support the most vulnerable in rural
areas through innovative environments
and sharing knowledge. This Digital
Strategy intends to integrate diff erent
technologies, such as mobile, big
data, cloud, satellite, internet of things
and social platforms.
FAO is also using digital technologies
on other fronts, ranging from the use of
mobile phones to report animal disease
outbreaks to the use of drones in post-
disaster assessments.
One innovative example is our
partnership with Google to make use
of their satellite data and processing
power. The expectation is that the new
technologies and data made available
through Google will allow FAO to
usher in an unprecedented level of
environmental literacy, especially in
the forestry and fi sheries sectors.
FAO’s Locust Control Unit is another
example of ICT application. It uses Google
material to improve forecasts and the
control of desert locust outbreaks.
FAO is contributing to the international
eff orts to address Antimicrobial
Resistance, AMR, through the Codex
Alimentarius Commission. We are also
working closely with OIE and WHO within
the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial
Resistance, which seeks to ensure