PRESS RELEASE : UK helps secure ambitious declaration to promote sustainable farming and food security [September 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 17 September 2024.
The UK has played a key role in securing a declaration to support sustainable agriculture and promote food security at a meeting of G20 Agriculture Ministers in Brazil.
Signing the G20 Agricultural Declaration, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner affirmed the government’s commitment to sustainable agri-food systems.
The Brazilian Presidency led negotiations which positioned agriculture at the forefront of addressing key challenges of fighting poverty, ending hunger, and improving nutrition, while confronting the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
The efforts of the UK ensured that the Declaration encourages more sustainable agricultural practices across the planet, including halting and reversing deforestation.
Speaking at the G20 Agriculture Ministers meeting in Cuiabá, Brazil, Minister Zeichner called on countries to deepen international collaboration, including through trade, to create sustainable agri-food systems. The minister also used the occasion to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, when it launches in November.
Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs said:
It is vital that G20 countries work together to create sustainable agriculture and food systems, as well safeguard food security.
This declaration will help create sustainable and resilient global agriculture, essential to overcome poverty, climate change and biodiversity loss.
At home, we will continue delivering a new deal for farmers, boosting farmer confidence and food security, as well as stability and economic growth in our rural communities.”
The government will continue to champion UK food and drink on the international stage and Scotch whisky has recently become the first foreign product granted Geographical Indication status in Brazil since 2019. This new status could be worth around £25 million in trade over five years and will give distillers better access to South America’s largest economy, strengthening international recognition for Scotch Whisky.
