Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security

May 20, 2023

We, the leaders of Japan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Comoros, the Cook Islands, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Viet Nam and the European Union, reaffirmed that access to affordable, safe and nutritious food is a basic human need, and shared the importance of working closely together to respond to the worsening global food security crisis with the world facing highest risk of famine in a generation and to build more resilient, sustainable and inclusive agriculture and food systems, including through enhancing stability and predictability in international markets. Noting the key actions outlined in the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 (UNFSS) and the 2022 Global Food Security Roadmap endorsed by over 100 country signatories as well as the G20’s efforts on global food security, we intend to jointly take the following actions in cooperation with the international community to strengthen global food security and nutrition and call on other partners to join us in these efforts.

1. Responding to the immediate food security crisis

Global food security is threatened by multiple factors and risks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, volatile energy, food and fertilizer prices, the serious impact of climate change and armed conflicts, with disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable, including women, children and persons with disabilities. The war in Ukraine has further aggravated the ongoing food security crisis around the world, especially in developing and least developed countries. We note with deep concern the adverse impact of the war in Ukraine and stress that it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks. Especially in light of its impact on food security and the humanitarian situation around the world, we support a just and durable peace based on respect for international law, principles of the UN charter and territorial integrity and sovereignty. We call on all participants of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) to continue and fully implement its smooth operation at its maximum potential and for as long as necessary, and stress the importance of allowing grains to continue to reach those most in need. According to UN and relevant reports, up to 828 million people were facing hunger across the world in 2021 and 258 million people in 58 food crisis countries, especially in developing and least developed countries, were estimated to need emergency food assistance in 2022. We will be working together to respond to the immediate food security crisis including through;

• Supporting multisectoral humanitarian assistance to countries experiencing crisis and emergency levels of acute food insecurity, such as in the Horn of Africa.
• Advocating for a substantial increase in humanitarian and development funding, including from other international donors and private sector partners to fill emergency and critical development assistance funding gaps to avert famine and build sustainable and resilient food systems.
• Supporting grain exports from Ukraine and Russia including the expansion and extension of the BSGI, continuation of the EU “Solidarity Lanes” and the restoration of the agricultural sector in Ukraine as well as supporting any UN efforts to identify and evidence illegal movement of grains.
• Facilitating rules-based, open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory international trade in food and agricultural products, to stabilize markets by reducing the risk of scarcity and mitigating price volatility.
• Strengthening coordination between donors, the UN including the Rome-Based Agencies of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Progamme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), including through the Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS), the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), to prioritize and cover the most urgent needs, to avoid further deterioration of humanitarian conditions and to accelerate responsible investments in food systems.
• Supporting immediate assistance to scale up sustainable and efficient local, regional and international food production and value chains consistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

2. Preparing for and preventing future food security crises

We recognize the importance of enhancing market transparency, minimizing distortions that are inconsistent with WTO rules, enhancing the availability of accurate information and analysis as key aspects of preventing or minimizing the risk of food security crises and malnutrition and facilitating early actions in cases of crises. We also recognize the importance of developing a shared understanding of recommended actions in response to food security crises. Therefore, we intend to cooperate towards the following purposes:  

(1) To enhance market transparency and preparedness for food and nutrition crises

• Strengthening the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) by supporting G20 efforts to broaden its coverage to include fertilizer and vegetable oils, as well as improving data provision including on stocks.
• Supporting synergistic data collection, analysis and dissemination work by international organizations including the International Grains Council’s (IGC) data collection and analysis and the FAO's development of early warning models, and recognizing the importance of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) as the global standard for acute food insecurity monitoring and analysis, the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) initiated in the framework of GNAFC to draw attention to the global food security crisis, the multi-donor 50x2030 initiative and the GAFS Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard.
• Supporting the implementation of existing crisis response and preparedness strategies in countries where they exist, and contributing to the establishment and implementation of Food Security Crisis Preparedness Plans (FSCPP) through World Bank support with other countries and relevant stakeholders and in the framework of GAFS where needed.
• Supporting ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) in ASEAN region and the East Asia Summit’s (EAS) renewed commitment in 2022 to implement the 2013 EAS Declaration on Food Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security 2021-25 as well as the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve, as initiatives to respond to food supply disruptions in the region.

(2) To develop a shared understanding of recommended crisis-time actions

• Welcoming and supporting the dialogue on the food security crisis between food exporting countries and importing countries to be co-hosted by the IGC and Japan under its G7 Presidency in June.
• Contributing to the identification and the development of guiding principles and best practices related to trade and market transparency in crisis response based on this dialogue.
• Reconfirming that agricultural trade must be rules-based, open, fair, transparent, predictable, inclusive, non-discriminatory and consistent with WTO rules, and recalling the WTO Ministerial Decision on WFP Food Purchases Exemption from Export Prohibitions or Restrictions as well as the WTO Ministerial Declaration on the Emergency Response to Food Insecurity.
• Calling for more concrete actions to address measures that impact global food security by seeking meaningful outcomes on the issues in the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) negotiations.
• Promoting donor coordination on food crises responses including emergency humanitarian assistance and mitigating measures for most affected populations through mechanism such as GAFS and GNAFC.
• Focusing on expanding fertilizer efficiency and soil health practices.

3. Realizing resilient global food security and nutrition for all

Realizing resilient global food security and nutrition for all is our shared goal for a better future for each human being. We are committed to working together to pave the way to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, progressively realizing of the right to adequate food and building resilient, sustainable, efficient and inclusive food systems, and enabling those in need to access affordable, safe and nutritious food and healthy diets now and into the future. We also emphasize the importance of climate change adaptation and mitigation in agriculture and food systems, of halting and reversing biodiversity loss while recognizing the strong interrelation between agriculture and biodiversity, preventing all forms of malnutrition, and reducing food loss and waste, as well as utilizing traditional knowledge and promoting gender-responsive approaches that engage women as key actors of food systems whereas women and girls are often disproportionately affected by food insecurity and malnutrition. We are joining hands to take the following actions:

(1) To advance food security and nutrition for all

• Increasing efforts to achieve zero-hunger (SDG 2) and to ensure access to food and nutrition for all those in need, by
  • Coordinating actions at the global, regional as well as national levels including through engagement with relevant initiatives and platforms such as FAO, WFP, and IFAD, FAO’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), GNFAC, GAFS and the Ministerial Mediterranean Dialogue on the Food Crisis, including for the purpose of mainstreaming gender equality in actions related to food security and nutrition.
  • Leveraging integrated methods such as the Rome-Based Agencies Resilient Initiative and the joint Sahel action plan 2021-2027 to meet developing and least-developed countries’ food security needs.
  • Supporting targeted and cost-effective approaches in humanitarian actions as well as in broader social protection and safety net responses, including school meals programs which, as an integrated action within broader nutrition initiatives targeting vulnerable populations, can serve as safety nets.
• Supporting the incorporation of nutrition goals into related policies such as agriculture, health, social protection, water and sanitation and education.
• Improving access to affordable healthy diets and safe and nutritious foods through sustainable and nutrition sensitive agriculture and food systems and increasing the availability, affordability and quality of malnutrition treatment and prevention products and services. 
• Engaging towards ambitious outcomes at the next Nutrition for Growth Summit to be hosted by France, together with stakeholders including donors, private sector and civil society, building upon the Tokyo Compact on Global Nutrition for Growth.
• Supporting inclusive food and agricultural policies that generate decent jobs, including for youth and others in vulnerable situations, contribute to poverty reduction and improve access to healthy diets.
• Supporting development, production, increased productivity and use of fortified foods adapted to local contexts and needs to tackle micronutrient deficiencies.

(2) To build resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems

• Promoting and cooperating on achievement of resilient, sustainable and productive agriculture and food systems, including improving climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, conserving and sustainably managing inputs, and supporting local, regional and international food production by
  • Building partnerships during the UN Food System Stocktaking Moment in July to promote efforts in all the action areas identified at UNFSS 2021.
  • Supporting medium- to long- term activities, including (a) increased investment in food systems (i.e. production, food supply chains including processing, distribution, cold chain, sustainable food environments and consumer behavior, among others) while promoting responsible investment, (b) development of agriculture related infrastructure (i.e., storage, irrigation, transportation, connectivity) including rural infrastructure especially for least developed countries and in line with WTO commitments to the Nairobi Ministerial Decision on Export Competition, (c) addressing water availability and security for agriculture, (d) promotion of organic farming, climate smart, agro-ecological, nature-based solutions and ecosystem based approaches and other innovative approaches as appropriate and (e) scaling up support for smallholder and marginal farmers including women and youth to be linked to larger agricultural markets.
  • Promoting efforts to improve accessibility to a diverse range of financing instruments, including innovative finance and blended finance, as well as public-private partnerships to improve long-term food security and nutrition especially in developing countries, while ensuring that the financial and other incentives foster sustainability.
  • Making fair and appropriate use of existing domestic agriculture resources and harnessing the potential of sustainable local productivity and production across all countries to increase food security and improve nutrition situation while facilitating fair and open trade, in line with WTO commitments.
  • Promoting rule-based, open, fair, transparent, predictable and non-discriminatory trade as an essential basis for building more resilient food systems, promoting food security and making nutritious food more affordable and available. 
  • Supporting efforts to control and manage transboundary pests impacts on food production including through research into management.
• Addressing climate-shocks by promoting climate-smart agriculture, agro-ecological, nature-based solutions and ecosystem based approaches and other innovative approaches as appropriate, drawing on the knowledge and evidence base developed by the FAO, IFAD and CGIAR, and noting outcomes of the Agricultural Breakthrough Agenda and deliveries of its priority Actions, and efforts of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) to advance investment in climate-smart research and development and innovation.
• Supporting efforts to adapt crops and livestock to climate change and to enhance their productivity sustainably, including in particular those traditional and indigenous crops whose potential to contribute to resilience, food security and nutrition has not been realized due to past underinvestment, while enhancing benefits to indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Welcoming awareness-raising activities and researches of climate-resilient crops, including but not limited to those on millets in the International Year of Millets, 2023 and noting the importance of the full implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) to promote access to and utilization of genetic resources covered by the Treaty for the purpose of breeding climate-resilient crops such as millet, and welcoming the launch of Millet and other ancient grains international research initiative (MAHARISHI) which has been supported by agriculture scientists in the Meetings of Agricultural Chief Scientists of G20 States (MACS-G20) 2023.
• Supporting local fertilizer production in line with relevant WTO rules and consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• Promoting efficient use of fertilizers to reduce nutrient loss to the environment and agroforestry, and other innovative approaches, which can support biodiversity conservation.
• Engaging with the African Union on how to support the African Agenda for food security and nutrition, including the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).
• Encouraging sustainable fisheries and in this regard supporting prompt entry into force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) towards ensuring ocean sustainability and prosperity.
• Engaging with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on how to support their specific food security and nutrition challenges inclusive of fisheries. 
• Promoting efforts to generate and use soil data to support a broad range of appropriate policies and practices to improve soil health and fertility in regions where depleted soils limit productivity and sustainability.
• Supporting engagement with IFAD, on strengthening local production systems, meeting local and regional demand, building markets and reducing food loss to support development of sustainable and resilient food systems for small-scale producers.
• Supporting efforts to reduce food loss and waste through agriculture, food and waste systems, including by utilizing innovative solutions and sustainable technologies and diverting organic waste from landfills, while noting ongoing efforts of educational and behavioral approaches such as India’s Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE).
• Supporting adoption of the One Health approach to address food safety, sustainable food production, and environmental stewardship.
• Promoting innovation and technology and introducing them at every stage in food systems by
• Promoting engagements with private sectors in research and development (R&D) and responsible investment for further digitalization in agriculture and food systems.
• Supporting all knowledge holders in agriculture and food systems, including start-ups, academic institutions, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and civil society organizations in particular through promoting the awareness and utilization of their innovative technologies, practices and approaches.
• Supporting efforts to sustainably increase productivity and efficiency by using available technologies such as slow-release fertilizer and practices in favor of agricultural adaptation in underserved regions and to sustainably enhance production worldwide, in order to increase food output in the face of population growth.
• Supporting development of biological inputs and production managements reducing excessive dependence on fossil fuel-based inputs.
• Enhancing the access to technology for developing and least developed countries including through technical cooperation and appropriate transfer programs on mutually agreed terms, and supporting technological upskilling and capacity building of farmers, in particular smallholder and marginal farmers in developing countries, to broaden opportunities in the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices on farm level including, where suitable, modern, high-tech, resilient and environment-friendly practices.