The Message by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the 4th World Shiology Forum

On October 10, 2023, the 4th World Shiology Forum was held in Haikou, China, gathering together politicians, experts and scholars from 43 countries to discuss the challenges faced by human beings in the process of food acquisition and utilization, and seek practical and holistic solutions. At the opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed an important written message, appealing to the world community to take action jointly to solve the current global food crisis. The message was read by Liu Zhenmin, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The original message:

MESSAGE FOR THE FOURTH WORLD SHIOLOGY FORUM

Haikou City, 10 October 2023

I am pleased to send my greetings to the Fourth World “Shiology” Forum.

We are facing a global food crisis.

Around the world, 780 million people are going hungry and more than three billion cannot afford healthy diets. Meanwhile, one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted.

Unsustainable food production, packaging and transportation are feeding the climate crisis – generating colossal greenhouse gas emissions, using over two-thirds of the world’s freshwater, and accelerating biodiversity loss.

We must urgently transform food systems to make them more sustainable, equitable and resilient. Governments and businesses must work together to scale up climate-friendly investments. We must also support the women and men who bring food systems to life. And we must leverage science and technology to improve access to healthy foods while reducing the use of water and the carbon footprint.

Together, we can address the root causes of the food crisis, build systems that put people over profit, and end hunger once and for all.