Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production takes place this November

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organising the first-ever Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production (GPC) with the theme Innovation, Efficiency and Resilience, on November 2-4, 2022. The GPC will provide a neutral forum for FAO Members, farmers, scientists, development agencies, extensionists, civil society, opinion leaders, private sector and policymakers for focused dialogues on innovation that creates efficient plant production systems with resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, climate change and natural hazards while responding to market demands – and, importantly, producing more food to guarantee food security and healthy diets for all with less environmental footprints.   

The GPC will generate authoritative evidence for actions to realise the goals of FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 for the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind, thus contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 1, 2 and 12.  

Objectives of the conference 

• Raise awareness of the contribution of sustainable plant production to implementing FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, to attain the SDGs at global, regional and national levels. 
• Share information and knowledge on the strategic direction and technical developments in sustainable plant production worldwide. 
• Demonstrate FAO's technical leadership and convening power to support its Members for sustainable plant production.  
• Provide a neutral platform and technical networks on sustainable plant production for demand-driven and context-specific multi-stakeholder dialogues. 

Themes 
The GPC will focus on critical aspects of sustainable plant production systems around seven themes: 

• Seed technologies: use of quality seeds of superior crop varieties that are nutritious, pest and disease resistant, stress-tolerant and input use efficient
• Field cropping systems: agronomic practices to maintain crop productivity through diverse and context specific systems that are based on ecological interactions and reduce reliance on agro-chemicals
• Protected cropping systems: high value and short -cycle vegetable productions systems that are adapted to technological needs to overcome constraints, e.g. land, water, nutrient, pests, diseases, seasons and climate
• Natural resource management: practices that protect, enrich and preserve land, soil, water and nutrients through ecosystem approaches
• Integrated pest management: practices and approaches to minimise crop losses while promoting biodiversity and reducing reliance on pesticides
• Mechanisation and digitalisation: appropriate mechanisation technologies for sustainable crop production, precision agriculture and digitalisation
• Farmers and policies: creation of an enabling environment at national, regional and global levels to support farmers to transition to sustainable crop production, through appropriate services and policies. 

For more information about the FAO visit the website, HERE. 

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