ROME, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ending global hunger and building resilient agrifood systems require innovation, investment, and international partnership, Maximo Torero, chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua during the ongoing 2025 World Food Forum (WFF).
This year's WFF coincides with the FAO's 80th anniversary. Held under the theme "Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future," the forum runs until Oct. 17, bringing together the Global Youth Forum, the Science and Innovation Forum (SIF), and the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum (HIH).
According to Torero, this year's WFF showcases practical solutions, including AI-enabled advisory services, climate-smart technologies, and circular bioeconomy innovations. It also highlights national and regional investment programs such as water management in the Sahel, diversification in Small Island Developing States, and bioeconomy value chains in the Amazon.
Despite progress, hunger remains a pressing global challenge, he noted. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 report, released earlier by FAO, found that 673 million people suffered from chronic undernourishment in 2024, including more than 307 million in Africa. Economic access to food remains critical, as over 2.6 billion people could not afford a healthy diet, with food costs rising nearly 4 percent in real terms since 2020.
Torero identified multiple drivers of food insecurity - conflicts, climate extremes, macroeconomic stress, and structural inequalities - and called for urgent global cooperation to protect purchasing power, stabilize markets, expand climate-resilient financing, and strengthen local food systems.
"Innovation and partnerships are central to transformation," Torero said. The 2025 SIF will feature digital advisory platforms, climate-smart production models, methane-reduction technologies, and inclusive agrifood fintech solutions, all designed to be translated into national investment portfolios through the HIH platform.
Torero praised China's support for the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, describing it as a model of South-South cooperation that promotes sustainable production, rural development, and value-added agrifood trade. FAO launched the Global Action on "One Country One Priority Product" (OCOP) in September 2021, aiming to promote inclusive, profitable, and environmentally sustainable food systems through the development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs).
He said China's engagement reflects how shared knowledge, innovation, and investment can drive agrifood transformation "while leaving no one behind."
"China's OCOP support has already enabled demonstration projects in more than 15 countries, helping scale up sustainable value chains for dozens of priority agricultural products," he added.
Looking ahead to 2030, Torero stressed that global food governance must adapt to overlapping crises, widening inequalities, and intensifying climate pressures. FAO, he said, aims to strengthen transparent markets, science-based trade standards, and nationally anchored agrifood transformation. Coupling anticipatory action with pre-arranged financing can reduce humanitarian needs and protect livelihoods.
"In sum, FAO's priorities toward 2030 are clear: transparent markets, science-based trade, nationally anchored transformation, and proactive risk financing - all grounded in solidarity and innovation," Torero said. "No one should be left behind in the pursuit of food security, nutrition, and sustainable agrifood systems for all."
