A/RES/72/215 GA

United Nations A/RES/72/215 General Assembly Distr.: General 19 January 2018 17-23284 (E) 240118 *1723284* Seventy-second session Agenda item 19 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2017 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/72/420)] 72/215. Agricultural technology for sustainable development The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 70/198 of 22 December 2015, Reaffirming its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to working tirelessly for the full implementation of the Agenda by 2030, its recognition that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, its commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner, and to building upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business, Reaffirming also its resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supports and complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets with concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity, Welcoming the Zero Hunger Challenge initiative launched by the Secretary- General at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development as a vision for a future free from hunger, and recalling the Rome Declaration on Nutrition, adopted at the Second International Conference on Nutrition, 1 the Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025)2 and the recommendations contained in the report on __________________ 1 World Health Organization, document EB 136/8, annex I. 2 See resolution 70/259. A/RES/72/215 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 17-23284 2/7 nutrition and food systems of the High-level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, adopted at the forty-fourth session of the Committee on World Food Security,3 Recalling the adoption of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012,4 Welcoming the Paris Agreement5 and its early entry into force, encouraging all its parties to fully implement the Agreement, and parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change6 that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate, as soon as possible, Welcoming also the outcome of the forty-fourth session of the Committee on World Food Security, held in Rome from 9 to 13 October 2017,7 taking note of the Committee’s voluntary Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems,8 and recalling its Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security,9 Expressing concern about the rise in global hunger, which affected 815 million people in 2016, Welcoming the Sendai Declaration and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction,10 Welcoming also the progress made in operationalizing the Technology Facilitation Mechanism, and welcoming further the progress made in operationalizing the Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, and encouraging continued support, Recalling relevant strategies and programmes of action, including the Istanbul Declaration and Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020,11 the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway,12 and the Vienna Declaration and Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024,13 reaffirming the importance of supporting the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the programme of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development,14 and recognizing the major challenge to the achievement of durable peace and sustainable development in countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, Welcoming the New Urban Agenda, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), held in Quito from __________________ 3 Committee on World Food Security, document CFS 2017/44/INF/16. 4 A/CONF.216/5, annex. 5 Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21. 6 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822. 7 See Committee on World Food Security, document CFS 2017/44/Report. 8 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, document C 2015/20, appendix D. 9 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, document CL 144/9 (C 2013/20), appendix D. 10 Resolution 69/283, annexes I and II. 11 Report of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Istanbul, Turkey, 9–13 May 2011 (A/CONF.219/7), chaps. I and II. 12 Resolution 69/15, annex 13 Resolution 69/137, annexes I and II. 14 A/57/304, annex. Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/72/215 3/7 17-23284 17 to 20 October 2016,15 and acknowledging the positive transformative potential of strengthened urban-rural linkages and urban farming in achieving sustainable development, Welcoming also the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030,16 and acknowledging that forests provide essential ecosystem services, such as timber, food, fuel, fodder, non-wood products and shelter, as well as soil and water conservation and clean air, and that forests prevent land degradation and desertification and reduce the risk of floods, landslides and avalanches, droughts, dust and sand storms and other disasters, Recognizing that agricultural technology has a beneficial impact on and an important role in the successful implementation of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Recognizing also that agricultural technologies have improved the productivity of agriculture and enhanced the sustainability and resilience of food production systems at the local level, Recognizing further that the agriculture sector is inextricably linked with the entire food system and that agricultural technologies can add value throughout the food system by improving the sustainability of storage, transport, trade, processing, transformation, retail, waste reduction and recycling, as well as interactions among these processes, Stressing the crucial role of women in the agricultural sector and their contribution to enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and nutrition and eradicating rural poverty, and underlining the fact that meaningful progress in agricultural development necessitates, inter alia, closing the gender gap, introducing appropriate gender-responsive interventions at all stages in agricultural innovation processes, including at the policy level, and ensuring that women have equal access to agricultural technologies, related services and inputs and all necessary productive resources, including tenure rights and access to land, fisheries and forests, as well as to affordable education and training, social services, social protection, health care, health services and financial services, and access to and participation in local, regional and international markets, Recognizing that young people play a significant role in supporting sustainable economic growth and that agricultural technology has an essential role to play in facilitating access to agricultural skills for young women and men, improving the livelihoods of youth and securing the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, Recognizing also the rapid evolution in science and technological innovation, and that the development and open access to mega data and information will bring about profound changes in agricultural research, agricultural extension and rural development, Noting that sustainable agricultural technology, as well as technological, social, economic and institutional innovations that build on the knowledge and capacities and respond to the needs and realities of smallholders and family farmers, in particular women and youth in rural areas, can contribute to their transition from subsistence farming to innovative, commercial production, helping them to increase their own food security and nutrition, generate marketable surpluses and add value to their production, __________________ 15 Resolution 71/256, annex. 16 See resolution 71/285. A/RES/72/215 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 17-23284 4/7 Acknowledging the role and work of civil society and the private sector in furthering progress in developing countries and promoting sustainable agriculture and management practices, the use of agricultural technology and the training of smallholder farmers, in particular rural women, Stressing the need to design innovative food systems that protect and enhance the natural resource base while increasing productivity and that respond to the challenges posed by, inter alia, climate change, the depletion and scarcity of natural resources, urbanization and globalization, and recognizing that agricultural technology can contribute to food security and nutrition and help to build resilience, Emphasizing that participatory research, in conjunction with effective, pluralistic and demand-driven extension and rural advisory services, is critical in order to ensure that agricultural technologies respond to the demands and needs of family farmers and smallholder producers, Recognizing the need to further enhance the linkages between agricultural technology and agroecological principles, such as recycling, resource use efficiency, reducing external inputs, diversification, integration, soil health and synergies, in order to design sustainable farming systems that strengthen the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment for food security and nutrition, enhance productivity, improve nutrition, conserve the natural resource base and attain more sustainable and innovative food systems, Stressing the need to support and strengthen information systems and statistical systems for better disaggregated data collection and processing, which will be key in monitoring progress in the adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies and their impact on improving food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture, Inviting the United Nations system and all relevant stakeholders to consider ways to make available data and information relating to agriculture and food systems, including meteorology, big data, the Internet of things, satellite imagery, early warning systems and other data-based technologies, that could help to build the resilience of family farmers and smallholder producers, optimize yields and support rural livelihoods, 1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General;17 2. Urges Member States, relevant United Nations organizations and other stakeholders to strengthen efforts to improve the development of sustainable agricultural technologies and their transfer and dissemination under mutually agreed terms to developing countries, especially the least developed countries, in particular at the bilateral and regional levels, and encourages international, regional and national efforts to strengthen capacity and foster the utilization of local know-how in developing countries, especially that of smallholder and family farmers, in particular rural women and youth, in order to enhance the productivity and nutritional quality of food crops and animal products, promote sustainable practices in pre-harvest and post-harvest agricultural activities and enhance food security and nutrition-related programmes and policies that take into consideration the specific needs of women, young children and youth, with particular attention to securing the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour; 3. Recognizes that the livestock sector is a powerful engine for the development of the agriculture and food sector, food security and nutrition, a driver of major economic, social and environmental changes in food systems worldwide and __________________ 17 A/72/216. Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/72/215 5/7 17-23284 a uniquely powerful entry point for understanding the issues around sustainable agricultural development as a whole; 4. Also recognizes the important role of family farming and smallholder farming in contributing to the achievement of food security and improved nutrition and the role that family farms play in ensuring global food security, poverty eradication and environmental sustainability, as well as job creation; 5. Calls upon Member States and relevant United Nations organizations and other stakeholders to mainstream gender perspectives into agricultural policies and projects and to focus on closing the gender gap by, inter alia, encouraging gender- balanced investments and innovation in small-scale agricultural production and distribution, supported by integrated and multisectoral policies, in order to improve women’s productive capacity and incomes, strengthen their resilience and achieve equitable access to labour-saving technologies and agricultural technology information and know-how, equipment, decision-making forums and associated agricultural resources to ensure that agriculture, food security and nutrition-related programmes and policies take into consideration the specific needs of women and the barriers that women face in accessing agricultural inputs and resources; 6. Encourages Governments to develop and implement youth-focused agricultural development projects and programmes, including through training, education, financial inclusion services, including microcredit services, and capacity- building, including with regard to innovation, in association with the private sector, in order to stimulate the interest and the involvement of youth in agriculture; 7. Remains concerned that agricultural innovations and technologies often bypass ageing famers, and in particularly ageing women farmers, as many do not possess the financial resources or the skills to adopt new practices, and in this regard stresses the need to strengthen the capacity of ageing farmers through continued access to financial and infrastructure services and training for improved farming techniques and technologies; 8. Acknowledges the importance of adopting innovative and sustainable food systems by harnessing science, technology and innovation, promoting participatory research, demand-driven extension and rural advisory services and increased public and private investment, building human capacity, encouraging entrepreneurship, creating an enabling economic and institutional environment and strengthening knowledge flows, in particular between scientists and farmers, taking into account local and traditional knowledge systems, in combination with new sources of knowledge; 9. Invites Governments and international organizations, in collaboration with cooperatives and cooperative organizations, to promote, as appropriate, consistent with the rules of the World Trade Organization, the growth of agricultural cooperatives through easy access to affordable finance, the adoption of sustainable production techniques, investment in rural infrastructure and irrigation, strengthened marketing mechanisms, access to appropriate risk management instruments and support for the participation of women and youth in economic activities; 10. Underlines the importance of supporting and advancing research in improving and diversifying crop varieties and seed systems, as well as supporting the establishment of sustainable agricultural systems, management practices and use of new technologies, such as conservation agriculture, integrated soil fertility management, integrated farming systems, animal disease control and integrated pest management, precision agriculture, irrigation, livestock management and biotechnologies, in order to make agriculture more resilient and productive and, in particular, to make crops and farm animals more tolerant to diseases, pests and A/RES/72/215 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 17-23284 6/7 environmental stresses, including the impacts of climate change such as drought and extreme rainfall events, in accordance with national regulations and relevant international agreements; 11. Stresses the need to significantly reduce pre-harvest, post-harvest and other food losses and waste throughout the food supply chain through, inter alia, improved production planning, the promotion of resource-efficient production and processing practices, improved preservation and packing technologies, improved transportation and logistics management and enhanced awareness of purchasing and consumption habits, to help all actors in the value chain to enjoy greater benefits and to contribute to climate change mitigation; 12. Recognizes that strengthening urban-rural linkages can improve both rural and urban food security and nutrition, and in this regard highlights the need for integrated urban and territorial agriculture land planning, improved rural-urban transportation links, food packaging technology and cold chain development to reduce food loss, and for effective trade links across the urban-rural continuum, which will contribute to ensuring that small-scale farmers and fishers are linked to local, subnational, national, regional and global value chains and markets; 13. Also recognizes that urban farming and agriculture can improve the food, nutrition and income security of urban dwellers, and in this regard highlights the need to further develop agricultural technology in support of sustainable urbanization, including sustainable intensification through indoor and vertical farming, the use of automation to overcome intensive labour challenges, the innovative use of urban spaces for agriculture and the promotion of urban farming as a career, in order to reduce hunger and malnutrition and to promote sustainable urban development; 14. Underlines the importance of the sustainable use and management of water resources to increase and ensure agricultural productivity, and calls for further efforts to develop and strengthen irrigation facilities and water-saving technology, which can also contribute to climate change mitigation, without compromising productivity; 15. Encourages Member States, civil society and public and private institutions to develop partnerships to support financial and market services, including training, capacity-building, infrastructure and extension and rural advisory services, and calls for further efforts by all stakeholders to include smallholder farmers, in particular rural women and youth, in planning and taking decisions about making appropriate sustainable agricultural technologies and practices accessible and affordable to them; 16. Recognizes the important role of information and communications technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by constituting a tool for improving agricultural productivity, practices and smallholder livelihoods, strengthening agricultural markets and institutions, improving agricultural extension and rural advisory services, empowering farmer communities, keeping farmers and rural entrepreneurs informed about agricultural innovations, weather conditions, input availability, financial services and market prices and connecting them with buyers, and stresses the need to ensure the access of women and youth to information and communication technology, especially in rural areas; 17. Calls upon Member States to include sustainable agricultural development as an integral part of their national policies and strategies, notes the positive impact that North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation can have in this regard, and urges the relevant bodies of the United Nations system to include elements of agricultural technology, research and development in efforts to realize the 2030 Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/72/215 7/7 17-23284 Agenda for Sustainable Development,18 with a focus on the research and development of technology that is affordable, durable and sustainable and that can be easily used by and disseminated to smallholder farmers, in particular rural women and ageing farmers; 18. Requests relevant United Nations organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, to promote, support and facilitate the exchange of experience among Member States through, inter alia, guidance and other public goods related to ways to promote sustainable agriculture and increase the adaptive capacity of agriculture and the use of a broad range of agricultural technologies that support more sustainable food systems, build long-term fertility, healthy and resilient agroecosystems and secure livelihoods and have a positive impact on the entire value chain, including technology for post-harvest crop storage, processing, handling and transportation, including in pressing environmental circumstances; 19. Underlines the instrumental role of agricultural technology, agricultural research and innovation and technology transfer on mutually agreed terms and the sharing of knowledge and practices in furthering sustainable development and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, calls, therefore, upon Member States, and encourages relevant international bodies, to support sustainable agricultural research and development, and in this regard calls for continued support to the international agricultural research system, including the research centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and other relevant international organizations and initiatives; 20. Stresses the importance of indicators that can be used to formulate targeted policies towards the adoption of agricultural technology and to measure their impact on the Sustainable Development Goals, and in this regard encourages Member States, in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, to continue to contribute to the ongoing work of the Statistical Commission on the global indicator framework; 21. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, and decides to include the item entitled “Sustainable development” in the provisional agenda of its seventy-fourth session. 74th plenary meeting 20 December 2017 __________________ 18 Resolution 70/1.

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