The members of the International Oilseed Producers' Dialogue (IOPD) held their XXV meeting on August 9, 2023, in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. Compared to the XXIV meeting, where global challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine were on the agenda, the main topics of discussion at the XXV meeting were framed around global challenges related to food, feed and biofuel production and climate change.
At the international level, food-producing countries are faced with the need to contribute to the growing demand for food and, at the same time, mitigate the negative impacts of this activity on the environment. In this sense, the dissemination of sustainable production systems with the capacity to address global challenges and world food trade are key aspects to be analyzed.
Given the global nature of the challenges, they cannot be addressed unilaterally. Solutions must be coordinated, incorporate a holistic approach to sustainability and be adapted to local realities and needs. Any regulations must be based on science and be reachable.
IOPD members have an ethical commitment to meet the most basic demands of humanity, taking care of the environment and providing food. Vegetable oils and protein meals provide a nutrient-dense food source for humans and animals and are a readily available, renewable, climate-smart energy alternatives to fossil fuels. Food, feed, and fuel products are complements, not competitors, and crop-based bioenergy will play an important role in decarbonizing the energy sector. IOPD members are committed to growing sustainable crops in harmony with the environment and our communities and being part of the solution to global food and energy insecurities, all while ensuring that family farms remain economically viable for current and future generations.
To maximize our contributions and to ensure producers remain resilient to the complex, multi-faceted challenges facing our food systems today, IOPD members call on our governments to advance the following policies as the foundation of both national and international programs to ensure food security and sustainability:
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