Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/70/223 national policies aimed at eradicating malnutrition in all its forms and transforming food systems so as to make nutritious diets available to all, while reaffirming that health, water and sanitation systems must be strengthened si multaneously to end malnutrition; 15. Reaffirms the crucial role of healthy marine ecosystems, sustainable agriculture, sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture for enhancing food security and access to adequate, safe and nutritious food and in p roviding for the livelihoods of millions of people, particularly inhabitants of small island developing States; 16. Acknowledges that social protection programmes and measures are effective in reducing poverty and hunger; 17. Encourages and recognizes the efforts at all levels to establish and strengthen social protection measures and programmes, including national safety nets and protection programmes for the needy and vulnerable, such as food and cash-for-work, cash transfer and voucher programmes, school-feeding programmes and mother-and-child nutrition programmes, and in this regard underlines the importance of increasing investment, capacity-building and systems development; 18. Calls for closing the gender gap in access to productive resources in agriculture, noting with concern that the gender gap persists with regard to many assets, inputs and services, and stresses the need to invest in and strengthen efforts to empower women, in particular rural women, to address their own food and nutritional needs and those of their families, to promote adequate standards of living for them, as well as decent conditions of work, and to guarantee their personal security, full access to land and natural resources and access to local, regional and global markets; 19. Remains deeply concerned about the recurring food insecurity and malnutrition in different regions of the world and their ongoing negative impact on health and nutrition, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and in this regard underlines the urgent need for joint efforts at all levels to respond to the situation in a coherent and effective manner; 20. Recognizes the important role of indigenous peoples and small-scale farmers and their traditional knowledge and seed supply systems in the conservation of biodiversity and in aiming to ensure food security and improved nutrition; 21. Takes note of the report of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on its thirty-ninth session 26 as well as the report of the Committee on Agriculture on its twenty-fourth session, 27 which expressed support for the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems concept and recognized the contribution of the Heritage Systems to cultural heritage, biological diversity and sustainable development; 22. Emphasizes the need to revitalize the agriculture sector, promote rural development and aim for ensuring food security and nutrition, notably in developing countries, in a sustainable manner, which will lead to rich payoffs across the Sustainable Development Goals, and underlines the importance of taking the _______________ 26 27 See Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, document C 2015/REP. See Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, document C 2015/21. 7/9