Question
At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in June, 2025 in France, the FAO demonstrated its leading voice on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for resilient livelihood and “Blue Transformation”. Which of the following combinations about the “Four Betters” proposed by FAO is correct?
ABetter production, better nutrition, better environment and better ocean
BBetter production, better nutrition, better environment and better life ✓
CBetter coral reefs, better nutrition, better environment and better life
DBetter estuaries, better nutrition, better environment and better mangrove vegetation
The Four Betters — FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031
Better Production
Sustainable consumption and production patterns · Efficient and inclusive food supply chains · Blue Transformation + digital agriculture
Better Nutrition
End hunger · Achieve food security · Improve nutrition · Healthy diets · Safe food for all · Reduce food loss and waste
Better Environment
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial AND marine ecosystems · Combat climate change
Better Life
Inclusive economic growth · Reduce inequalities · Leaving no one behind · Improve well-being of coastal and rural communities
Why Each Wrong Option Fails
B ✓
Better production, nutrition, environment, and life — CORRECT. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu stated verbatim: “It ensures the Four Betters. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.” Confirmed across all FAO strategic documents.
A ✗
Replaces “better life” with “better ocean“ — Wrong. Although marine health is central to the Blue Transformation, the fourth Better is officially “Better Life” — about human well-being, inclusive economic growth, and leaving no one behind. “Better ocean” is not an FAO Better.
C ✗
Replaces “better production” with “better coral reefs“ — Wrong. “Better production” is the first Better — covering the entire agrifood system’s efficiency and sustainability. Coral reefs are a marine ecosystem concern under Better Environment, not a standalone “Better.”
D ✗
“Better estuaries” and “better mangrove vegetation“ — Both completely wrong. Neither appears in FAO’s Four Betters. These are specific ecosystem types — not overarching development pillars. Option D replaces both “better production” and “better life” with fabricated ecosystem-specific terms.
FAO, UNOC 2025, and Blue Transformation — Key Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
| UNOC 2025 | United Nations Ocean Conference · June 2025 · Nice, France · FAO demonstrated leadership on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture |
| FAO Strategic Framework | FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031 · Core principle = transformation to efficient, inclusive, resilient, sustainable agrifood systems |
| Four Betters | Better Production · Better Nutrition · Better Environment · Better Life · Mnemonic: PNEL |
| Better Production | Sustainable + efficient agrifood systems · Includes: Blue Transformation, One Health, digital agriculture, small-scale producers |
| Better Nutrition | End hunger · Food security · Healthy diets · Safe food · Reduce food loss and waste |
| Better Environment | Protect + restore terrestrial AND marine ecosystems · Combat climate change |
| Better Life | Inclusive economic growth · Reduce inequalities · Leaving no one behind · NOT “better ocean” |
| Blue Transformation | FAO’s vision to maximize aquatic food systems (fisheries + aquaculture) contribution to the Four Betters · Three pillars: sustainable aquaculture expansion, effective fisheries management, upgraded aquatic value chains |
| Director-General quote | “It ensures the Four Betters. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.” — FAO DG Qu Dongyu |
| NAVAC | FAO–EU initiative aligning with Four Betters · Focuses on nutritious aquatic foods for vulnerable populations |
Memory Trick
🧠 Remember It This Way
Mnemonic PNEL: Production → Nutrition → Environment → Life. “Please Note Everyone Lives” — Production, Nutrition, Environment, Life. All four Betters in order.
The trap is Option A — “better ocean”: Since the question mentions the Ocean Conference and Blue Transformation, UPSC deliberately put “better ocean” in option A to trap students who confuse the context with the content. The fourth Better is always “Better Life” — regardless of which FAO programme is being discussed.
Blue Transformation = under “Better Production”: The Blue Transformation initiative is listed as a Programme Priority Area under Better Production — not as a separate “Better.” It’s the mechanism, not the goal. The goal is the Four Betters.
