WEBINAR: Reimagining Food Systems: Driving Action for a Post-COVID World (EAT and Rockefeller)

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

The event:

Elevated voices of frontline actors highlighting how COVID-19 has affected their communities, and what actions they have needed to take in response to COVID.
Provided space for reimagining the future – what is the food future that we want, that we need? How will it address environment, health, and equity?
Challenged the global audience and community with calls for bold action and leadership.

Speakers

Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba, UN IFAD Goodwill Ambassadors
Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation recently allocated $1.4 million in grant funds to U.S. organizations to address the food and nutritional needs of vulnerable children and families during the pandemic. In sub-Saharan Africa, The Foundation is working with government and private sector partners to ensure the safe operation of fresh markets to keep food trade flowing during the pandemic and to leverage data and technology to inform policy decisions on food trade, stock, and disbursement and help prevent food shortages, price hikes, or famines.
Emmanuel Faber, CEO of Danone

Intermission:

Gerard Masila East African Grain Council (EAGC, Kenya) video message
Lauren Biel, DC Green video message
Alpha Sennon + Audra Smith + George Caesar WhyFarm (Trinidad, Tobago - Caribbean) video message
Semi-Finalists from The Rockefeller Foundation’s Food System Vision Prize shared their experiences of the Covid-19 crisis and how it impacted their visions to create a more regenerative and nourishing food system by 2050.

Continued

David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme WFP
“Our collective response to the Covid-19 pandemic must plant the seed for more resilient, more sustainable food systems. As we build them back up, we all need to work together to build them back better, so we can realize our shared ambition of a future free from hunger,”
Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD

Break

Dr. Johan Rockstrom, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Roy Stainer, Food Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation
Sarah Fayler, Food Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation
Video testimonies
Kate Raworth, Co-Director, Doughnut Economics Action Lab
“We need to turn this into many global food systems that are distributive by design, that share and interconnect value and opportunity between all who are involved in producing food. We need to meet the needs of all people within the needs of the planet.”
Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Dr. Haddad presented the Food Systems Dashboard. The categories of food systems developed for this dashboard highlight common patterns in food supply chains and food environments that exist across countries. By comparing these different food systems types, users can understand the complexity of food systems and begin to identify priority areas of action within their own food systems.

Break

Break": statement of "the leaders of tomorrow"

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the 2021 United Nations
Food Systems Summit
“I’m asking you all to be champions of the Food Systems Summit because we have to build back better and use this as an opportunity to define new food systems for our planet, for our people and a better future for our children.” Dr. Kalibata announced that more details on the Summit will be released on July 7, 2020.
She announced the launch of the preparatory process of the Food Summit 2021 on 7th of July 2020
Dr. Gunhild A. Stordalen, Founder and Executive Chair, EAT
“The Covid-19 pandemic has made it obvious to everyone that the food system is broken. Science says we have less than ten years to make massive change. Our only choice is to build back better, together,”