UN Food Systems Summit follow-up Special side event contributing to the 2022 HLPF

15 July 2022. 13:00-14:30 EDT (New York). UN Food Systems Summit follow-up Special side event contributing to the 2022 HLPF

This HLPF side event, jointly organized by CFS and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, aimed to:

• Highlight the role of food system transformation in advancing the 2030 Agenda;
• Showcase Member States’ Pathways and key issues of focus;
• Understand Member States’ needs, opportunities and barriers to implementing food systems transformation strategies;
• Link national pathways to the ecosystem of support, including from CFS;
• Promote food systems transformation into legal frameworks and political processes (e.g. Rio convention COPs, G-7, G-20 and others);
• Underline the critical importance of inclusive governance and accountability at all levels.

Background

There are only eight years left to fulfil the ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet the global food system is under unprecedented pressure. To keep us on track to achieve our collective vision for 2030, transformation is essential for accelerating progress on all SDGs by lifting people out of poverty, ending hunger and malnutrition, preserving natural resources and ecosystems, and mitigating and adapting to climate change.

The UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), held in September 2021 offered a catalytic moment for public mobilization and actionable commitments by Heads of State and Government and other constituency leaders to take this agenda forward. An outcome of the UNFSS was the development of more than 100 National Pathways for food systems transformation that can accelerate the realization of the 2030 Agenda at country level.

Strengthening effective and inclusive collective action at all levels is also at the core of CFS, which serves as an evidence-based, intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder platform to promote policy convergence and coherence on global food security and nutrition issues, in support of country-led processes. Its agreements and policy tools are directly relevant to the policy changes needed to transform agri-food systems to ones that produce healthy diets, sustainably while strengthening livelihoods and other key developmental objectives.

Tentative programme

Opening and welcoming remarks
Opening remarks by H.E. Gabriel Ferrero y de Loma-Osorio, CFS Chairperson, Ambassador at Large Global Food Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Spain   Welcoming remarks by H.E. Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, Secretary of State for International Cooperation – Kingdom of Spain

Transformations are happening

Moderators: Stefanos Fotiou, Director, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub Lara Blanco, Deputy Director, Sustainable Development Unit, EOSG Panelists: H.E. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform –  Islamic Republic of Pakistan H.E. Jeanine Cooper, Minister of Agriculture – Republic of Liberia H.E. Dr. Abubakar Omer Albushra, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry – Republic of Sudan H.E. Anders Grönvall, State Secretary to the Minister for Climate and the Environment – Sweden H.E. Fabio Cassese,  Director General International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs –  Italy Q&A and open floor discussion Respondents: Jordan Treakle - Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism Representative Adrienne Mollor - Private sector representative Treasa Cadogan - United Nations Youth Delegate for Ireland

Closing remarks
Closing remarks by H.E. Gabriel Ferrero y de Loma-Osorio, CFS Chairperson, Ambassador at Large Global Food Security