Policy Seminar | Science and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation

11 April 2023. Science and innovation for food systems transformation – Follow-up to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit

The UN Food Systems Summit held in September 2021 was first of its kind in several respects: it was the first UN summit to focus on food systems, the first food-related summit involving heads of state in the UN General Assembly, and the first such summit that was informed by an independent Scientific Group. Food systems require ongoing attention, as evidenced by the widespread repercussions of the Ukraine crisis and the focus on food systems at COP27. 

A UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, established in early 2022, coordinates follow-up to the summit, including facilitation of food systems transformation pathways at the country level, and will organize the first biannual stocktaking of the summit outcomes and follow-up actions 24-27 July 2023 in Rome.

• Moderator Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI
• Welcoming Remarks Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR and Director General, IFPRI
• Setting the Context / What Is at Stake Joachim von Braun, Chair of the UNFSS Scientific Group 2021; Professor, Economic and Technological Change at Center for Development Research (ZEF)
  
  "The book was already downloaded more than 350,000 times"
  
  "Unfortunately, however, the countries which are seriously affected by hunger, and undernutrition do not show in their documents of their national pathways."
  
  "For CGIAR here is a call to action because these countries need capacity building to bring innovation to the [national] agenda"
  
  
• Reflections from the 2021 UNFSS Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit Agnes Kalibata, President, AGRA
• A Preview of the 2023 UNFSS Stocktaking Stefanos Fotiou, Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub; Director, Office of Sustainable Development Goals, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (video recording)
• Bringing together scientific expertise to advance food systems transformation Mohamed Hag Ali Hassan, Vice Chair of the UNFSS Scientific Group; World Academy of Sciences
• Food systems transformation for advancing nutrition and health Kaosar Afsana, Vice Chair of the UNFSS Scientific Group; James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
• Prioritizing scientific evidence to inform food systems transformation Ismahane Elouafi, member of the UNFSS Scientific Group; Chief Scientist, FAO
• The role of the CGIAR in advancing food systems transformation / How to advance on food systems transformation in fragile settings/amid crises? Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR and Director General, IFPRI

Resource:

Joachim von Braun, Kaosar Afsana, Louise O. Fresco, Mohamed Hag Ali  Hassan (editors) (2023) Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation. Springer International Publishing. # 931 p. 

• This Open Access book compiles the findings of the Scientific Group of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 and its research partners. The Scientific Group was an independent group of 28 food systems scientists from all over the world with a mandate from the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The chapters provide science- and research-based, state-of-the-art, solution-oriented knowledge and evidence to inform the transformation of contemporary food systems in order to achieve more sustainable, equitable and resilient systems.

1. Food System Concept and Summarized Recommendations
2. Actions on Hunger and Healthy Diets
3. Actions for Equity and Resilience in Food Systems
4. Actions for Sustainable Food Production and Resource Management
5. Costs, Investment, Finance, and Trade Actions
6. Regional Perspectives
7. Strategic Perspectives and Governance