Representatives from around the world will review progress in transforming food systems at a three-day meeting to be held in Rome next July, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed announced in Rome on Friday. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani.
This moment of taking stock of food systems will be the first global follow-up to the 2021 summit to change the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.
The high-level event takes place at the halfway point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals, which provide a blueprint for a fairer, more equitable and greener world.
Improving lives and livelihoods
“I look forward to Italy’s leadership in bringing together stakeholders to create the evidence that food systems transformation is a critical accelerator of the Sustainable Development Goals,” Mohammed said, stressing that “more sustainable food systems, equitable, healthy and resilient have a direct impact on lives and livelihoods of people as we fight for a better future.
During the stocktaking meeting, countries will share successful examples of early signs of transformation, while maintaining the momentum needed to ensure resilient food systems.
The event will take place from July 24 to 26 on the premises of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome.
Italy will be the host country, in collaboration with FAO and two other UN agencies – the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Program (WFP) – which also have their headquarters in that capital.
The UN Food Systems Focal Point, which supports governments in developing and implementing agri-food systems transformation, and the UN system at large, are also organizers.
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Contributions and challenges
The meeting will provide countries with the opportunity to report on progress since the United Nations Summit on Food Systems in September 2021, where more than 50,000 people, including 77 world leaders, pledged to accelerate their transformation .
Governments will also assess their contributions to achieving sustainable development despite the fact that the current world context has changed substantially.
The number of people around the world who do not can afford a healthy diet increased by an additional 112 million between 2019 and 2020, to almost 3.1 billionreflecting the impacts of rising food prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A key support
Italy has welcomed its role as host and co-organizer, said Tajani, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“Italy, with the strategic involvement of its strong and innovative agri-food sector, is committed to playing an increasingly active role in supporting the efforts of the international community to promote food security and transformative and innovative solutions for sustainable food systems. and efficient around the world,” he said.
“As one of the world’s oldest and most influential food cultures, we intend to play our part in addressing one of the key challenges to achieving the 2030 Agenda.”
Taking advantage of the opportunity
The meeting will further highlight the central role of food systems transformations in advancing the overall Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the Achievement Summit to be held in September.
The United Nations and Italy urged countries and stakeholders to “prepare and seize the opportunity” to reaffirm the global commitment to act with urgency, in line with the promise of the Goals.
