The UN Food Systems Summit will be held in New York this September in parallel with the UN General Assembly to hold international discussions on food systems. The Summit will take place on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

It will be held in the form of a virtual event. Prior to this summit in September, a group of scientists met on July 8-9 to virtually bring together representatives from research, policy, civil society and industry, and to discuss ways to fully leverage scientific and technological innovations to transform the food systems.

At the Pre-summit held on July 26-28 in Rome, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed concluded that the food system transformation has the potential to achieve all the goals of people, planet and prosperity, and that a sustainable and prosperous planet can only be achieved through cooperation and solidarity. Ms. Mohammed also emphasized the importance of investing in the food systems.

The summit in September will include a statement of action from the UN Secretary-General, a compendium of the Summit’s two-year preparation, national dialogues and pathways for food systems to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, coalitions cutting across the five Action Tracks and incorporating the four Levers of Change around key area, and a follow-up and review process supported by the UN and its agencies.

To help you understand the agenda of the UN Food Systems Summit, here are some links to Pick Up articles on issues related to food system transformation and global issues affecting the food systems.

123. Lancet Planet Health: COVID-19 and the future of food systems at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/program_d/blog/20200903

300. The Anthropocene Perspective
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210525

312. Lessons for Building a Sustainable Food System
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210610

320. The Food System as Source of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210622

323. How much does the food we eat truly cost for human, environment and economies?
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210625

332. The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Transforming the Food System
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210708

333. July 11 is World Population Day
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210708_0

340. Overview of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210720

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Director, Information Program)