1203. Stocktaking of Food System Transformation

On February 19, the UN issued a press release on the Secretary-General's message encouraging participation in the 2nd stocktaking of the UN Food Systems Summit.

Food system transformation is essential to drive progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide nutritious food for all people, everywhere, now and in the future. It is especially important with five years left towards the 2030 Agenda. In 2021, the UN Secretary-General convened the UN Food Systems Summit, which established the foundations for a new integrated approach to food systems and put food at the heart of efforts to end poverty, eliminate hunger, reduce inequalities, combat climate change, and protect biodiversity. The summit has led to growing recognition that food systems are a key lever to accelerate and strengthen progress on the SDGs.

Building on this momentum, in 2023, at the first stocktake hosted by the Italian Government, countries committed to accelerating the pace of efforts towards transforming food systems to be sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. At the same time, the stocktake also highlighted persistent gaps and challenges, highlighting the need for stronger public-private partnerships and private sector engagement. It highlighted the need for concerted action, particularly on securing concessional financing, investment, budgetary support, debt restructuring, and addressing food security in times of crisis.

Given the current global context fraught with challenges, including rising living costs, social inequalities, climate change, and geopolitical tensions, food system transformation is essential to advance the 2030 Agenda, and we all need to work together.

Five months from now, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will be hosting the second UN Food Systems Summit stocktake, which will also highlight the country's leadership and extensive efforts on policy environment, infrastructure development, and food production that engages smallholder farmers. The stocktake will review countries' progress beyond 2023 and follow up on their commitments to transform food systems to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.

Other important meetings this year (the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain, the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Brazil, the Second World Summit for Social Development in Qatar, and the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in France) are positioned as important platforms for generating momentum for collaborative action and new investment opportunities towards transforming food systems.

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program