1302. UNFSS+4 Side Event

The UN Food Systems Summit +4 (UNFSS+4) will take place from July 27 to 29 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During this event, there will be in-person side events hosted on July 27 (Action Day) and during lunch breaks on July 28 and 29. These side events will provide a platform for partners to showcase country experiences, innovations, and evidence-based approaches. 

JIRCAS will hold a side event with national research institutes, government ministries, and NGOs from Japan, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Uganda, as well as international organizations and UN agencies, to introduce examples of tools and approaches designed to support farmers in adopting science, technology, and innovation tailored to local contexts while addressing global climate, food security, and land degradation neutrality goals. 

We will update and report on the program and the event on the following web page.

UNFSS+4 Side-event: “Tailoring Science, Technology, and Innovation to Local Contexts while Advancing Global Agendas: Lessons from Multi-Country, Cross-Sectoral Approaches to Agri-Food Systems Transformation”
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/event/2025/e20250727

SUMMARY

Agri-food systems are essential to ensuring the right to food for all people worldwide. However, they face significant challenges in achieving zero hunger by 2030, while simultaneously contributing to deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss driven by unsustainable land use practices and unhealthy consumption patterns. Harnessing Science, Technology, and Innovation can accelerate urgently needed sustainable agri-food systems transformation and guide the coordinated actions that lead to not only enhancing local ecosystem functions and improving livelihoods but also delivering on global agendas through collectively fostering cross-sectoral synergies.

This event will serve as a multi-country, cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder forum to share experience of applying knowledge-based tools tailored to local contexts and designed to support evidence-based decisions to achieve global climate, food security, and land degradation neutrality targets. Keynote speech by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Japan's vision and strategies on sustainable food systems will be followed by the presentations of case studies by panelists with diverse backgrounds, which include the application of agricultural technologies that enhance production potentials and ensure sustainable food systems in the Asia-Monsoon region (JIRCAS), the development of a Solutions-tree designed to empower governments to foster forest-positive agricultural supply chains with a pilot in Africa (FAO /UN-REDD), public expenditure review to realign fiscal incentives and trigger cross-sectoral dialogue for sustainable agri-food transformation (Uganda-MWE/supported by FAO/UN-REDD), bridging the gap between local needs and global goals with climate-smart sustainable livestock and agricultural solutions(Ajinomoto), the public-private digital agriculture pilot study to optimize agronomic practices in African smallholder sectors (EIAR-Greein-JIRCAS), and the mobilization of experts to advance sustainable and diversified agriculture (Vietnam-VGA). Roundtable participants will discuss the role of political will, inclusive governance and other enabling conditions for successful implementation of these approaches and explore opportunities for partnerships to accelerate agri-food systems transformation.  

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program