1307. The Opening and Plenary Sessions of UNFSS+4

The Opening and Plenary Sessions of the Second UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4) were held on July 28, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the opening ceremony, it was emphasized that this was the first time that the UNFSS stocktake had been held in Africa, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy delivered opening remarks on behalf of the co-host countries. Following this, in a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to transform food systems in order to achieve goals such as food security, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation, stating that the future of food is the future of humanity.

In the afternoon, a number of special sessions were held, including "Advancing Accountability through Science," "Data and AI for Food Systems Transformation," and a special event to launch the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 Report, featuring panel discussions by renowned experts in the field of food systems research.

According to SOFI2025, an estimated 8.2 percent of the global population, or about 673 million people, experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 percent in 2023 and 8.7 percent in 2022. However, progress was not consistent across the globe, as hunger continued to rise in most subregions of Africa and western Asia. This year's edition highlights how elevated inflation in many countries has undermined purchasing power and, especially among low-income populations, access to healthy diets. 

Contributor: Miyuki IIYAMA, Information Program