Understanding the Food Systems Summit   

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called on all world leaders to take part in the Food Systems Summit in 2021 to help establish the future direction for food systems in the world and accelerate collective action to that end. This reflects the recognition that transforming food systems is central in efforts to achieve all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Food Systems Summit will launch new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems.

The Summit expects the following outcomes:

Dramatically elevated public discourse about the importance of food systems leading to the achievement of the SDGs.

Significant action, with measurable outcomes. (This will include highlighting existing solutions and celebrating leaders in food systems transformation, as well as calling for new actions worldwide)

A high-level set of principles established through the process that will guide Member States and other stakeholders to leverage their food systems capacity to support the SDGs.

A system of follow-up and review that will drive new actions and results; allow for sharing of experiences, lessons and knowledge; and incorporate new metrics for impact analysis.

Food Systems Summit Dialogues

In preparation for the Summit, the UN Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit Dr. Agnes Kalibata has invited all sectors of society to share their perspectives and solutions. These Dialogues obtain input from a global audience (from youth activists to indigenous leaders, from smallholder farmers to scientists and CEOs) both before and after the Summit with the aim to transform the way the world produces, consumes and disposes of food.

Independent Summit Dialogues, such as this event facilitated by INOFO, will only connect into the Summit process through an official feedback mechanism. Independent Summit Dialogues will offer opportunities and spaces for citizens to critically engage and propose pathways towards sustainable food systems, exploring new ways of working together and encouraging collaborative action.

The outcomes of the Dialogues will feed into the Summit’s five priority Action Tracks and the preparatory work of its Scientific Group to support changes in global food systems to deliver the SDGs by 2030.

The INOFO Independent Dialogue 

INOFO is a network that facilitates relationship between organic farmers unions through the autonomous, self-organised infrastructure within which farmer organizations consult & cooperate on matters of common concern and speak in any forum with legitimate professional voice. With its mission to unite organic farmers and support their voices at all levels of food systems development, towards producing healthy, nutritious food and preserve mother earth, INOFO Asia is conducting the independent dialogue to discuss the issues and challenges of the present food system, from seed to table and propose just, equitable, sustainable and healthy solutions with the farmers at the core and forefront.

Objectives:

Discuss  and draw up solutions to the challenges and issues of the current food systems, covering the five Action Tracks of the UNFSS, based on the realities and on-ground situation of the farmers and their communities in Asia;

Make use of the Independent Dialogue to put the voices of the small farmers and the marginalized in setting the agenda and proposing pro-farmer, pro-people and pro-planet solutions to the Food Systems Summit

Participants

Target participants are farmers, NGOs, academe, local and national government agencies officials, international partners and other support groups.