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Discussion Topic Southwest Food System for Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality 1. Provision of rural infrastructure, including access roads, power and storage and processing facilities. 2. Implementation of policies to drive the attainment of access to safe and nutritious food for all. 3. Massive irrigation programme for year round farm production. 4. Encouragement of youth farming /agricultural business, as replacement for ageing farming population. 5. Facil... Read moreitation of access to farm land through the establishment of Land Banks. 6. Facilitation of land clearing with farm mechanisation as a critical requirement for youth and older, as well as women farmers. 7. Encouragement of urban farming, particularly for women-led production and processing of food. 8. Robust Agricultural Extension Services to support the agriculture value chains. 9. Formation of Smallholder farmers’ cooperatives, for financing and agro-processing. Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods 1. Re-establishment of agricultural commodity boards for good, stable prices for agricultural commodities, and regional farm produce markets for access to cheaper fresh food. 2. Promotion of wholesome indigenous foods and livestock and apiculture. 3. Sustenance of National Home Grown School Feeding programme. 4. Promotion of biofortified foods, for provision of vitamin and mineral-enriched staples. Strand 3: Ensuring safe food 1. Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and safe food handling practices. 2. Establishment of public health laboratories, to support Nutrition Units in ensuring food safety compliance. 3. Collaboration between state food safety agencies and Federal regulatory agencies, to curb food adulteration. Cross-cutting 1. Mainstreaming of agriculture into elementary and secondary education. 2. Promotion of local production of agricultural implements and processing machines. 3. Enhancement of rural security network by formation of farm clusters and deployment of Joint Task Forces of State and Non-state security entities. What contributions will our organisations make? 1. Outcomes of researches by Federal, state and private universities and institutes, need to be streamed into the private sector, for greater efficiency and productivity in food production. 2. Some Southwest states’ initiatives like Start Them Early Programme (STEP) for sustainable food production and Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD) should be adopted by other Southwest states. 3. There is a need to ensure the support of development partners and multilateral organizations, particularly for provision of technology and market development. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? 1. Provision of robust Monitoring and Evaluation system in line with global best practices where key performance indicators could be monitored. 2. The Southwest States’ Committees on Food and Nutrition will, with timely and adequate funding, be effective in project assurance. Read less

Shift To Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns AT2 Oyo state What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? (i) A sustained, institutionalised, content and context-specific education at each segment if the food system (ii) un-interrupted supply of electricity for processing, preservation And storage of food products (iii) Active participation of relevant regulatory Agencies (IV) Full involvement of electronic and print media What contributions will our organisations make? (i)Construction of rural road networks to improve access to farm settlement, to enh... Read moreance the transfer of food products to the markets. (ii)Improving storage facilities to increase food availability: Commissioning of 10,000 tons silos for grains to improve storage (iii)Creation of Farm estates from farm settlements to creating an enabling environment for those involved in food production and also as a means of making Agriculture attractive to the youths (iv)Regular education provided to the public to help them make healthy food choices How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? Baseline evaluation and periodic evaluations with intent for necessary interventions Read less

BOOSTING NATURE- POSITIVE FOOD SYSTEM PRODUCTION What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? • Government actions of improving security in farming areas connected with food production, processes and distribution, access to funds, reduction of post-harvest losses will encourage farmers. • Government should make policies on intervention on mechanized farming for farmers and ease of doing business and value addition to farm Products. • Other major issues that will boost nature positive food system is that Agricultures should have attractive incentive atta... Read morechment that will attract youths to go into farming, and change their orientation about get rich quick attitudes .. • This can be achieved through enlightenments campaign , improved sensitization for farmers, improve irrigation process in farming, optimization in technology, and Infrastructure back up What contributions will our organisations make? • All organization present agreed to synergise and collaborate through networking and timely arrange for workshop , seminar and training on home gardening and homestead Aquaculture practise. • Commodity exchange, community and aggregation farming (Pay more attention to organic farming) in order to boost Nature –Positive food production. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? • The successful action will be observed through measurement and evaluation of aligning our indicator with the Sustainable Development Goals. • Evaluation methods of reduction of inflation of food prices, better nutrition and improved health status for children, reduction in malnutrition and stunted growth among under 5 years children. What are the divergences that are revealed and how to manage them? • The major divergences among the participants are on the different belief systems on methods of production and food processing, usage of agrochemicals and its implication on human health. • Arguments on better food production through the technology of genetically modified organisms(GMO).Diverse attitudes and habits of farmers not willing to learn improved farming methods for better yields. Suggested Management Options are as follows: • Government should expose different categories of farmers and food producers through training, workshops, and seminars at the grassroots level from local governments and wards by government on agriculture extension workers. • There should be enlightenment campaigns through radio, media houses, flyers and jingles.Regulators of investment processes should encourage businesses into sustainable practices, and give accessibility to soft loans, funds on a timely basis. • There should be a strong political will to break invisible glass walls, market structuring, whole sale market, cold chain infrastructure and market standardization and structuring. Read less

Discussion Topic BOOSTING NATURE POSITIVE FOOD PRODUCTION What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? 1. Infrastructural development. 2. Establishment of Agricultural Processing Zones. 3. Strengthening of policy advocacy for a mind, policy and practice change to take place, from the traditional notion of food as a mere human need to the contemporary notion of food as a fundamental human right in Nigeria. 4. The quick passage of the Right to Food Bill (SB 240) pending before the National Assembly. 5. Intensification of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practice... Read mores and reforestation 6. Guaranteeing of the regeneration of our ecosystems and nature and to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. 7. Creation of National Agricultural Development Fund. 8. Creation of effective relationship between the federal and state governments for agricultural development. What contributions will our organisations make? Our organisations will help in: i. Policy formulations and implementations. ii. Putting Legislation and enforcements. iii. Ensuring compliance: through improved budget oversight by National Assembly iv. Strengthening the policy process (Policy framework) v. Investing in new farming technology (biotechnology, Tissue Culture and Genome editing)—from better seeds to digital tools to machinery How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? • Operationalized transformative and smart partnerships. • Improvement in the Functionality and effectiveness of Food System. • Improved security-ability of farmers moving freely to their farms • Ability of Nigeria participating in global trade without challenge Read less

Discussion Topic Action Track 4: Advanced Equitable Livelihoods What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? Address insecurity Resolve the difficulty in assessing land and the land tenure system Use of poor implements and farm inputs Inclusion of vulnerable population into social investment programmes What actions can be taken within the next 3 years in other to improve livelihoods? Improved security in rural areas Improvement of infrastructure at rural areas Reorientation from local to a more modern way of agriculture Credit facilities for agriculture finan... Read morecing Social Investment programs Revitalization of primary health care facilities Monitoring budgetary allocations to agriculture Timely release of counterpart funding from government Modern agricultural practices and maintenance of standards Reduction of postharvest losses What contributions will our organisations make? Contribution we will provide is in the area of advocacy to government and local/traditional authorities on the issues such as: 1. Land leasing for poor families and women. 2. Empowerment of government agencies like ministry of agric. to provide farm inputs and implements as well as information dissemination to farmers. 3. Provisions of starter packs and support to trained young generation farmers. 4. There should be non-governmental agencies/civil society organizations set for the monitoring of budgets from the source of release and implementation of budgetary allocation to agriculture. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? The indicators of the success of the action will be 1. Quarterly or yearly assessment of livelihood status of the poor families and poor widows in South east Nigeria. 2. Proactive monitoring and evaluation of the extent of implementation of the inputs from various organisations in advancing and equitable livelihood supports. 3. Generating base line data of the status of livelihoods at the moment to enable build-up of strategies to advance and ensure equitable distribution of livelihood supports. 4. Training of individuals for the data collection, records and statistics on the trending of livelihood supports Read less

Discussion Topic Building Resilience to Vulnerability Shock and Stress What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? • Preservation and Storage Facilities ; improving the storage facilities in the SE zones to modern and standard storing system, to accommodate more perishable food items . government should go into partnership with cooperative societies, and individuals to build storage facilities in all communities in the south east zone Government should partners with society in providing solar panel cold rooms • Climate- the government should cooperative ... Read morewith the metrological unit (NMETS) to monitor forecast and plan with farmers association on climatic emergencies and response such as drought and flooding, • Urban Agriculture planning; government policies should be consistence on school gardening ensuring that all schools have a garden . government to allot land in urban areas on urban agricultural farms • Agro- processing zones – making agriculture more accessible, govt should make aggregate or cluster for processing zones which will have most aspect of the food system such as production processing , storage • Off – takers a system a community-based initiative in which small and medium scale farmers produce will easily be bought by involving other stakeholders and multisector • Food distribution and Marketing strategy – govt interventions on Agriculture produce group who tax farmers heavily, and also curtail the security issues of curfew to allow identified farmers to easily distribute their goods curfew. • Home gardening sensitizing the people on the importance of home gardening for sustainable food chain • Hydroponics systems of agriculture to be encouraged such as hydro phonics, Aero phonics farming especially in urban areas with limited land • Gender mainstreaming in all policies formulation and removal of gender baise or determinants in accessing agricultural loans and land acquisitions. Gender sensitive policies in Agriculture. • SMART AGRICULTURE by farmers planting plants with shorter duration of maturity in flood prone areas or drought resistance crops in drought areas. Sensitizing farmers on climate smart practices such as cover cropping, mulching. Food tracking system – food surveillance and equitable distribution of food supplies and food data base for evidence-based intervention and policy formulation • Cooperative societies expanding registration in the cooperative societies and encouraging transparency in seedlings distribution, loans tax exemption, and price regulation of food produce by biodiversification and comparative competitions among farmers • Mechanized farming through government support to cooperative to expand farming. What contributions will our organisations make? • Supporting the Government of the South east zones on developing a Agro-processing zones • Financially supporting small and medium scale farmers through cooperatives by giving incentives and soft loans • Building up a data based to track progress in the food system of the South east zones How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? Through simple indicators such as tracking food supply, malnutrition indices in the south east, and agricultural indigenous innovations Read less

GROUP 1 Divergences revealed include: 1. Continuous use of traditional methods of farming because some farmers trust the methods they are used to 2. Lack of modern farming implements and improved varieties from Research Institutes 3. Different levels of government attempting to do the same thing in favour of households and farmers thereby duplicating efforts and resources that could be channelled into other uses 4. Considering some farmers more important than others in the provisions inputs How to manage them: 1. Team Work 2. Policy formulation 3. Synergy 4. Partnership 5. Nutrition education ... Read moreand awareness GROUP 2  Sensitization and media activities should not be prioritized over primary production and processing  Conversations and brainstorming should be replicated at grassroot levels  Sincerity and political will on the part of government is key GROUP 3 The divergences are ‘healthy diet’ and ‘sustainable diet’. The members of the Global Panel (2016) recognize that “While there is no universal ‘diet quality index’, there is general agreement on what a healthy or high-quality diet should include”, [that is] “a diversity of foods that are safe and provide levels of energy appropriate to age, sex, disease status and physical activity as well as essential micronutrients.” The answer is clearly: not necessarily. It is dangerous, therefore, to unconditionally associate a healthy diet with a sustainable diet and promoting too broadly win-win scenarios. While evidence suggests that synergies can, in principle, be identified (e.g., such as reducing animal protein in meat-based diets), these are often very difficult to achieve. On the other hand, completely decoupling healthy diets from the sustainability of value chains that deliver them would also not be desirable from a food system’s, environmental and climate change perspective. In sum while synergies are feasible if we capitalize on innovations, trade-offs and hard choices are more likely to characterize the near future of food systems and it is important to understand how diets (as proxy for health) and sustainability interactions play out at different scales and in different contexts. Read less

Discussion Topic [ENSURING ACCESS TO SAFER AND NUTRITIONAL FOOD FOR ALL] What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality;  Addressing the inequalities around access to agricultural inputs by • Ensuring women and vulnerable populations have access to inputs • Land Tenure System improvement. • Provision of fertilizers and loans to rural, small holder farmers. • Access to loans for small holder farmers. • Improvement of Social Services in the rural communities and equitable distribution of farm implements and in... Read moreputs  Using modern technologies to scale agricultural production  Preservation and processing of farm produce to make sure that they stand the test of time through the provision of silos and food processing factories at the local government areas.  Improved security for the farmers to curtail the Farmer/Herder clashes Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods: - Creation of public awareness on improved varieties that will yield more nutritious content e.g fortified foods and biofortified varieties - Increase in income through increased employment opportunities leading to poverty reduction - Increase in Nutrition Education and awareness to teach the importance of eating adequately - Family support for exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding - Planting of improved near-extinct varieties of food trees - Guidelines to advice and educate individuals on what to consume Strand 3: Ensuring Safe food: - Avoid the use of insecticides and pesticides in the cultivation and preservation of crops. - Encourage the use of organic fertilizers /manure. - Avoid the consumption of sick or dead animals. - Ensure the adherence of food safety compliance at abattoirs and markets - Consumer protection Agency should look into what food manufacturers claim. - The food outlets/vendors should be trained and retrained on best food practices - Exclusive Breast feeding which is safe for children under 6-months should be encouraged. - Provision of safe water. Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality;  Addressing the inequalities around access to agricultural inputs by • Ensuring women and vulnerable populations have access to inputs • Land Tenure System improvement. • Provision of fertilizers and loans to rural, small holder farmers. • Access to loans for small holder farmers. • Improvement of Social Services in the rural communities and equitable distribution of farm implements and inputs  Using modern technologies to scale agricultural production  Preservation and processing of farm produce to make sure that they stand the test of time through the provision of silos and food processing factories at the local government areas.  Improved security for the farmers to curtail the Farmer/Herder clashes Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods: - Creation of public awareness on improved varieties that will yield more nutritious content e.g fortified foods and biofortified varieties - Increase in income through increased employment opportunities leading to poverty reduction - Increase in Nutrition Education and awareness to teach the importance of eating adequately - Family support for exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding - Planting of improved near-extinct varieties of food trees - Guidelines to advice and educate individuals on what to consume Strand 3: Ensuring Safe food: - Avoid the use of insecticides and pesticides in the cultivation and preservation of crops. - Encourage the Read less

Discussion Topic Shift to Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality  Reduction of post-harvest losses through enhanced and improved storage and processing mechanisms.  Productivity should be targeted at specific crops with comparative advantage in the state. Some of them are; maize, cassava, oil palm, cashew nuts, poultry, udara, vegetables etc  Provision of hard and soft Infrastructure such as Power, Road networks, Transportation, Security, Processing Facilities... Read more, etc. Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods  Enhanced productivity through provision of mechanization by government and with the assistance of fabricators, partners and investors.  Offtake through the Home-grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) of the Federal Government and other programmes. Strand 3: Ensuring safe food  Efficient preservation of available foods, as well as value addition though processing for extended shelf life Cross-Cutting NIL What contributions will our organisations make?  Researchers and research organizations should uncover and validate new and hidden varieties  Government and the organized private sector should empower scientists and monitor their activities  Government should improve on Imo State’s research and development base through inter-ministerial collaboration and partnerships  Government should prioritize public-private partnerships. At the present time, the private sector and its private capital is looking to invest its resources in profitable ventures.  Government and relevant agencies should sensitize farmers and other stakeholders on nutritional benefits of healthy food, as well as consequences of unhealthy diets. This sensitization should be targeted specifically at youths and women through appropriate channels like periodic town hall meetings  The legislature should lock in policies to ensure continuity  Government should support and fund technological advancements through targeted policies. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?  The Imo State government has kick-started the process of developing its rural infrastructure through the Special Agro-Industrialization Processing Zones Project (SAPZ)  Underscoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) and critical players  Evolving of targeted timelines  Periodic monitoring and evaluation which can be formal and informal Some of these indicators are; Increased production Targeted Processing and Value Addition Sensitization through workshops, town-hall meetings, adverts, tv programmes Infrastructural and rural development Nutrition Security Read less

Before the meeting held in various regions of the country, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commissioned a diagnostic study of the food system as it operates in the 6-geopolitical zones of the country. The diagnostic paper explored the agricultural scene, nutrition and food safety, food trade and transportation as well as external factors that affect the food systems including environmental factors, policies and plans, insecurity amongst others in the country. The diagnostic paper revealed that the South-East food system is characterized by agricultural livelih... Read moreood activities such as crop production and livestock production. Food waste and loss is also high in the region leading to food insecurity, hunger and loss of income for farmers. The South-East has actively processes cash and staple crops such as rice, cassava, oil palm. Food consumption is below recommendations and diets are not diversified in the same vein, malnutrition rates are slightly higher than international average. Adoption of climate smart agricultural practices is low and the region faces climate change effects such as seasonal flooding and soil erosion. Actors involved in the food system in the South-East States include farmers and farmer groups, trader associations, processors, government, private sector, nutrition and health workers and extension (community health and agriculture) workers. The major focus of the south-east dialogue was to drive discussion on reshaping the food systems in the south east to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 taking into consideration the challenges in the system. Identifying key drivers of the food systems particular to Imo and Abia States and also making outcomes and recommendations for the advancement of the Food System in the South East and Nigeria as a whole. The focus of this meeting was achieved by an exploration of the five (5) action tracks as they pertained to the South-East. Five facilitators who are skilled in the action tracks led participants on discussions on the 5 action tracks as they relate to the South-East. Read less

• South East experience shocks and stresses such as flooding, soil erosion and more recently bouts of insecurity • Diets consumed in the south east is laden with starchy staples and needs to be diversified • Over 60% of the farmers in the South-East are women who are disproportionately limited in terms of access to productive resources • Consumption of healthy diets needs focus on production and availability of healthy and safe foods • Consumer education is important to instruct and inform consumers • Budgetary release of funds for capital projects is low • The South east needs t... Read moreo develop and implement Social Investment Programmes that take into consideration the vulnerable groups and are wide spread. • The region has active Agro-Processing Zones which farmers are encouraged to take advantage While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include • Development of agro processing zones and Institution of cooperatives and off taker systems for communities • Collaboration across sectors • Addressing vulnerabilities through social investment programmes • Innovation in agricultural processing e.g. hydroponics, drip irrigation and mechanization of agriculture, biotechnology and genome editing • Review of existing policies limiting access to resources e.g. the Land Tenure System/Land Use Act. Enforcement of court rulings which grants women right to inherit land • The Food supply chain needs to be shortened to reduce middlemen and ensure that farmers have adequate value for agricultural products • Improved Nutrition Education in schools, hospitals and marketplaces • Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding practices • Promotion of Good Agricultural Practices including conservative use of chemicals and processing methods • Strengthen local regulatory agencies to enforce and monitor food production, processing and packaging for safer food consumption • Reduction of food losses and wastes through innovative food storage and processing methods from the point of harvest to the point of consumption • Home gardening to ensure increased access to nutritious foods all year round • Linking farmers with large markets in existing initiatives of the government such as HGSFP, Prisons and large institutions • Development of robust M&E systems that also highlights the key indicators to track development and programme implementation • Improving access to health care for all through strengthening of the primary health care system • Advocacy to government, religious leaders, key stakeholders Read less

Both panels demonstrated considerable consensus across all issues discussed. While not challenged by any of the panelists, there were references made by primary producers to the justification and validity of the negative commentary surrounding food production, and the impact of the ‘policy-people disconnect’ of some EU policies on the social sustainability of rural Ireland.

Ireland’s second National Dialogue focused on ‘Health and Wellbeing of People and Society’. The Dialogue was opened with a key note address by Dr David Nabarro, UN Special Envoy on COVID-19 and Senior Advisor to the UN Food Systems Summit National Dialogues. Dr Nabarro briefly outlined the ambition of the Food Systems Summit and the role of the National Dialogues in complimenting the technical discussions taking place in the Summit Action Tracks. Dr Nabarro detailed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global hunger and malnutrition, which is highlighting problems in local, regional an... Read mored global food systems. Dr Nabarro complimented Ireland on its 2030 Agri-food Strategy, and explained that a multi-stakeholder food systems approach is the only way to build more sustainable food systems for the future. The opening address was followed by two separate panel discussions. The first Panel discussion focused on ‘Healthy Diets for all: Sustainable food systems for Safe and Nutritious food’. The draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy proposes that the issue of food and health should be brought to a new level of political and policy importance. This recommendation has been reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel discussed what needs to be done by government, primary producers, food industry and consumers to improve the consumption of nutritious, healthy foods. The second panel addressed ‘Social Sustainability: Preserving our Communities and Culture’. The importance of achieving social sustainability is a key conclusion of the draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy. The panel discussed how local leadership, innovation and technology can combine to increase income and employment opportunities in rural and coastal areas. Read less

- Healthy people with access to safe and nutritious food, along with the ability to make informed choices about the food they eat, are the foundation of a healthy society. - Sustainable consumption of food is a key element of the transition to a sustainable food system and plays an important role in supporting better health outcomes for society, better outcomes for our environment and better outcomes for our economy. - Understanding consumer behaviour will be important in successfully transitioning to sustainable food consumption patterns. - Communication of both the positive and negative heal... Read moreth impacts of foods needs to be improved. - Education is key to achieving positive behaviour change for improved nutrition and health. - The food environment is critically important to consumer behaviour, and to achieve better nutrition we must compliment communication and education with healthier food environments. - Nutrition is a key consideration for consumers when buying food. - Healthy diets are defined by their nutritional profile, and can contain all food types from whole fruits and vegetables to whole animal source foods. - Ensuring the availability and affordability of nutritious food will be key to achieving healthy and sustainable diets. - There is a growing awareness of the social and environmental benefits of locally sourced foods, which is increasing demand and creating opportunities for local supply chains. - Primary producers are more than just food producers, they play an important role in social and environmental sustainability, and they must be at the centre of the transition to a more sustainable food system. - The Draft Agri-Food Strategy 2030 commits to providing food that is safe, nutritious and appealing, trusted and valued at home and abroad. Read less

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While there was broad recognition by all stakeholders of the urgent need to improve the sustainability of Ireland’s food system, there were diverging opinions on the fundamentals of how we move towards a more sustainable food system by 2030. Divergence was noted in the following main areas: - What is a sustainable food system – what is the correct balance between social, environmental and economic sustainability? - How sustainable is Ireland’s food system today – divergent views on the environmental, social and economic sustainability of Ireland’s food system. - How do we achieve a m... Read moreore sustainable food system by 2030 – e.g. how do we simultaneously achieve greater environmental and social sustainability while ensuring economic sustainability for all stakeholders – highlighting the challenge of adopting a holistic food systems approach, as well as the potential for delivering multiple objectives across the three pillars of sustainability. Read less

Ireland’s first National Dialogue focused on ‘Sustainable Food Systems and Ireland’s 2030 Agri-food Strategy’. The Dialogue was opened with a key note address by Dr Martin Frick, Deputy Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit. Dr Frick stressed the need for urgent action to deliver the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He highlighted the potential for sustainable food systems to help address the complex and interlinked challenges and create opportunities for enhanced health and nutrition; climate action and GHG emissions reduction; biodiversity and ecosystem r... Read moreestoration; and improved livelihoods – ‘agriculture is part of the problem as well as part of the solution’. Dr Frick introduced the UN Food Systems Summit as a ‘People’s Summit’ and a ‘Solutions Summit’, and stressed the importance of the Food Systems Summit Dialogues to the success of the Summit and the future sustainability of our food systems. The opening address was followed by two separate panel discussions. The first Panel discussion focused on ‘Ireland’s Food Systems Approach: A view from Home and Internationally’. Ireland’s draft 2030 Agri-Food Strategy has been developed using a ‘food systems approach’ which takes account of the links between policies for food, climate and environment, and health, as well as the role of all players in the food value chain in realising a future vision. The second panel addressed ‘Environmental and Economic Sustainability: Synergies and Trade-offs’. The central vision for the draft 2030 Agri-Food Strategy is that Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems (SFSs) over the next decade. Sustainability in its three dimensions – economic, environmental, and social – is at the heart of this vision. The panel discussed the synergies and trade-offs between economic and environmental sustainability in the context of this objective. Both panels were followed by a dedicated questions and answers session. Details of both panel discussions and the questions raised by participants are provided below. Read less

- Ireland has a unique food system with many opportunities and challenges to improved sustainability. - Ireland has a strong international reputation as a producer of high-quality, safe and sustainable food and drink. - Ireland has strong sustainability credentials, which have been independently verified (relatively low dairy and beef carbon footprint per unit). - Ireland faces sustainability challenges over the next 10 years to 2030 and urgent action is needed by all food systems stakeholders. - Economic development, particularly in the dairy sector post-quota, has had an impact on environmen... Read moretal sustainability. - Monitoring and accountability of sustainability targets along the entire food supply chain is essential to improving the sustainability of Ireland’s food system. - It is in the interest of all food systems actors and stakeholders to continuously improve the sustainability of Ireland’s food system. - Primary producers and food industry stakeholders are ‘up for the challenge’ of food systems sustainability. - This ‘transition-by-design’ can only be achieved through an industry wide shift towards more sustainable production and consumption practices, facilitated by a combination of sustainability solutions and supports. - There is an urgency to addressing the challenges we face, particularly the climate and biodiversity emergencies. - Blaming one part of the food system over another is not constructive, and we should focus on moving together towards a more sustainable food system. - The draft 2030 Strategy, which has been carefully developed using an inclusive food systems approach, provides a strategic framework for action. Read less