Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

E. Governance and human rights: 9. Linking Food Systems and Environmental governance Three main issues in relation to linking food systems and environmental governance were discussed: 1) The necessity of breaking silos between agriculture and the environment Participants discussed silos as a widespread problem. These silos exist from the local to national level. A number of solutions to this were discussed including establishing cross-sectoral governance that looks at food systems. For example, a food systems governance structure within a national government that looks at food systems from mul... Read moretiple perspectives to get a whole systems approach. This needs to expand beyond agriculture and environment to bring in health and finance sectors as well. Cross-sectoral governance is currently reactive (it happens in emergency situations) and needs to be proactive. This is not a one size fits all solution, but would need to be tailored to different contexts. 2) Bringing food systems into multilateral agreements In this area participants discussed the need to strike a balance between environmental and social issues to really build a resilient system. The need for better metrics was discussed as well as the need to develop standards across countries so that, for example, farmers can be rewarded for approaches like carbon farming. The need for countries to focus on GHG emissions linked both to production as well as consumption was seen as a key way to get more accurate accounting. Land was discussed as a critical focus that links food systems and environmental issues to a number of conventions (including biodiversity, climate, desertification). 3) Solutions that can happen over the next two to three years Number of ideas were shared that were seen as key ones to develop over the next few years. These included the idea, highlighted above, of building cross-sectoral teams focused on food systems governance building on the momentum coming out of the FSS. Another idea was that of developing metrics for agriculture across different regions. This would help to build global standards and feed into legally binding targets set through multilateral agreements. Read less

D. Sustainable and resilient recovery: 8. Valuing nature An evaluation framework geared to what we want to achieve can be extremely powerful to address impacts along the value chain, especially if it takes an inclusive and economic narrative involving all beneficiaries and constituencies. In the case of Gabon, major human-wildlife conflicts have indicated that targeted perception shifts amongst the public are required for the adoption of pro-biodiversity policies. The case also needs to be made where certain species demonstrate value for ecosystems as well as for its contributing ecosystem ser... Read morevices. It is therefore vital that not only the monetary value is highlighted, but also that the non-monetary intrinsic values of nature are recognised – “we can’t just do it with dollars”. Focus must be shifted from trade-offs towards win-win opportunities, such as agro-ecology and carbon neutral transitions. The co-benefits in eco-agri-food systems need to be clearly highlighted, and local and traditionally led solutions should be put forward as an opportunity. Climate funds and associated finance must also be directed to the countries requiring the most support. The eco-agri-food system must be understood in a fully inclusive way. The pathway towards a food system transition must be clearly mapped-out and must be just as it involves all different constituencies, to be able to discover win-win solutions. Participants also reflected upon the exclusion of agro-ecological approaches as a means of a sustainable food systems transformation. Establishing a coalition approach is vital to achieving sustainable impacts where best practices can be shared. The FSS enables youth involvement alongside the UN agencies and member states leading the Action Tracks; this model should be replicated more widely. The phrase “nothing about youth, without youth” must be mainstreamed in future dialogues of multilateralism and youth engagement in the post-COVID recovery. Globally, governments provide massive annual farm subsidies, much of which presents detrimental impacts on natural, social and human capital. Subsidies should be redirected towards regenerative farming and the uptake of alternative non-animal-sourced proteins, to perceive and assimilate the true value of food. Furthermore, the environment and agriculture ministries in Gabon are collaborating on a land allocation plan where the agricultural land is all compliantly managed and ecologically sensitive to forests and wildlife. Certification is required to obtain grants and ecological frameworks are being used as a lever to promote green investments. There is also a need to influence shifts to regulations in public procurement, such as introducing obligatory vegetarian catering in academic institutions, targeting mindset shifts to reshape future societies. “Given that the Global Nutrition Report says that our diets are the main burdens of disease, changing our habits would surely change our diets, and where better to start than in schools”. Read less

D. Sustainable and resilient recovery: 7. One Health approach The “One health approach” in nature-positive food systems is very complex one. First, One Health has different priorities in different regions. In many developing countries meat consumption is increasing with increasing wealth especially in the urban population, and the focus is on developing better approaches to livestock. In Europe, the discussion focuses on agricultural subsidies which have been in favor of large agro-industrial business at the expense of small family-owned businesses and biodiversity. There is the challenge ... Read moreof feeding a growing human population while producing food in a sustainable way. Participants formulated the key message “One health at the heart of food systems” for increased health, increased production and increased ecosystem services, in other words, “healthy diets in healthy systems”. And this is one of the key questions, how to bring biodiversity and other co-benefits back into the food production. Regional approaches are one element, but also the cross sectoral nature and different levels are important: a key observation in this group was that decision makers often involve a few stakeholders in the dialogue on agricultural policy, and often these are the influential agro-industrial companies and not the individual farmers. Also, we do not have Ministries for One Health, and we often lack cross sectoral collaboration, and often this has ledled to situations where agricultural policies and subsidies have had adverse and unintended effects. And farmers are not being compensated for sustainable production and land management. For a successful transformation towards a more sustainable food production system we first need to understand the complex system with trade offs, potentially unintended negative impacts of policy decisions better and negative feedback loops better. The participants came up with the idea to create a dashboard to analsye feedback loops and trade offs. Read less

C. Ecosystem restoration for nature and people: 6. Urban farming and community involvement There was overall agreement during the discussions. Participants find urban and peri-urban farming systems (UPA) relevant as it contributes to food systems resilience and sustainability. UPA is important in the context of COVID-19, demography of urban areas, and people needing to eat healthy food. UPA increases access to seasonal fresh and nutritious food. It offers diversity for food basket based on local ingredients, since supermarkets offer globalized options. People that grow their own food are incen... Read moretivized to reduce the use of pesticides and chemicals, and to eat seasonable food. UPA benefits mental health. It contributes to circular economy - by reducing food miles and closing loops - and to better use of urban land for producing food. UPA supports the New Urban Agenda, given its role as a protection of further development of built-up areas, for the quality of soils, mitigation of global warming, and urban-rural linkages. It improves livelihoods across the value chain. The challenges for UPA are: urbanization and urban sprawl; lack of policy support and integration of UPA into urban planning. Scarcity of natural resources (eg. water, soil). Lack of evidence on benefits and innovation types. Lack of inclusivity and incentives (eg. knowledge, economic, and access to resources). Not fully discussed was the challenges faced in climates with limited growing seasons; nor the costs of producing food year round, including if the objective is nutritional diversity and food security the types of foods that are currently highest value in high-tech containerized farms being micro-greens that offer limited contribution to local food security. The group agreed the following need to happen to upscale UPA and mentioned good practices: more research for options for innovations in resource management (eg. water use, more plant-based demand; etc.) and evidence on the socio-economic benefits. More policy support and incentives at local and national levels (eg. in UK, UPA to be mentioned in national policy). Integration in urban planning, to allow the use of unused plots and abandoned lands (eg. In Germany, people owing their plots to grow food). Governments can provide incentives to farmers and citizens through access to land, water, etc (eg. in Ethiopia the government cover the costs of water for the poor). School gardens could be upscaled to educate children, while the word of influencers can incentivize people to grow their own food (eg, in Georgia citizens started growing their own food due to the COVID-19 pandemic.). Demonstration projects help to show circular approaches, such as rooftop gardens in buildings, water recycling (eg. In Israel, sewage water is recycled for UPA). UPA needs to be inclusive, by providing right incentives for farmers and urban poor. Farmers require access to digital tools. Finally, UPA requires viable business models, with creation of markets for UPA products (urban farms supplying restaurants, supermarkets, etc), while countries can invest on UPA for substituting some of the need for importing food. All actors of the value chain should be involved, but especially, governments (local authorities, national ministries), the education system and children (given the impact of engaging at this stage of development); farmers; research institutes and universities; private sector (eg. social entrepreneurs, restaurants, the retails sector, etc), and citizens that can grow their own food. Read less

C. Ecosystem restoration for nature and people: 5. Integrated land management and ecosystem restoration The group began by talking about language and terminology and recognized that that there are many terms that are considered to be part of integrated landscape management and sometimes is easy to get stuck in terminology which are often rooted in ideology. There is a need to overcome this debate and one possible way of doing so is to focus more on shared goals than on arguing about particular agricultural practices or technologies that might constitute this broad arena of integrated landscape... Read more management. Integrated landscape management can work when different stakeholders recognize they are part of the same system and they are able to articulate shared goals for improving the food system and the production practices in a particular landscape. In addition to shared goals, using a spatial framing for planning production systems and planning land use would help improve sustainable production systems. This can help create mosaics where lots of different variety of different land uses can support the multiple goals of diverse stakeholders in a particular region. So rather than assume, for example, that an area needs to focus on agroecology versus intensification, if we look at the pathway to sustainability, we may need some areas that are still focused a little bit more on intensification of management systems and intensification of external inputs at the same time. Moving towards a larger landscape approach is not going to rely on intensification, but rather more on agroecological approaches. Shared goals and the use a spatial framing to plan our transition into more nature-positive food systems were identified as key angles for accelerating change. A key barrier against moving in this direction is mitigating the risks that farmers are often saddled with in making these transitions. Moreover, there is a so-called missing middle between practitioners and policymakers in many cases. There are many laudable policies practices in place. However, the capacity building and the incentives to change are often lacking and subsidies as well as other harmful practices might hinder this important transformative process. Read less

B. Climate- and nature-positive food production: 4. Oceans, waterways and aquatic foods The breakout session focusing on oceans, waterways and aquatic foods saw the participation of eight participants, including the facilitator, UNEP representative, and notetaker. The discussion revolved around fisheries, aquaculture, opportunities, and challenges in addressing aquatic conservation in food systems, with a focus on countries and regions. Among the key messages, the participants highlighted that: • When talking about fisheries, the narrative is usually negative. Estimates say that up to 50% of... Read more seafood is wasted and there are huge losses along the supply chain at both household and retail levels. • On the bright side, however, there is evidence showing that if managed sustainably, we can rebuild the global fish stocks. • Subsidies remain among the major challenges, especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). • There is a need for investments in small-scale fish production. • There is a need for involving fisheries’ representatives in dialogues and decision-making. From the food systems perspective, there is often a lack of data and/or no participation from this category. The participants agreed that there is a general disconnection when talking about food systems. People usually think about land-based food systems and forget about fisheries and aquaculture. There is also fragmentation: very often, fisheries and aquaculture fall under the management of different ministries with the consequence of creating silos. Food waste remains a major problem and, in many cases, there is a lack of country-level dialogue to support the voice of small producers. Subsidies remain a hot topic of discussion: participants agreed that in some instances they create more problems than solutions. However, in other cases, subsidies are needed to support sustainable aquaculture. Participants finally agreed that there is a need for knowledge and expertise sharing when it comes to fisheries and aquaculture. This is because the consumers want to do the right thing, but they often do not know how to do it. Read less

B. Climate- and nature-positive food production: 3. Deforestation-free supply chains Overall, the session touched on several topics within the agenda of deforestation-free supply chains and are categorized in three sections. 1. The importance of system shift: It is critical to look at the supply chains from systems perspective, and that system includes farmers, consumers, traders, dealers, private companies, financial institutions, policy makers and others. The system shift is critical, but it is also very complex at the same time. True cost accounting or natural capital accounting offers oppo... Read morertunities to integrate the full cost of food but several real challenges, such as ability and willingness of the consumers to pay across different countries as well as the complexity associated with true cost accounting, were discussed. How the subsidies are structured also needs a shift from incentivizing unsustainable land use conversion and extensive use of chemicals to promoting eco-friendly food systems. This point also underscores that we need to look at farmers not as enemies but as important partners whole livelihoods depend on agriculture and food systems. The system shift must strengthen rather than undermine their livelihoods. 2. Solutions: The role of finance is critically important in financing that shift in the sustainable food systems and that finance needs to be mobilized from both private and public sectors through effective mechanism. Agroforestry and regenerative production systems such as Silvopastoral could offer opportunities to not just reduce negative ecological impacts but could potentially create ecological benefits. At the same time, it will also be important to look at the carrying capacity for a sustainable livestock system and look at consumer behaviour change and heathy diets as approaches to shift the demand. Technology (machines) that could deploy agroforestry and regenerative systems at large scale will be important solutions to this system shift but still this remains in the testing and pilot phase. Finally, regulations underpin many of these solutions in a way that they create enabling conditions for consumers, companies, farmers, trader, and financial institutions to make that system shift. 3. Importance of a positive narrative: It is critical that rather than blaming farmers, companies, or countries, we listen to the concerns of different stakeholders, including those from producing countries, and find ways to work together to make this system shift in a collaborative way. Read less

A. Behaviour change and sustainable food consumption: 2. Food loss and waste, behaviour change and circularity Food loss and waste is an issue on which there is significant interest and consensus on the need for action. The discussion group, comprising government, private sector and civil society and mainly non-specialists in the topic, considered how governments, businesses and individuals can be better supported in measuring and reducing their food loss and waste. Several areas for action were highlighted, including: • Expanding private sector collaboration for sustainable supply chains, t... Read moreogether with government where possible • Securing cross-governmental collaboration (Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and others working together), giving coordinating mandate to one governmental office across Ministries. Executive-level political support helps support integrated approach. • Identifying meaningful stories and images to stimulate transformation and behaviour change (for example Switzerland shared that half of Swiss agricultural land is used to produce food that is thrown away.) • Reducing misunderstanding of and reliance on expiry dates, through consumer information, education and regulatory frameworks • Improving access to sustainable cooling and cold chains • Developing better systems for redistribution of surplus Considering how to support behaviour change, the group’s recommendations were to: make it personal, and within one’s own control; track individual food waste data; engage the retail and gastronomy sectors; and get portion sizes right (for both healthy diets and waste reduction). Also highlighted was the opportunity to use food packaging and labelling, QR codes or other technologies to spark the imagination that this food came out of an ecosystem. The role of youth in leading the way to transform household and family food behaviours was highlighted by the group (“food to a student is not cheap”), alongside a growing awareness that addressing food waste is a key way to reduce individual climate impact. Ministries of Education may have a role to play in developing national food waste prevention strategies. The critical role of women in purchasing and preparing food was considered. Finally, the need to raise awareness that consumer food waste is a global, not just a rich country issue was underlined, as this is not yet widely known, while supporting developing countries in taking action. Read less

A. Behaviour change and sustainable food consumption: 1. Healthy diets, nutritious food and new opportunities for farmers It may be too simplistic to say that the transition to a healthy sustainable diet may create opportunities for farmers, because farmers have different responsibilities not simply to produce a basket of a diet but producing crops that could then be part of nutritious diet. There are global and local food systems and power imbalances can be at several levels and across various places around the world. There are many barriers with regards to sustainable food production like th... Read moree power imbalance, but it may also be because of trade and consumers for example in in high income countries demanding a lot of input from producing countries and therefore contributing to deforestation another environmental problem. The coin can be flipped by turning it into an opportunity if we buy directly from farmers so that a market can be created that could not only stimulate sustainable production on the farmers side but also help that farmer produce not just sustainably, but also possibly more output. The indigenous or local farmers play a key role in sustainable food production. We need diets which are healthy for human body as well as for the planet. Educating the farmers not only about the market systems but also about providing them with skills and knowledge to produce in a sustainable way. The fiscal policies (subsidies and taxes) could help in transitioning towards a healthy more sustainable diet. Good governance practices are required balance power relations and facilitate fair trade. The farmers need to be equipped with good tools and knowledge in order to not just know ‘How to produce?’, but also ‘What to produce?’ And at the same time, the consumers should know what to eat and from what source and what prices to pay? If we need to make these transitions, we need to look at barriers both on the producer’s and consumer’s side and create an enabling policy environment. National Food-based Dietary Guidelines are helpful tools that inform both consumers, producers and policy makers what is a healthy diet. There is a need specifically to look at small holder farmers for an enabling environment in order to be able to sustainably produce, but also to produce those items which are fit for healthy diet. We can make use of latest technologies in order to bring these transitions. Read less

1. System thinking: the global food system is characterised by strong imbalances as well as incredible interconnections. Shifting the needle towards an approach where people and planet are placed at the heart will allow to break silos and address inequities, a fundamental step towards transformative change. 2. Rights and governance: the process of placing people and planet at the centre of sustainable food systems can be facilitated by taking a human rights approach which leaves no one behind while empowering local communities, women and young people. Applying a food systems lenses can strengt... Read morehen environmental governance at global, national and local level. 3. Finding solutions: food systems dialogues have been an incredible opportunity to advance global exchanges on key issues such as nutrition, food waste and urban agriculture, as well as to focus on the health of specific ecosystems and its management. The Food Systems Summit will be a ‘solutions Summit’ and momentum must be kept to advance actions at all levels. 4. Valuing nature: the adoption and implementation of standards, metrics and accounts which take into consideration the real value of nature through the entire supply chain will be fundamental to advance the transformation towards sustainable food systems as well as to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Read less

1. A transformation of global food systems is needed to positively impact nature and tackle current planetary and human health crisis. Food is central to our lives and it is also central to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution that the world is currently facing. The global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss. Agriculture is a threat to the 85% of species at risk of extinction and close to 90% of the world's marine fish stocks are fully exploited, overexploited or depleted. Over the past 50 years, pollution by fertilizers, chemicals a... Read morend pesticides and the conversion of natural ecosystems for crop production or pasture have been the principal causes of habitat loss. Anti-microbials in the environment and food value chains are a growing cause of human and animal death. As the world’s population is predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050, it is estimated that 70% more food calories will be needed. This will have an impact on our changing climate, with livestock currently contributing to 14.5% of GHG emissions and global food loss and waste generating annually about 8% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the complex relation between human, animal and ecosystems health. 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic and evidence points to the biodiversity crisis as a contributory factor in the emergence of COVID-19. Food systems are also the backbone of human health: poor diets are the leading cause of death and often cause non-communicable diseases. “A transformation of food systems is central to the achievement of all 17 SDGs. From equity to education, from sustainable consumption and production to health, it has now become a matter of survival” (Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP). 2. All of us need to come together to ensure nature-positive food systems – before and after the farm gate. Concrete action to transform our global diets, informed by national and cultural contexts and a reduction in food waste are critical to breaking the system lock-ins that have driven the intensification of agriculture and the continued conversion of native ecosystems to crop production and pasture. “We all need to eat to survive. Food that is a great connector, it's a universal language. Around the table we are equals, and, even more importantly, around the table we are together and ‘we are the revolution’” Chef Massimo Bottura (UNEP Goodwill Ambassador). Restoring 15% of converted lands in right places could prevent 60% of projected species extinctions. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will catalyse global action to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. Limiting the use of harmful and polluting inputs, replacing monoculture with polyculture farming practices, promoting deforestation-free and nature positive supply chains, as well as truly accounting for nature’s values and costs could not only make our way of farming more sustainable, but would also increase coherence between global agreements and national and local level action, while embedding a ‘food systems approach’ throughout. 3. “Dialogues lead to surprising connections that have the power to change us all for the good” (David Nabarro, Curator of the Summit Dialogues) This Dialogue and the platform it offered as well as the multiple country dialogues planned in the build-up to the FSS and beyond are critical to unlocking the solutions to our triple planetary crisis by diving into the complexity using a food systems lens. “Let's use this Dialogue to think through how we can come together to cause systemic change in our food systems. Let’s build a real agenda for change. Change will only happen if we put nature at the centre of our financial and socioeconomic systems”. (Agnes Kalibata, UN SG’s Special Envoy). “Every event, every dialogue, every conversation we have in the run-up to the Food Systems Summit is an opportunity to ensure food is mainstreamed in the preparations of the three Rio Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification” (Susan Gardner, Director – Ecosystems, UNEP). Read less