Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

There were no glaring areas of divergence between participants.

Action Track 1 of the Food Systems Dialogue focused on critical global food systems issues. The dialogue explored various aspects, including meeting food needs, addressing food waste, the role of urban farming, the impact of climate change on food production, and the significance of food labeling and systems thinking in solving food-related challenges. Meeting Food Needs: The dialogue emphasized the importance of ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all. It discussed innovative agricultural practices, efficient food distribution networks, and policy interventions to reduce food inse... Read morecurities and ensure equitable food distribution. Food Waste and Fairness: A major point of discussion was how food waste complicates the challenges of global hunger and environmental degradation. The dialogue highlighted the need for strategies to reduce food waste, such as improving food storage and transportation, promoting responsible consumer behavior, and finding innovative uses for food that would otherwise be discarded. Urban Farming: Urban farming was identified as a key solution to alleviate pressures on increasing food production due to urbanization. The dialogue covered the benefits of localizing food resources, such as reduced reliance on imported food, health benefits from fresher produce, and a smaller carbon footprint due to decreased transportation distances. It also discussed efficient farming in urban areas, like vertical farming and rooftop gardens, and the role of technology in revolutionizing urban farming. Climate Change Impact: The dialogue underscored the profound impact of climate change on food production. It focused on the need for adaptive and resilient food systems that withstand environmental, economic, and health-related shocks. Strategies for creating more resilient supply chains and improving emergency food distribution systems were also discussed. Food Labeling: The importance of better and more accurate food labeling was stressed. Clear, comprehensive labeling helps consumers make informed choices and encourages producers to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices. Systems Thinking in Food Solutions: The necessity of adopting a systems thinking approach was a significant insight. This approach recognizes the interconnectedness of various elements within food systems and helps in developing holistic and effective solutions. Food Archetypes and Symbolism: The dialogue also delved into the historical and cultural significance of food. It explored how different civilizations and cultures have ascribed symbolic meanings to food, from ancient civilizations like Egypt and Greece to modern eras marked by industrialization and world wars. The symbolism of food in religious practices, art, and socio-economic contexts was discussed, highlighting how food has been a powerful tool in expressing cultural values, beliefs, and social dynamics. Read less

The Food Systems Dialogue, a comprehensive forum designed to address global food systems' multifaceted challenges and opportunities, yielded several key findings. These findings encompass a range of issues, from food labeling and waste to the necessity of systemic thinking and the impact of climate change on food systems. Here's a detailed overview: 1. Need for Better and More Accurate Food Labeling: One of the primary outcomes of the Dialogue was the importance of better and more accurate food labeling. Participants highlighted that consumers often face confusion due to misleading or inadequa... Read morete information on food packaging. The need for transparent, easy-to-understand, and comprehensive labeling was stressed. This includes clear information on ingredients, nutritional content, sourcing, and environmental impact. Such labeling not only aids consumers in making informed choices but also encourages producers to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices. 2. Reducing Food Waste: The Dialogue brought to light the critical issue of food waste, a significant global problem. Discussions revealed that a substantial amount of food produced is wasted due to various reasons, including inefficient supply chains, overproduction, and consumer behavior. Strategies to reduce food waste were discussed, focusing on improving food storage and transportation, encouraging responsible consumer behavior, and finding innovative uses for food that would otherwise be discarded. The importance of government policies and private sector initiatives in tackling food waste was also emphasized. 3. Minimizing Single-Use Plastics: The environmental impact of single-use plastics, particularly in packaging and food service, was another key finding. Participants agreed on the urgent need to reduce reliance on single-use plastics, advocating for more sustainable alternatives. This includes the development and use of biodegradable materials and the promotion of reusable and recyclable packaging solutions. The role of policy interventions, such as bans or taxes on single-use plastics, was also discussed as a means to drive change. 4. Embracing Systems Thinking: A significant insight from the Dialogue was the necessity of adopting a systems thinking approach to address the complexities of food systems. This approach recognizes the interconnectedness of various elements within food systems, including production, distribution, consumption, and waste management. By understanding these interdependencies, more holistic and effective solutions can be developed. Systems thinking also helps identify leverage points where interventions can have the most significant impact. 5. Impact of Climate Change on Food Systems: The Dialogue underscored the profound impact of climate change on food systems. Climate change threatens food production through extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and increased pest and disease prevalence. Discussions focused on the need for adaptive and resilient food systems to withstand these challenges. This includes diversifying crops, adopting climate-smart agricultural practices, and ensuring water efficiency. The importance of reducing the food system's own contributions to climate change through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable land use was also a key topic. Cross-Cutting Themes: Across these findings, several cross-cutting themes emerged. These include the importance of collaboration across sectors, the need for innovation in technology and practices, and the role of education and awareness in driving change. The Dialogue also highlighted the importance of equity and inclusivity, ensuring that solutions are accessible and beneficial to all, particularly marginalized and vulnerable communities. The Food Systems Dialogue brought forth a comprehensive set of findings that address critical aspects of global food systems. From improving food labeling and reducing waste to tackling the challenges of single-use plastics and climate change, the Dialogue set the stage for actionable steps towards more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems. Adopting a systems-thinking approach was crucial in understanding and addressing the complexity of these issues effectively. Read less

Our Dialogue centered on a comprehensive exploration of food systems, particularly emphasizing the interplay between the five action tracks of the Food Systems Summit. This exploration aimed to dissect and understand the multifaceted nature of food systems, their current challenges, and their potential transformative strategies. The Dialogue was structured to delve into each action track, examining their individual contributions and interdependencies and how they collectively drive systemic change. The Dialogue began by addressing the critical issue of food security. Discussions focused on str... Read moreategies to eliminate hunger and malnutrition, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, has access to healthy and nutritious food. This track explored innovative agricultural practices, food distribution networks, and policy interventions that can reduce food insecurities. The role of local and global supply chains in ensuring consistent and equitable food distribution was also examined. A second discussion addressed the need for a global shift towards more sustainable consumption patterns. It involved reducing food waste, promoting dietary shifts towards more plant-based foods, and the role of consumer awareness and behavior in driving these changes. The Dialogue explored how education, policy, and market-based approaches can incentivize sustainable consumption. The third focus area dove into increasing agricultural productivity while enhancing environmental sustainability. This included practices like regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and technology integration in farming. The Dialogue examined the balance between increasing food production and preserving biodiversity, soil health, and water resources. The fourth track focused on ensuring that food systems support equitable and fair livelihoods. The Dialogue explored how food systems can be restructured to provide fair economic returns, safeguard worker rights, and ensure gender equality. Discussions also covered the role of smallholder farmers and indigenous communities in the food system and how their knowledge and rights can be protected and promoted. The final action track discussed building resilience in food systems. This involved preparing for and responding to environmental, economic, and health-related shocks. The Dialogue examined strategies for creating more resilient supply chains, improving emergency food distribution systems, and the role of technology and innovation in predicting and mitigating risks. Much of the Dialogue explored the interconnections and synergies between these action tracks. It emphasized that progress in one area often influences outcomes in another. For instance, nature-positive production methods can contribute to more resilient food systems, while equitable livelihoods are essential for sustainable consumption patterns. Throughout the Dialogue, there was a strong emphasis on considering regional and cultural contexts in implementing these action tracks. Solutions that work in one part of the world may not be applicable in another, and respecting local knowledge and practices is crucial. The Dialogue involved various stakeholders, including policymakers, farmers, business leaders, academics, and civil society representatives. This inclusive approach ensures that the discussions are grounded in real-world experiences and that the strategies developed are practical and implementable. Finally, the Dialogue was structured to be outcome-oriented. Each session concluded with a set of actionable recommendations, which are compiled into a comprehensive report. This report is intended to guide policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in implementing changes that can transform food systems in line with the objectives of the Food Systems Summit. Read less

Divergences were hardly identified in working group discussion. Possibly, this is a positive outcome of the cross-sectoral health targets, which were established 10 years ago. In general it was hardly possible to find divergences. One group tried to discuss potential divergences by cooperating with other stakeholders, not attending the Dialogue and they came up with the issue of funding for different nutrition-related initiatives/ programmes. Calls for proposals for projects on food topics (e. g. health promotion) are not based on common criteria, or the often desired interdisciplinarity is no... Read moret visible on the part of the funding bodies (ministries do not fund through joint calls). It is difficult for initiators to obtain permanent funding for the mentioned projects/ initiatives, and in general, projects often do not find their way into regular operations. The divergences within different organizational frameworks seem to be possible challenges here. Read less

TOPIC 5 “Social food environment” • Nutrition is more than the satisfaction of nutritional needs, moreover it is an emotional topic and creates identity (should always be kept in mind) • Nutrition and eating often takes place in social contexts and this consideration can be helpful when designing initiatives • In terms of communication it is necessary to “pick people up” from their starting points (need for target group orientation) • The different nutritional cultures should be appreciated and respected when planning strategies, initiatives, and so on. • As early as possible... Read more the food literacy should be improved (starting in kindergartens and schools). • In general, the group discussed the extension of nutrition competence to enjoyment competence Read less

TOPIC 4 “Food production and trade” • Health Literacy is the basis for responsible decisions when buying food (e. g. development of health literacy in schools) • Austria should take on an international pioneering role in research an innovation (know-how must be available and shared) • Cooperation between production, trade, and the public sector is especially important for being successful. • The retail sector plays an important role in advertising and therefore persuading consumers to choose healthy and sustainable products (cooperation with this sector is mandatory) • The confli... Read morect of interest between production, trade, the public sector and consumers has been discussed (for example economic interests are often in the foreground). Read less

TOPIC 3 “Sustainable supply infrastructure” • During the discussions it could be identified, that community catering is a essential lever in terms of sustainable supply infrastructures • Large community caterers have the potential influencing many groups of the population and have different effects there (e. g. protecting the elderly against malnutrition, improving food literacy among children and young people) • Large community caterers can additionally support local and seasonal product choice. • Municipalities have a special role, due to the power on framework conditions (in ter... Read morems of zoning) • Production conditions and marketing channels are shaped by zoning and therefore also by the governance (subsidies for communal direct marketing, delivery services and support of communal catering would be necessary) • Municipalities could intervene in a formative way (in schools, kindergartens, farmyards, etc.) • Quality standards for the online food market has been discussed as well. Read less

TOPIC 2 “Affordability” • It is necessary to provide appropriate infrastructure (markets, direct marketing, food boxes) to make healthy and sustainable nutrition accessible • The cost-true pricing of products (climate, health and social) is immediately necessary to cover aspects of human and animal health and the environmental aspects • Taxes/vouchers could be a supportive short-term measure for a healthy and sustainable diet • Next to vouchers, community catering is seen as essential in a short-term perspective to increase affordability • In addition, food literacy is mentioned ... Read moreas an important topic to improve food patterns (e. g. how to shop, how to store, etc.) Read less

TOPIC 1 "Intersectoral food system" • A cross-sectoral and commonly agreed definition of food systems would be useful to establish a common sense on micro and macro level • Definition should relate to EU specifications • Stakeholders should have knowledge on their impact on and role in sustainable food systems • Public procurement should be a good practice example • A set of indicators to monitor national food systems is needed • Discussion on concept of regional origin of food: is not necessarily climate-friendly; what is considered to be regional within very small country

For the necessary transformation of the food system, it is fundamental to act in a coordinated and well-balanced way in terms of definitions and intersectoral cooperation. This means: • The development of a homogenized/agreed set of indicators for planning, monitoring and evaluating • Capacity building at all levels among all players in the food system, including policy-makers (from production to the trade) • Since nutrition and eating having a strong social dimension, enjoyment should be considered when speaking about the food system • A curriculum with different topics on health (e. ... Read moreg.) nutrition) should be implemented as early as possible, starting in kindergarten or primary school up to high school • Aiming in maximising cost truthiness and transparency to make the healthy and sustainable choice the easier one, this is meant in terms of appropriate taxation and subsidization. • Communal catering functions as a major lever in offering a healthy, sustainable and fair food approach and this should be used meaningful fro policy-makers • Developing measure to reduce avoidable food waste Read less

The Competence Center Climate and Health (CCCH) at the Austrian National Public Health Institute is working on Co-Benefits on Climate and Health, with a recent focus on aspects of healthy and sustainable food systems. CCCH organised a National Independent Food Systems Dialogue aiming to bring together national stakeholders in the field of nutrition, agriculture, policymaking, science and communication together. By targeting the action Track 2 (Shift to sustainable consumption patterns) and considering a system-thinking-approach we invited stakeholders to identify future steps and perspectives ... Read morein terms of “Steps towards a healthy, sustainable and fair food system in Austria in 2030”. The Dialogue is overlapping with other FSD-Action Tracks (e. g. ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all). We designed five discussion groups and covered as many topics as possible in terms of the food system in Austria. The titles of the discussion groups where: • In 2030, Austria has achieved the common and intersectoral goal of being a European leader in the field of nutrition-related co-benefits. • In Austria, all people will be equally able to meet their food needs in a healthy and sustainable manner in 2030. • A nationwide supply infrastructure will ensure that in 2030, healthy and sustainable food will be the easiest choice for consumers. • Healthy and sustainable food systems are the foremost principle of the Austrian supply chain in 2030. • In 2030, social cohesion is at the forefront of a cross-cultural and cross-generational food culture. Read less

Not identified in this dialogue.

Farmers Issues and information needed : In general, all representatives reported facing farming and cocoa productivity issues related to climate change, specifically, they stressed out that strong weather fluctuations, prolonged droughts or heavy rainfall greatly affect production of cocoa. In most cases, important issues are pest related, as they perceive outbreaks being more common under these weather fluctuation conditions. Most representatives are already establishing mitigation strategies to improve farm resilience to climate change, being crop diversification, soil protection, integrated... Read more pest control, and organic fertilizers the most commonly discussed. However, representatives mention the lack of financial support (such as credits), or difficulties to access them, from funders and governments to invest in climate-related mitigation. Read less

Communication and knowledge exchange using Technology: During the dialogue we were able to observe that representatives shared similar views on the channels to reach farming information, being messaging apps, internet and non-government association the most common. Most representatives agreed that having access to the internet, most commonly through mobile phone data-services, was helpful to communicate between farmers, associations and share relevant information facilitating their farming activities. Representatives shared their interest in having direct contact with other stakeholders, such ... Read moreas government, industry and researchers, while they agreed that most communication channels are difficult to access or not existing, generating dependance to others (e.g. middle man in case to commercialize their cocoa to industry, or lack of knowledge of government financial support). Representatives showed interest in also creating communication bridges between farmers of other cultures and countries, being the language barrier the only limitation. Read less

In general, representatives agree in sharing similar views related to the information, knowledge and communication challenges they are currently using, being the internet the most important tool. According to representatives, one of the major challenges for smallholders lies in creating communication bridges to government, industry and researchers. They argued the need to promote communication to other stakeholders, in particular for reaching scientific based information (researcher stakeholder), financial support (government stakeholder), and better selling prices for their cocoa (industry). ... Read moreRepresentatives also show interest in having communication with other farmers from different cultures and countries, but the language barrier remains the main limitation. Overall, representatives agreed on sharing the same farming and production problems related to climate change, in particular strong weather fluctuations heavily affecting production as pest and disease outbreaks proliferate. Major actions need to be taken, and many representatives provided several agroecological management examples ongoing within the farmers representing, but financial supports, extension services are strongly needed. Read less

In this dialogue, we convened cocoa farmers representatives in Southern Bahia, Brazil as the region remains the top producer of cocoa in the country. Our overall objective was to determine the most effective way to contact the farmers and to disseminate the knowledge they need for improving their livelihoods. We also facilitated a dialogue to understand smallholder farmers issues related to climate change on crop management, yields, and livelihoods, along with the knowledge needed to solve these issues and ensure that the knowledge disseminated by scientists match to their needs. Therefore, we... Read more divided the dialogue into two parts: 1) Communication and knowledge exchange using technology: Here, we aimed to understand the most effective way to contact the farmers and to disseminate the knowledge they need to improve their livelihoods as identified below. We also discussed the potential communication and knowledge transfer between farmers. 2) Farmers Issues and information needed: Here, participants discussed the main issues related to climate impacts on crop production and livelihoods. This information will then be used to formulate knowledge requirements that will help them to tackle their most pressing issues. Read less