FAO Brussels leads official multi-stakeholder dialogue ahead of UN Food Systems Summit

More than 100 stakeholders from academia, governments, policymaking, the private sector, and civil society gathered today for the first independent Food Systems Summit Dialogue co-organized by the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels and the European Food Information Council (EUFIC).

The event, “Walking the talk: healthy and sustainable food systems through aligned evidence-based communication and policy”, was held in the context of the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS).  Following the synergies of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy and CFS Voluntary Guidelines for Food System and Nutrition, the summit dialogue connected often-fragmented nutritional and environmental conversations agree on an aligned vision. High-level speakers and participants proposed targeted and accountable actions that would lead to better policy coherence in the food system and to a food environment, which is inclusive and benefits all citizens and the planet.

The outcomes from the Dialogue will be presented in the form of a report, which will transmit to the UN Secretariat as a concrete contribution to the preparatory process of the UN Food System Summit.

After a welcome by curator and EUFIC Head of Food and Health Science, Milka Sokolović, participants were introduced to the goals and ambitions of the UN Food Systems Summit by Deputy to the Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit, Martin Frick, and Senior Advisor on the Food Systems Summit Dialogues, David Nabarro.

In welcoming the speakers and participants, EUFIC Director-General Laura Fernandez and FAO Brussels Director Rodrigo de Lapuerta highlighted the power of aligned communication and partnerships in achieving better nutrition and sustainable food systems. De Lapuerta noted that “We, from Brussels, are working closely with so many partners, not simply to fulfill an organizational mandate, but also, to empower all countries around the world to do their part to build more inclusive and sustainable food systems, in keeping with their national priorities, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”, while Fernandez emphasized the importance of  “engaging collectively different actors of society, as agents of change, through aligning communication from a food systems perspective.”

Their remarks were followed by a plenary meeting with contributions from the Director of the FAO Food Systems and Food Safety Division, Jamie Morrison; EU Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) Director for the Green Deal and Digital Agenda, Carla Montesi; EU Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) Director for a Healthy Planet, John Bell; Member of the European Parliament and the European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition, Isabel Carvalhais; Special Advisor at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Joao Breda and the UNDP Director and Director of the UNDP Office in Brussels and the UN Secretary-General's representative to the EU, Barbara Pesce-Monteiro.

Later, dialogue participants met for virtual conversations in breakout sessions, where experts exchanged views on specific questions ranging from policymaking on food-policy choices to sustainable production and food waste. Breakout session participants shared their findings in the plenary session.

The Food Systems Summit Dialogues are a global series designed to encourage collective action for transforming our food systems as an official platform for discussions within the UNFSS. The report on the first Dialogue and its proposals and recommendations will be made available shortly.

The recording of the opening session is available here.