FAO and European Economic and Social Committee deepen exchanges

Agri-Food systems, engagement with the private sector and climate change were on the agenda in recent discussions between FAO management and members of the Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT) Section of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The talks were conducted in the wake of the 49^th session of the Committee on Food Security (CFS) and as a follow-up to the UN Food Systems Summit.

Members of the EESC’s NAT section Peter Schmidt, Andreas Thurner and Josep Puxeu Rocamora discussed EESC opinions that are currently the focus of debate with FAO leadership, including Aligning food business strategies and operations with the SDGs and Strategic autonomy and food security and sustainability. The FAO delegation included Alexander Jones, Director of Resource Mobilization and Private sector Partnership Division, Jamie Morrison, Director of Food Systems and Food Safety Division and Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director in the Climate and Environment Division.

The FAO Liaison Office in Brussels Office and the NAT Secretariat are discussing ways to enhance existing collaboration on the different areas of convergence of the mandates of both organizations. Both FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji and EESC NAT President Peter Schmidt explored ways to engage FAO and EU civil society closer on topics closely related to agri-food systems transformation and explored how to put together and share their expertise in the framework of an EESC opinion on food security and sustainable food systems.

The EESC is a consultative body of the European Union and an advisory assembly composed of social partners, such as employers, employees, civil society and representatives of various interest groups.

You can read more about FAO’s work on food security in Europe and Central Asia here.