FAO contributes to an EESC Session on the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment
22/06/2023
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Permanent Group on Sustainable Food Systems organized a session on the EU's contribution to the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment.
The keynote speakers were Stefanos Fotiou, FAO Director of the Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Head of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and Klaus Berend acting Director for Food Safety, Sustainability and Innovation at DG SANTE.
Fotiou explained that the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) aims to showcase the essential role of food systems transformation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide a platform for countries to share success stories and early signs of transformation. He noted that the event was part of the much larger process of the UN Decade of Action to accelerate the SDGs.
During his intervention Berend explained the EU pathway and vision towards sustainable food systems, highlighting the EU support of a global transition towards sustainable food systems in line with the agenda 2030 and the SDGs. He also alluded to the support provided to partner countries in the development and implementation of national food systems transformation pathways and the EU's participation in 8 Coalitions for Actions.
The keynote speeches were followed by two panel discussions. The first one discussed the leverages from the Farm to Fork strategy to support the Coalitions for Action in the transformation of food systems and the second the EU actions and leadership towards global food systems transformation in the context of the Food System Summit.
The Director of FAO's Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium, Raschad Al-Khafaji provided concluding remarks. He summarized the exchanges that took place in the two panels and underlined that FAO puts the agrifood system transition at the center of all efforts to accelerate reaching the SDGs.
The keynote speakers were Stefanos Fotiou, FAO Director of the Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Head of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and Klaus Berend acting Director for Food Safety, Sustainability and Innovation at DG SANTE.
Fotiou explained that the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) aims to showcase the essential role of food systems transformation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide a platform for countries to share success stories and early signs of transformation. He noted that the event was part of the much larger process of the UN Decade of Action to accelerate the SDGs.
During his intervention Berend explained the EU pathway and vision towards sustainable food systems, highlighting the EU support of a global transition towards sustainable food systems in line with the agenda 2030 and the SDGs. He also alluded to the support provided to partner countries in the development and implementation of national food systems transformation pathways and the EU's participation in 8 Coalitions for Actions.
The keynote speeches were followed by two panel discussions. The first one discussed the leverages from the Farm to Fork strategy to support the Coalitions for Action in the transformation of food systems and the second the EU actions and leadership towards global food systems transformation in the context of the Food System Summit.
The Director of FAO's Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium, Raschad Al-Khafaji provided concluding remarks. He summarized the exchanges that took place in the two panels and underlined that FAO puts the agrifood system transition at the center of all efforts to accelerate reaching the SDGs.