Call for applications for the second edition of the International Innovation Award for Sustainable Agriculture
Since 2018, FAO and the Federal Government of Switzerland encourage innovation by publically recognizing best practices through the International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. The award does not only acknowledge digital innovation, but also new or existing products or practices that are used in a specific context, to increase effectiveness, competitiveness and resilience. The second edition of this Award has been launched, which is open to individuals, private companies and institutions. It comprises two categories:
• Category A awards excellence in digitization and innovation for sustainable food systems (USD 30 000)
• Category B recognises an innovation that empowers youth in sustainable food systems (USD 30 000)
In the spirit of the forthcoming Food Systems’ Summit in 2021 and aligned to the aspirations and goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the candidates should demonstrate the important role of their innovation in transforming food systems through sustainable food and agriculture and the improvement of food security and nutrition for all, particularly in the face of increased environmental challenges. In line with the requirements and technical competencies of the Federal Office of Agriculture of Switzerland, all innovations must apply to agriculture and pastoral systems only.
This call is open until 19 March 2021.
More information on this call and on how to apply can be accessed here.
18-22 January: Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2021
The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) is an international conference on central issues of global agricultural and food policies, held in Berlin on an annual basis. The 2021 event will take place virtually on 18–22 January focusing on the topic of how can agriculture provide the world with food in the long-term for a balanced diet despite pandemics and climate change.
As in the past years, FAO will participate in the GFFA at several levels, including the following events:
CFS: Water and climate recommendations to feed the world
18 January 2021, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (CET)
The discussion, organized jointly by FAO and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), will look at water as the primary medium through which we all feel the effects of climate change.
More information
Managing city region food systems – Enhancing strength and resilience against pandemics and climate change
19 January 2021, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. (CET)
The joint panel discussion of FAO and the Global Partnership on Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems, will provide a forum for urban and national representatives to share experiences and review how the City Region Food Systems approach has helped them deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to define a vision on the way forward.
More information
How can innovation help strengthen the sustainability of food systems and prevent future pandemics?
19 January 2021, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (CET)
The panel will bring together a group of high-level policy makers, including FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, to discuss the impacts of the pandemic on food and agriculture and the role of innovation in this respect.
More information
Attending these virtual events is free of charge, it only requires prior registration through the GFFA website here.
Enabling sustainable food systems - Innovators’ handbook
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Promoting youth engagement and employment in agriculture and food systems - HLPE consultation on the V0 draft of the report
During its 46th Plenary Session (14 – 18 October 2019), the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested its High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to produce a report entitled “Promoting youth engagement and employment in agriculture and food systems”. The report will be presented at CFS 48th Plenary session in October 2021. As part of the process of elaboration of its reports, the HLPE is organizing a consultation to seek inputs, suggestions, and comments on the present preliminary V0 draft.
Leaving no one behind - A Regional Outlook on Gender and Agrifood Systems
In Africa, women are critical agents of change in the fight against rural poverty, hunger and malnutrition. They are the backbone of their households, communities, and rural economies covering important roles in food production, processing and marketing, and also in the nutrition of the family...
Empowering young agri-entrepreneurs to invest in agriculture and food systems - Policy recommendations based on lessons learned from eleven African countries
Measures that empower young agri-entrepreneurs should be a key component of a sustainable development-centred investment promotion strategy. The very realization of future generations’ food security, the sustainable transformation of food systems and the combat against unemployment and distress...
The potential of agroecology to build climate-resilient livelihoods and food systems
This study highlights the links between agroecology and climate change, by providing evidence on the technical (i.e. ecological and socio-economic) and policy potential of agroecology to build resilient food systems. The report aims to answer the following question: How can agroecology foster...
Responding to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on food value chains through efficient logistics
This document summarizes the online discussion Responding to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on food value chains through efficient logistics held on the FAO Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) from 4 June to 6 July 2020. The discussion was facilitated by Marco V. Sánchez...
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020
Updates for many countries have made it possible to estimate hunger in the world with greater accuracy this year. In particular, newly accessible data enabled the revision of the entire series of undernourishment estimates for China back to 2000, resulting in a substantial downward shift of the...
Resilience of local food systems and links to food security – A review of some important concepts in the context of COVID-19 and other shocks
The objective of this review is to explore and discuss the concept of local food system resilience in light of the disruptions brought to those systems by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion, which focuses on low and middle income countries, considers also the other shocks and stressors that...