Congratulations on the draft concept note on this important issue.
I think it needs to have a stronger focus on ethics and equity as key issues in delivering food and nutrition security and would therefore propose that the "goal" needs to be changed to “sustainable and ethical food systems” to encourage a fairer distribution of resources within the system and to protect the livelihoods of the poor.
I think the draft also needs to highlight that food systems sit within different socio-economic and political contexts, which may not be coherent with a move toward sustainable food systems (eg WTO and other free trade agreements currently being negotiated, national policies to encourage large-scale intensive farming in developing countries, etc).
In terms of promoting the move toward a more sustainable food system, this is a global scale issue and requires commitments from governments and organisations to ensure that more sustainable food systems are actually implemented, in a similar way to how climate change targets have been set. I would therefore incorporate a 5th objective to “Develop and recommend a set of policies and targets that UN members and other signatories should adopt to ensure that sustainable food systems are delivered”.
And on the work areas, the focus on "market-based and voluntary" solutions may not be sufficient. Mandatory sustainability certification and standards may be required, as experience has shown with the many voluntary biofuel sustainability certification schemes, most of which do not adequately address food and nutrition security.
Finally I would encourage that under work area 1 there should be a central platform and website housed at FAO which would assemble and disseminate all relevant information on this vital issue, with links to the various platforms and initiatives.
博士 Stephen Thornhill