Food systems in the time of COVID-19: North American perspectives on how the FAO can contribute to greater resilience (Oct 23)

COVID-19 has disrupted nearly every element of every food system on earth. From international commodity markets to local cooperatives, from consumption patterns to transport protocols, from access to farm labour to reforming the retail sector – the pandemic is stress-testing every element of global and local food systems.

The FAO defines resilience as, “the ability to prevent disasters and crises as well as to anticipate, absorb, accommodate or recover from them in a timely, efficient and sustainable manner”. 

How have food systems fared through this crisis?
What has the FAO and done well in responding to Covid-19?
What could the organization have done better?
How should the FAO prepare to help build resilience to future shocks?

Join senior government officials from Canada and the U.S., as well as representatives from the private sector and civil society mechanisms of the U.N. Committee on World Food Security and senior leaders from the FAO to discuss these issues and more on October 23, 2020 at 9:00 am EST. The ideas and recommendations presented will be used to help inform North America’s priorities for the FAO.

Date: October 23, 2020                                                                           

Time: 9:00 – 11:00  ESD

Links to join: ENGLISH LINE ;  BILINGUAL LINE ;  LIGNE FRANCAIS

Participants:
Frédéric Seppey, Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ted McKinney, United States Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
Rick White, Chair of the International Agri-Food Network, the focal point for the Private Sector Mechanism of the United Nations Committee on Food Security
Nettie Wiebe, North American Focal Point for the Civil Society and Indigenous People’s Mechanism of the United Nations Committee on Food Security
Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Maximo Torrero Cullen, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Moderator:
Aaron Fowler, Chief Agriculture Negotiator and Director General, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada