In 2017 at CFS 44 the Committee decided to embark on a multistakeholder policy convergence process which will lead to the development of Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition to be presented to the Committee for endorsement in October 2020. This is in line with the 2016 CFS Strategy on Nutrition agreed at CFS 43 and the Terms of Reference endorsed at CFS 45 defining the parameters for the policy convergence process.

The CFS Voluntary Guidelines are expected to counter the existing policy fragmentation between the food, agriculture and health sectors while also addressing livelihood and sustainability challenges and to contribute to making food systems nutrition-sensitive and promoting secure access to safe, diverse and high-quality diets for everyone.

The policy convergence process is supported by the scientific evidence provided by the HLPE report on nutrition and food systems which was launched in 2017.