Event
25 October 2023
I look forward to serving as a panellist for the side event "Our Seat at the Table: Maximizing Transformative Opportunities across the Rural-Urban Continuum to Deliver Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems"
When: 25 October 2023, from 1.30 to 2.45 PM (CEST)
Where: The 51st Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
This event is co-organized by FAO and several other partners, focusing on the key role of cities and local governments in today's food systems transformation, as also recognized in recent global fora, such as the 2023 UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment:
Co-organized by: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN-Nutrition, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), The Urban Food Systems Coalition (UFSC), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), GAIN, The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, EcoAgriculture Partners, German Development Cooperation (GIZ), The Coalition of Action on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems (HDSFS)
The Context
Transformative action to deliver healthy diets from sustainable food systems is essential to end malnutrition in all its forms and achieve the interlinked, and interdependent 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Local and regional governments have successfully promoted the importance of local and territorial food systems in achieving overall food systems transformation and the SDGs. The emphasis now shifts to greater facilitation and acceleration of coherent national and local action.
Food systems drivers, including the influence of urbanisation and the need for better integration of value chains across the rural-urban continuum, offer numerous opportunities and policy entry points for urban and local governments, and other local stakeholders. Interventions to support local food systems can create co-benefits for people and nature. Actions at the local level can play a catalytic role in tackling widening social and economic inequalities. They can also address the worrisome convergence of rural-urban food consumption patterns favouring highly processed foods often high in unhealthy fats, sugars or salts.
Efforts to support local, place-based food systems can leverage national action to combat malnutrition, protect and conserve biodiversity and ecosystems, boost livelihoods and support local formal and informal economies. Within the rural-urban continuum, harnessing the food systems connectivity of small and medium size cities and rural towns is key. Action should ensure quality service provision, and improve access, affordability and desirability of nutritious foods. Sustained impact depends upon people-centered, multi-sectoral approaches led by robust, inclusive food systems governance and targeted investment at the local, regional and national levels.
Objectives of the Event
- Discuss the implications of a local and territorial approach to facing challenges and harnessing opportunities for transformative actions to deliver healthy diets from sustainable food systems
- Showcase inclusive, people-centered, locally based food systems tools and solutions to tackle malnutrition, protect the environment, strengthen resilience, and accelerate progress towards the 2030 SDGs
- Maximize the opportunities offered by the upcoming HLPE report and MYPOW’s focus on local food systems and territorial governance to further advance advocacy for, and action by, local and regional governments in food systems transformation.
Proposed AGENDA
Moderator: Corinna Hawkes, Director, Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO Keynote Speech
- Manuel de Arujo, Mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique
- Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Richard McCarthy, President, World Farmers Markets Coalition
- Charlie Worthington, Food Systems Lead, Consumers International
- Stineke Onemu, UN-Nutrition
Audience Discussion Closing Remarks
The session will take place at the FAO HQ - Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome (Red Room), and it will be conducted in a hybrid format. For more information on how to sign up for the digital version.