UN Regional Commissions Launch Policy Brief on Transforming Food Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the world's fragilities, including the weaknesses of our food systems which exacerbate hunger, obesity, poverty, political instabilities and economic crises. To overcome common and regional challenges, the five UN regional commissions have been working jointly on devising harmonized pathways and proposing game changers that can transform food systems, reverse their current performance and improve their outcomes.

This collaboration resulted in the launch of a joint policy brief entitled Transforming Food Systems for the Food Systems Summit, held on 23 September in New York. The Brief highlights the need to enhance regional engagement in sharing lessons learned for a sustainable food systems transformation, leading to inclusive and resilient food systems that participate in ensuring equitable livelihoods for all, and a healthy and sustainable planet.

"ECLAC believes in the relevance of transitioning to more agroecological production systems and practices to reduce emissions and environmental impacts and to enhance the carbon sink services provided by soils and forests. We urge our member countries to devote more resources to research, development and innovation, incentivize science and evidence-supported nature-based solutions and reward good agri-environmental practices," said ECLAC's Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena.

The Brief pinpoints the challenges faced by the world's regions based on the outcomes of dialogues organized by the five UN regional commissions in their respective regions (Africa, the Arab region, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean). These dialogues have generated momentum in support of national and independent dialogues and have enabled the identification of issues that require collaboration and partnerships between countries.

The Food Systems Summit marks a ‎‎‎‎milestone to promote immediate action for healthier, more ‎‎‎‎sustainable and inclusive food systems, and to advance progress across all Sustainable Development ‎‎‎Goals (SDGs).

Watch a video on the Brief here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWTwROQk_TI