Update on virtual UN Food Systems Summit: Full program now available online
June 25, 2021.
The UN FSS Science Days will be joined by a diverse set of speakers from all over the world. The FAO Director General QU Dongyu, UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohamed, Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit Agnes Kalibata and Chair of Scientific Group for the UN Food Systems Summit Joachim von Braun will be opening the event on 8 July at 13:00 CEST.
View the full program at sc-fss2021.org/events/sciencedays. In the lead-up to the Science Days, partners from civil society, research, policy and industry will organize over 40 side-events on a wide range of issues on 5-7 July. The side-events will offer an opportunity for partners to present their insights on science, technologies and innovations for food systems transformation.
Watch out for the schedule early next week at sc-fss2021.org/events/sciencedays/side-events and registration for the Science Days is still open!
ZEF's involvement: UN-FSS preparation according to ZEF researchers and alumni - a survey
In September 2021, a Food Systems Summit will be held under the auspices of the United Nations. ZEF researchers and alumni share their impression on the Summit’s preparation and expected results:
The main expectations from researchers are diverse and mainly relate to:
- A commitment to measure and track all SDGs targets via open-source data on regular time intervals at the national and sub-national levels.
- Commitments and targets at the sub-national level to achieve the SDGs by 2030 because national averages do not give the true picture of the successes and failures.
- Cross-country evidence-based learnings of innovations and technologies.
- A greater appreciation that only sustainable, inclusive and resilient food systems can end hunger and malnutrition.
- Cement the importance of achieving sustainable food systems in terms of climate action, biodiversity and land degradation.
- Better coordination and cooperation across different disciplines towards the shared goal of food system transformation.
- Significant increase in funding for food systems-related research and development activities.
- Give clear directions on the actions to undertake and evidence needed at every stage of the global and local food systems to affect positively the transition towards sustainable food systems.
- Ensure funding for research and development projects to explore objectively the future of farming, an important part of food systems in the diversity of agroecological zones around the world, particularly in low-income countries.
- Come out with strong recommendations for African governments to substantially increase investments in research and science innovation systems relating to digital, mechanical, irrigation, and post-harvest technologies.
Researchers’ level of optimism that the Summit will make a difference on a scale of 1 to 10 (most optimistic) ranges between 5 and 7 with an average of 6.
In researchers’ respective countries, particularly in Uzbekistan, Russia, Senegal, and India, FSS dialogues were undertaken with stakeholders to outline national pathways towards sustainable food systems.
Contributors: Assefa Admassie, Heike Baumüller, Amy Faye, Alisher Mirzabaev, Pallavi Rajkhowa